Guidelines / FAQs for Applying for a Grant within the heiDOCS-beCULT "Doctoral Funding" Program from the Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies
The heiDOCS-beCULT funding program of the Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies ended in autumn 2023 and it is no longer possible to submit applications.
https://www.graduateacademy.uni-heidelberg.de/foerderung/heidocs_main_en.html
All of the information necessary for applying for a grant through the heiDOCS-beCULT “Doctoral Funding” program can be found on this website.
Please read carefully through both the General Questions and the Specific Questions about the Individual Sub-Programs
» Travel grants
» Completion grants
» Project grants
» Advisor grants
General questions
► Who can apply for a grant from the heiDOCS-beCULT program "Doctoral Funding"?
► When should I apply?
► Is there a maximum amount that can be awarded within the heiDOCS-beCULT program?
► Can I apply for more than one grant from the heiDOCS-beCULT program "Doctoral Funding" simultaneously?
► Can I receive more than one grant from the heiDOCS-beCULT program "Doctoral Funding"?
► What do I need to consider when filling out the application form?
► Do I need to submit any additional documents (e.g. publication lists, CV etc.)?
► What is meant by "External Funding"?
► Who can issue the evaluation form for my application?
► How do I know if the Graduate Academy has received my application?
► When will I be notified of the decision regarding my application?
Specific questions about the individual sub-programs
► What kinds of trips can be supported by a travel grant?
► Which travel periods should I take into account when applying?
► Which expenses can be reimbursed by the travel grant?
► I do not know exactly how much the trip will cost. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?
► What do I have to submit to have the travel grant paid out?
► When will I receive my travel grant?
► Can I apply for an advance payment of my travel costs?
► What happens to my travel grant if I cannot go on my planned trip?
► What happens if my research trip or research stay has to be postponed?
► What is meant by "Completion Grant"?
► Which funding periods should I take into consideration when applying?
► How high is the grant?
► How high are the child care benefits and what do I have to do in order to receive them?
► When does the completion grant start and for how many months will I receive it?
► I was employed at Heidelberg University (not including the University Hospital) in the 3 months before the beginning of the completion grant. How does this effect the receipt of a grant?
► Can I receive funding through an employment contract or another grant while I am receiving the completion grant?
► Is there a deadline for the submission of my dissertation?
► Can I interrupt the grant?
► What is a project grant?
► Which funding periods should I take into account when applying?
► How high is the grant?
► I do not know exactly how much the project will cost. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?
► What do I have to submit to have the project grant paid out?
► When will I receive the my project grant?
► Can I apply for an advance payment of my project costs?
► What happens to my project grant if the project cannot be carried out?
► What is an advisor grant?
► Which funding periods do I need to take into consideration when applying?
► How high is the grant?
► I do not know exactly how high the expenses will be. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?
► What do I have to submit to have the advisor grant paid out?
► What will happen to my advisor grant if the external evaluation cannot take place?
► What will happen to my advisor grant if the external evaluation has to be postponed?
General questions
Who can apply for a grant from the heiDOCS-beCULT program "Doctoral Funding"?
These grants are only open to doctoral candidates who have been officially admitted to the Faculty of Behavioural and Cultural Studies at Heidelberg University.
When should I apply?
Applications can be submitted at any time.
The applications will be collected and assessed as a group after the deadlines indicated below.
Deadlines:
| January 1 |
| April 1 |
| July 1 |
| October 1 |
The awards notifications will be sent out about 6 to 8 weeks after each deadline.
Important:
- Please note the information about the application deadlines and funding periods that are relevant to the sub-program(s) to which you would like to apply:
» Travel grants
» Completion grants
» Project grants
» Advisor grants - Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the latest appropriate deadline will not be considered.
Is there a maximum amount that can be awarded within the heiDOCS-beCULT program?
Yes. Every doctoral candidate may receive grants amounting to a maximum total of 1,500 Euro over the course of his or her entire doctoral studies. This applies to all grants within the heiDOCS-beCULT “Doctoral Funding” and “Career Development” programs jointly (with the exception of the completion grants and proofreading grants).
Can I apply for more than one grant from the heiDOCS-beCULT program "Doctoral Funding" simultaneously?
Yes. You can apply for more than one grant from the heiDOCS-beCULT Program “Doctoral Funding” at the same time.
Important: If you apply for several grants from the heiDOCS-beCULT Program “Doctoral Funding” at the same time, you will need to submit a complete and separate application for each grant (see: » Application procedure and forms).
Can I receive more than one grant from the heiDOCS-beCULT program "Doctoral Funding"?
Yes. However, please be aware that you can receive a maximum total of 1,500 Euro in grants from the heiDOCS-beCULT “Doctoral Funding” and “Career Development” programs (exceptions: completion grants and proofreading grants) during your doctoral studies.
What do I need to consider when filling out the application form?
Please fill out the application form (see » Application procedure and forms) electronically; do not handwrite your application. In order to ensure that the electronic forms work with all versions of the Adobe software, we strongly recommend that you first download and save the empty application form on your computer and then fill the form out and save it again.
Please use an Apple or Windows operating system to fill out the forms. The forms are not compatible with a Linux system.
Please use only the space provided in the existing fields on the application forms. The evaluators will not be able to read any text that extends beyond the existing limits of the fields.
Please do not change the formatting of the fields on the application forms.
Please send the application documents as separate attachments in your email. You do not need to merge the various documents into one PDF file.
Do I need to submit any additional documents (e.g. publication lists, CV etc.)?
The application procedure and required application documents are indicated in detail here. Additional documents not listed on the website such as publication lists, literature lists, or CVs will not be sent to the evaluators.
What is meant by "External Funding"?
“External funding” refers to additional funds that you have received from an external funding organization for the event/project for which you are now applying. If you will receive or have received funding from an external source, the external funding amount will be offset against the amount approved by the heiDOCS-beCULT program.
Who can I issue the evaluation form for my application?
The evaluation form for your application must be issued and submitted to the Graduate Academy by your doctoral advisor. Please be aware that the application deadlines also pertain to the receipt of the evaluation form. Your advisor is asked to submit the evaluation form to the Graduate Academy via email: ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de.
Please note:
- The evaluation is to be treated confidentially by your advisor.
- The evaluation form for an application for a travel grant / project grant / advisor grant differs from the evaluation form for an application for a completion grant as provided on the website (see » Application procedure and forms).
How do I know if the Graduate Academy has received my application?
Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to automatically notify each applicant that their application has been received. If you want to check on the status of your application, please send an email to: ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de
Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
When will I be notified of the decision regarding my application?
The notifications are sent out by regular mail after the entire evaluation process is completed; this process takes about 6 - 8 weeks after each application deadline. It is not possible to inform you about the results of your application before all evaluations are completed.
Specific questions about the individual sub-programs
Travel grants
What kinds of trips can be supported by a travel grant?
You can apply for a travel grant to:
- attend a conference with direct relevance for your doctoral project. The conference can be in Germany or abroad. Applicants are expected to actively participate in the conference (through a poster presentation or talk). Please indicate the form of participation clearly on your application. A travel grant for attendance as a guest (without active participation) will be awarded only in exceptional cases. Please contact the Graduate Academy (ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de) for more information.
- attend a summer or winter school, a workshop or a similar event with direct relevance to your doctoral project. The event can be in Germany or abroad.
- carry out a research trip in Germany or abroad for the purpose of gathering data, visiting libraries or archives, carrying out field research, conducting interviews, working with specialized equipment, networking etc. The research trip must have direct relevance to your doctoral project.
Eligibility for funding ends at the latest three months after the end of the month in which you take your final oral examination or at the end of the month in which your doctoral studies at Heidelberg University are completed for other reasons (e.g. through publication of your thesis, termination of your doctoral studies in Heidelberg or transfer to another university to pursue doctoral studies).
Note: The funding is awarded in the form of grants. The award of a grant does not establish an employment relationship between Heidelberg University and the recipient. The recipient of the grant may not be obligated to perform any specific academic service or employment activity in connection with the grant.
Please note the Heidelberg University's travel regulations as well as to the country-specific travel warnings made by the Federal Foreign Office (both in German).
Which travel periods should I take into account when applying?
Trips should take place within a period of 12 months following the relevant application deadline. Please take note of the deadlines and corresponding travel periods. The awards notifications are sent out about 6 to 8 weeks after each deadline. If your trip takes place during this 6 to 8 week evaluation period, we will not be able to notify you of the results of your application before your trip begins.
Important: Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the latest appropriate deadline will not be considered.
Which expenses can be reimbursed by the travel grant?
The travel grant will reimburse your actual expenses for:
- transport (airfares, train fares, public transportation, etc.)
- accommodations (hotel, private room rental etc.)
- conference fees
The travel grants do not cover:
- meals
- books, photocopying, bench fees and entertainment
- expenses related to private travel
- trip cancellation insurance
Please note: We can cover your accommodations at the most from one day before to one day after the event.
The amount awarded for a travel grant will be based on the expenses that you list on your application form and the maximum funding amount currently available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program. Should your actual expenses exceed the grant amount indicated in the awards notification, this difference will not be refunded.
I do not know exactly how much the trip will cost. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?
If you do not yet know your exact expenses, enter your best estimate on the application form. Please be aware that if you receive a travel grant, the amount awarded in the grant will be based on these expenses and the maximum funding amount currently available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program. It will not be possible to claim more than the amount you enter on the application form.
What do I have to submit to have the travel grant paid out?
You must send in the appropriate form (which is sent out with the approval notice) and all of the original receipts for the expenses you wish to claim. Expenses for which you do not have a receipt cannot be reimbursed. Please note that only expenses listed here can be reimbursed by the travel grant.
If you also received external funding for this trip, please include a copy of your reimbursement application for the external organization with the form that you submit to the Graduate Academy in order to have the travel grant paid out. In this case, external funding is funding from an external source that is used to cover your expenses for conference fees, transport or accommodations.
When will I receive my travel grant?
If you are awarded a travel grant, your actual expenses up to the maximum grant amount indicated on the awards notification will be reimbursed. The expenses will be reimbursed only after you have completed your trip. Please note that the documents required for the payment of the travel grant need to be submitted to the Graduate Academy no later than one month after the trip has taken place.
Can I apply for an advance payment of my travel costs?
Yes. For travel expenses of 200 Euro or more you can indicate on the application form (see » Application procedure and forms) that you would like to apply for an advance payment. If the travel grant is approved, an advance payment of 80% of the final grant amount will be paid to you. The reimbursement of your remaining expenses, up to the remaining 20% of the grant amount, will be made to you only after you have submitted the necessary documents for reimbursement as listed above.
Please note:
- The advance payment of travel costs is conditional and can be revoked by the Graduate Ccademy. If you do not submit all of the necessary documents to the Graduate Academy at the latest one month after completing your trip or if you do not carry out your trip, you will be required to repay the advance payment immediately to the Graduate Academy.
- If your actual total expenses come to less than the advance payment, you must reimburse the difference to the Graduate Academy.
What happens to my travel grant if I cannot go on my planned trip?
The travel grant is not transferable to another person or to a different event. Therefore, if you are unable to carry out your planned trip, you will automatically forfeit your award.
Because of this, we recommend that you take out trip cancellation insurance. Please note that these costs are not covered by the travel grant.
Important: Funding that is awarded to you but not claimed by you will not be deducted from the total funding amount available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program.
What happens if my research trip or research stay has to be postponed?
It is possible to postpone a research trip or research stay; however, in this case you must contact our office as soon as possible in order to notify us of the new dates. The travel grant will apply to the postponed trip or stay only if the purpose and destination remain unchanged.
Completion grants
What is meant by "Completion Grant"?
The purpose of the completion grant is to fund the swift and efficient completion of your dissertation project. You can apply for a grant to fund the final six months of work on your dissertation up to the submission of the dissertation to the Faculty. The period between submission of the dissertation and the oral examinations cannot be funded.
Please note: Completion grants can be awarded only to doctoral candidates who were previously funded through external sources (e.g. DFG funding, fellowships etc.) or were self-funded.
Note: The funding is awarded in the form of grants. The award of a grant does not establish an employment relationship between Heidelberg University and the recipient. The recipient of the grant may not be obligated to perform any specific academic service or employment activity in connection with the grant.
Which funding periods should I take into consideration when applying?
Applications can be submitted at any time.
The applications will be collected and assessed as a group after the deadlines indicated below. The funding should start within the period indicated for the respective deadline.
Deadlines Start of funding
| January 1 | March 1 until June 1 of the same year |
| April 1 | June 1 until September 1 of the same year |
| July 1 | September 1 until December 1 of the same year |
| October 1 | December 1 until March 1 of the following year |
Please take note of the deadlines and corresponding funding periods. The awards notifications will be sent out about 6 to 8 weeks after each deadline.
Important:
- Grants cannot be approved retroactively.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
How high is the grant?
The grant is max. 1,200 Euro per month and will be awarded for a maximum of 6 months. The grant is paid out monthly. If you have children, you can apply for child care benefits.
How high are the child care benefits and what do I have to do in order to receive them?
The monthly child care benefit is 400 Euro for one child and 100 Euro for each additional child. In order to receive the child care benefits, you must send us the application form for child care benefits (which is sent out with the approval notice). Therefore, please indicate on the online registration form whether you have children and if so, how many.
Please note the following conditions for receiving the child care benefits. You can apply if
- you/your spouse has been granted child allowance payments for a common child under the Income Tax Act or the Federal Child Allowance Act,
- you, as a single parent, receive child allowance payments for a child under the Income Tax Act or the Federal Child Allowance Act,
- you, due to your non-German citizenship, have no legal claim to child allowance payments under the Income Tax Act or the Federal Child Allowance Act but can prove with a certificate from the local residents‘ office (Einwohnermeldeamt) that your child lives in your household.
When does the completion grant start and for how many months will I receive it?
The grant can begin at the earliest one month and at the latest six months after each deadline and it will be paid out for a maximum of 6 months. You can determine the starting point and duration of your grant according to your needs, taking into account the deadlines and the corresponding time periods. The grant can begin only at the beginning of a month and ends at the end of a month. Please indicate the time period during which you would like to receive the grant on the application form.
Please note: The duration of the grant should correspond to the remaining work to be completed on your dissertation.
I was employed at Heidelberg University (not including the University Hospital) in the 3 months before the beginning of the completion grant. How does this effect the receipt of a grant?
It is not possible to receive the grant if the following conditions apply to you:
- you were employed as a Mitarbeiter/in nach TV-L or a wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft at Heidelberg University (not including the University Hospital) in the three months before the start of the funding AND
- your employment consisted of a contact of more than 25% of a full-time position AND
- the work you did has a direct connection to your doctoral project (this means that through this contract you earned income for doing the research that makes up your doctoral project).
If this describes your funding situation, please contact the Graduate Academy (ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de).
Can I receive funding through an employment contract or another grant while I am receiving the completion grant?
The purpose of the completion grant is to help you to complete your dissertation successfully and efficiently. Therefore, while you are receiving the grant, you should be occupied only with the completion of your dissertation. Furthermore, this grant is intended to support doctoral students who have no other source of funding during this final phase. Therefore, if you plan to have additional income from employment or another grant while you receive this completion grant, you must indicate the reasons for this income clearly in your application.
Please note: If you have an employment contract with Heidelberg University (e.q. as student assistant or a research assistant in the TV-L system), please be aware that there must be no connection in terms of time, place or content between the activity supported by the completion grant and the work carried out within the employement contract. This does not exclude a relationship to the subject area of your doctoral studies.
Important: If there are changes to your income while receiving the grant, please contact the Graduate Academy immediately (ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de).
Is there a deadline for the submission of my dissertation?
Yes. You must submit your dissertation to the Faculty of Behavioral and Cultural Studies no later than 3 months after the completion grant has ended. Please submit a confirmation from the Faculty of your submission within this time period to the Graduate Academy.
If your dissertation is not finished within three months of the end of the completion grant, you must submit an interim report on the status of your dissertation, a work schedule and a short assessment by your doctoral advisor to the Graduate Academy. The Graduate Academy reserves the right to completely or partially revoke your grant if these documents are not received by the Graduate Academy within the three month deadline as outlined above.
Can I interrupt the grant?
Yes. It is possible in exceptional cases (for example illness, pregnancy, family reasons) to interrupt the grant for up to 12 months, as long as your doctoral supervisor confirms that the completion of your dissertation is not jeopardized by the interruption. Please contact the Graduate Academy immediately if you think that you will need to interrupt your grant (ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de).
Project grants
What is a project grant?
The project grant is intended to provide financial support to carry out project(s) that are relevant to your doctoral studies and/or to obtain materials to carry out a project (expenses such as the remuneration of test persons, printing of questionnaires, posters or flyers for a study etc.).
Please make sure that the collection, processing and storage of the data is carried out in accordance with data privacy regulations.
Note: The funding is awarded in the form of grants. The award of a grant does not establish an employment relationship between Heidelberg University and the recipient. The recipient of the grant may not be obligated to perform any specific academic service or employment activity in connection with the grant.
Which funding periods should I take into account when applying?
The grant cannot be awarded for projects that are already completed. The awards notifications will be sent out about 6 to 8 weeks after each deadline. If your project begins within this evaluation period, we will not be able to notify you of the results of your application before your project begins.
Important: Incomplete applications cannot be considered.
How high is the grant?
The amount awarded for a project grant will be based on the expenses that you list on your application form and the maximum funding amount currently available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program. Should your actual expenses exceed the maximum grant amount indicated in the awards notification, this difference will not be refunded.
I dot not know exactly how much the project will cost. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?
If you do not yet know your exact expenses, enter your best estimate on the application form. Please be aware that if you receive a project grant, the amount awarded in the grant will be based on these expenses and the maximum funding amount currently available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program. It will not be possible to claim more than the amount you enter on the application form.
What do I have to submit to have the project grant paid out?
You must send in the appropriate form (which is sent out with the approval notice) and all of the original receipts for the expenses you wish to claim. Expenses for which you do not have a receipt cannot be reimbursed.
If you also received external funding for the project, please include a copy of your reimbursement application for the external organization with the form that you submit to the Graduate Academy in order to have the project grant paid out. In this case, external funding is funding from an external source that is used to cover your expenses for this project (e.g. remuneration of test persons, printing of questionnaires, posters or flyers for a study, etc.).
When will I receive my project grant?
If you are awarded a project grant, your actual expenses up to the maximum grant amount indicated in the awards notification will be reimbursed. The expenses will be reimbursed only after you have completed your project. Please note that the documents required for the payment of the project grant need to be submitted to the Graduate Academy no later than one month after completion of the project.
Can I apply for an advance payment of my project costs?
Yes. For project expenses of 200 Euro or more you can indicate on the application form (see
» Application procedure and forms) that you would like to apply for an advance payment. If the project grant is approved, an advance payment of 80% of the final grant amount will be paid to you. The reimbursement of your remaining expenses, up to the remaining 20% of the grant amount, will be made to you only after you have submitted the necessary documents for reimbursement as listed above.
Please note:
- The advance payment of project costs is conditional and can be revoked by the Graduate Academy. If you do not submit all of the necessary documents to the Graduate Academy at the latest one month after completing your project or if you do not carry out your project, you will be required to repay the advance payment immediately to the Graduate Academy.
- If your actual total expenses come to less than the advance payment, you must reimburse the difference to the Graduate Academy.
What happens to my project grant if the project cannot be carried out?
This grant is not transferable to another person or to a different project. Therefore, if you are unable to carry out your planned project, you will automatically forfeit your award.
Important: Funding that is awarded to you but not claimed by you will not be deducted from the total funding amount available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program.
Advisor grants
What is an advisor grant?
The advisor grant will cover some of the costs involved in having your doctoral project evaluated by an international expert. Please note that it is possible to reimburse only expenses for travel and accommodations for the international expert. Honorariums cannot be covered by this grant.
Which funding periods do I need to take into consideration when applying?
The evaluation by the international expert should take place within 12 months after the relevant deadline. Please take this into consideration when choosing the deadline at which you apply. The awards notifications are sent out about 6 to 8 weeks after the deadlines. If the evaluation is scheduled for this 6 to 8 week evaluation period, please be aware that we will not be able to inform you about the result of your application before the evaluation begins.
Important: Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the latest appropriate deadline will not be considered.
How high is the grant?
The amount awarded for an advisor grant will be based on the expenses that you list on your application form and on the maximum funding amount currently available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program. Should the actual expenses exceed the maximum grant amount indicated in the awards notification, this difference will not be refunded.
I do not know exactly how high the expenses will be. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?
If you do not yet know the exact expenses, enter your best estimate on the application form. Please be aware that if you receive an advisor grant, the amount awarded in the grant will be based on these expenses and the maximum funding amount currently available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program. It will not be possible to claim more than the amount you enter on the application form.
What do I have to submit to have the advisor grant paid out?
You must send in the appropriate form (which is sent out with the approval notice) and all of the original receipts of the transport and accommodation expenses for the international expert. Expenses for which you do not have a receipt cannot be reimbursed.
If you also received external funding for the supervision, please include a copy of your reimbursement application for the external organization with the form that you submit to the Graduate Academy in order to have the advisor grant paid out. In this case, external funding is funding from an external source that is used to cover the expenses for travel and accommodations for the international expert.
What will happen to my advisor grant if the external evaluation cannot take place?
The advisor grant cannot be transferred to another person or used for another purpose. If the external evaluation does not take place, you will forfeit the grant.
Important: Funding that is awarded to you but not claimed by you will not be deducted from the total funding amount available to you within the heiDOCS-beCULT program.
What will happen to my advisor grant if the external evaluation has to be postponed?
It is possible to postpone an external evaluation; however, you must inform us as soon as possible if this situation arises. In order for you to retain your advisor grant, neither the international expert nor the purpose of the travel may change.
