DAAD GROW Scholarships 2027 (Global Research Opportunities for the South)

Overview

GROW (Global Research Opportunities for the South) funds early-career researchers from developing countries to spend one to six months at a German host institution. The programme is short, focused, and designed to build research collaborations between scholars in the global South and Germany without uprooting the applicant from their home institution. Most African countries are eligible. The 2027 cycle closes 30 April 2027.

Benefits

• Monthly research stipend (currently around EUR 2,000 for the GROW research period).
• Travel allowance for one return trip between home country and Germany.
• Health, accident, and personal liability insurance.
• Research, materials, and conference travel allowance while in Germany.
• Access to the German host institution’s facilities and research community.

Eligibility

• Citizen of a country on DAAD’s developing-country list (most African countries qualify).
• Hold a doctoral degree, with the PhD obtained within the last four years.
• Hold a current academic, research, or teaching post in your home country (you must return to it after the GROW period).
• Identified German host institution and host researcher with a written invitation.
• Concrete, time-bound research project that can be completed in one to six months.
• English fluent; German is welcomed but not required for most research projects.

How to apply

1. Identify a German host researcher whose work aligns with yours. Reach out at least three months before the deadline and agree on a project plan.
2. Open the DAAD GROW page at the source link.
3. Complete the application through the DAAD portal: research proposal (two to three pages), CV, list of publications, invitation letter from the German host, support letter from your home institution.
4. Submit before 30 April 2027.
5. Decisions are typically announced in August or September 2027 for fellowships starting between January and December 2028.