DAAD-WISE: fund your summer research internship in Germany

(DAAD is not paying me for writing this article. Share this article with your friends, their application doesn’t reduce your chances of being selected.)

This article in brief: If you have a confirmed summer research internship offer from a German host professor, DAAD-WISE is a scholarship that can fund it! Applications are open! You can read about it here and then apply here.

Images were taken from the DAAD and DAAD India Facebook pages

You could be interested in the DAAD-WISE scholarship if you are/going to be:

1. an Indian undergraduate student interested in research, with a current CGPA > 8.5 (or 9 IMO)
2. enrolled in an IISc, IIT, NIT, IISER or one of these institutes
3. enrolled in a programme which can be classified under the broad fields of engineering, mathematics and natural sciences
4. in the pre-final year (5th semester) of a 4-year Bachelor’s programme or in the 5th or 7th academic semester of a 5-year integrated or dual degree (Bachelor-Master) programme
5. Have a confirmed research internship offer from a host researcher at a publicly-funded German higher education institution or a research institute

I always say this to juniors: If you have no confirmed offer and no prior experience, in my opinion, you shouldn’t try for an international research internship. Instead, you could take up a project in your college during the academic year, gain some new skills and domain knowledge, take up a summer research project in an institute in India/your own country, develop your skills further and try for other foreign internship programs in the next year. More about that, *maybe*, in a future article.

What does DAAD-WISE offer?

1. A monthly scholarship of 750 euros (25 euros per day, for an internship duration of 60 to 90 days)
2. A travel subsidy of 1,050 euros
3. Health, accident and personal liability insurance

What should you do BEFORE applying?

1. Be sure that you are interested in research, and doing a research internship abroad.
2. Find a German professor willing to be your host, and work out the specifics of your project, and make an outline of what you will be doing in the three months.
3. Ensure that the professor is hosting you because they are looking forward to working with you, and not hiring you just because you are getting the scholarship.
4. Make a plan about what you will do if you don’t get the scholarship.

Rejections are part and parcel of life. Love thy first rejection and learn humility from it!

Important note:

You should complete the application online at least 4 working days before the deadline. You have to generate an application summary from the portal after you submit all documents, and then (speed) post it to New Delhi in hard copy! Also, your reference(s) should reach New Delhi in a separate sealed envelope(s).