Einstein Foundation Doctoral Program

The Einstein Foundation Doctoral Program aims to support excellent, structured long-term doctoral programmes and artistic third cycle programmes offered by Berlin universities and Charité – Universitätsmedizin by promoting pioneering concepts that seek to develop, field-test, and institutionalize practices designed to provide sustainable solutions to structural challenges in doctoral education. Successful initiatives are then to be disseminated in Berlin and beyond. In this way, the programme helps to nurture the appeal of Berlin’s graduate programmes and strengthen early career researchers and their training.

Eligibility

Structured, long-term doctoral programmes as well as artistic third cycle programmes are eligible to apply. Joint applications may also be submitted by two or more programmes.

Funding period

Three years

Volume

€300,000 to fund staff and directly incurred expenses for three years. Funding can be requested flexibly in annual releases varying between €80,000 and €120,000. Applications can be submitted annually in autumn; up to two successful programmes are selected each year.

Forms

Programme information

Application form

Budget plan

Budget plan attachment

Reporting form

Code for funding recipients

Guidelines on Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Career Support

FAQs about the "Einstein Foundation Doctoral Program"

Up to 50% of the applied grant can be used to fund (pre-)doctoral students. Graduate students need to be allocated at least 75% FTE positions. The application needs to explain how the funds assigned to doctoral students help to achieve the application’s goals and why these funds cannot be drawn from other sources.  

All early career researchers funded through the Einstein Foundation need to be allocated at least 75% FTE positions. Exceptions require separate justification and authorisation from the Einstein Foundation head office.

Please check the boxes next to both universities on the form and state which institution is the main applicant. This institution will receive the funds and forward them to the partnering institutions. Please include only one budget plan. 

The maximum funding amount is €300,000 for 36 months (3 funding years). Funding can be requested flexibly in annual releases varying between €80,000 and €120,000. This means, for example, that you could apply for €80,000 in the first year, €100,000 in the second year, and €120,000 in the third year.

The funding year starts with the first release of funding, which means it may not coincide with the calendar year. You can specify the month that funding starts. For example, if the programme is supposed to start on October 1, 2025, you can request between €80,000 and €120,000 for the period until September 30, 2026.