As college students, we face many questions about our future, and not all of us have our entire careers planned to a T. Opportunities like internships help us explore, learn and experience multiple professional environments before truly committing ourselves to one.
We at the OIR help bring such opportunities to the students of NITT to help them get the most out of their college experience and discover the careers that best fit them.
OIR conducted a webinar in collaboration with the DAAD Information Point, Chennai, to provide students with a detailed overview of the DAAD WISE Scholarships.
About the DAAD WISE Scholarship
The DAAD Wise scholarship is an aid to the international students interested in pursuing research internships from public-funded German Institutions in the fields of engineering and science.
What can be funded?
The student needs to independently take up a research internship at a public or state-funded higher education institution or a non-university research institute in Germany to work under doctoral students, scientists or professors as a part of their ongoing research projects.
Duration of the funding
It’s a 2 to 3-month research internship spanning between May and August. DAAD cannot support internships of less than 60 days and more than 90 days under the scheme of this programme.
Why should you apply?
- A research internship helps increase your knowledge and aids the exploration of hands-on research in your field of study.
- It’s a chance for you to explore your independence, gain international experience in a new country, and meet students from various countries and educational backgrounds.
- It allows you to connect with potential graduate supervisors should you be interested in returning to Germany for graduate studies.
- The scholarship includes the expense of research (750 euros monthly allowance that is calculated on a daily basis, i.e. 25 euros per day), travel subsidies (lump-sum of 1050 euros) and payments towards health, accidents and personal liability insurance.
- It’s a great addition to your resume.
Applying for DAAD WISE Scholarship
Eligibility
Students who wish to apply must meet the following criteria:
- They must be of Indian nationality.
- They need to belong to one of the selected Indian higher education institutions (list of institutions).
- They should be enrolled in programmes that can be classified under the broad fields of engineering, mathematics and natural sciences.
- They should be in the 5th or 6th academic semester of a 4-year Bachelor’s programme or their 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th academic semester of a 5-year integrated or dual degree (Bachelor-Master) programme.
- The applicant must have an aggregate percentage of 85% and above or CGPA 8.5/10 and above of all completed semesters at the time of application. The student must submit all transcripts of completed semesters.
- The applicant must search independently for a German professor/guide, under whose supervision s/he could carry out their research.
- In the case of several offers, the applicant must select one internship.
- Internships at private universities, research institutes or companies are not eligible.
- They should not be former recipients of the WISE scholarship.
- Selected candidates cannot draw funding from other German scholarship-awarding organizations or other German public authorities simultaneously with a DAAD scholarship.
- The applicant should own a valid passport by 1st December. The name on the application form must be identical to the one in the passport.
Selection
The application review and selection procedure are based upon academic achievements and the overall evaluation of the applicant’s profile. Results are generally announced by February.
Application documents
To be uploaded in the DAAD portal:
- Online application form
- The applicant must be a registered student of their institution. It is necessary to obtain a “No Objection Certificate” for the entire duration of the internship from the home institute. This form is also available under the category “Application Procedure” of the programme announcement
- An “ Approval Form “ (can also be found in the “Application Procedure” tab) is mandatory and must be filled out by the German host. The document must mention the exact start and end dates of the internship
- The applicant must submit a CV and a short research proposal along with the documents mentioned above
- A “Letter of Motivation”
- University degree certificates indicating final grade(s)
- Applicants must provide proof of their current proficiency in the language of instruction (German, English, or both) in their chosen study programme
- Proof of accommodation is necessary for later visa issuance. Therefore it’s recommended that you inquire about accommodation early in advance
To be submitted by post
- The “Application summary” is generated in the portal in PDF format and can be printed out after the online application procedure is completed; please send one copy to the DAAD office in New Delhi.
- Recent reference from an Indian university teacher which provides information about the applicant’s qualifications (please find the form in the DAAD application portal)
Application Location:
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Regional Office New Delhi
c/o DLTA Complex, R.K. Khanna Stadium, 1 Africa Avenue,
New Delhi 110029
India
Website: www.daad.in
Application Procedure
Application procedures may vary depending on the scholarship programme. To find out where and how to apply, please read the “Application procedure” tab in the programme announcement.
- The application procedure occurs online through the DAAD portal. The applicant must first register in the DAAD portal and fill the online application form
- Then in the scholarship database, look for the chosen scholarship programme and then the tab “Submit application”
- The access to the DAAD portal opens about six weeks before the application deadline
- You are required to post the above documents to the given address
- The first and last name filled in the application form should be identical to the name in the passport
- Access to the application portal only appears while the current application period is running. After the application deadline has expired, the portal for this programme is not available until the next application period.
Application deadline — 8th November
Further Guidelines for filling the application
Letter of Motivation
It’s a 3-page document wherein you are required to describe your professional and personal reasons for wishing to study in Germany. The LOM can include the following content:
Facts about your education, skills and knowledge
- Studies: study programme, number of, if applicable, degree semesters
- Professional experience, if applicable
- Specialised knowledge, skills and language skills
- Prizes and awards (if applicable)
Academic motivation
- Why do you wish to take the study programme or attend the language or specialist course for which you are applying?
- What appeals to you about your chosen university?
- What are your expectations of studying in Germany or attending the course (personal, professional, for your career)?
Reasons for applying for a scholarship
- Why are you applying for a DAAD scholarship?
- What do you expect of this scholarship?
- How will the scholarship help you achieve your academic, professional and personal goals?
Personal interests
- Here you can outline special extracurricular achievements and commitments or personal qualities that say something about your character.
The Proposal
A proposal is a detailed and precise description of the project you have agreed to complete with your academic supervisor. In a proposal, you define the goals of your research work, reflect upon theoretical and methodical procedures and you describe the individual steps.
The objective
- What is the subject of your research project?
- Which steps are planned?
- What is the time schedule for your planned research project?
The structure
The description (unless otherwise stated in the scholarship announcement, maximum of 10 pages) should contain details about:
- The research field in general and the current state of research literature:
- What is the current state of research?
- Which theories/work of other academics will you draw upon?
- What theoretical framework or scientific models will you use? Discuss the reasons why you are drawing on this theory or model. Are there competing theories/models and, if so, why are you not using these in your project?
- What is your research question?
2. Key research questions (hypotheses), research objectives and the academic relevance of the project:
- What do you intend to find out?
- What goals are you pursuing with your project?
3. Research strategies/methods:
- How do you intend to answer the research questions?
- How do you want to collect data (document analyses, quantitative or qualitative survey, experiment, etc.)?
- Which academic literature will you use?
- How will you evaluate results?
- What preparation have you already done or intend to do before funding begins?
4. Ethical issues/anticipated difficulties related to collecting data
5. Research bibliography: List of books and essays upon which your work is based.
DAAD in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic
If entry into your host country is not possible due to the pandemic, or if your host country is a virus variant area or a high-risk area, you can start your scholarship online from Germany if your chosen host university offers digitally supported study or research options.
In case of further queries about the DAAD WISE Scholarship, visit their official website or contact them at:
DAAD Information Point Chennai:
Indo German Chamber of Commerce
German Centre, 3rd Floor
32, G.N.Chetty Road, T Nagar
Chennai 600017
+91–44–2827 1442 / 2827 1450, +91 8056046589
Drafted at the Office of International Relations, National Institute of Technology, Trichy by Yash and Clarina Titus