heiDOCS 2.0 Bridging grants

You can apply for a bridging grant for financial support to cover the following two transition periods:

a) Starting grant for your doctoral project

This grant provides financial support for the initial phase of your doctoral training during which you may be clarifying issues that could prevent you from successfully beginning your doctoral project or during which you are carrying out preliminary work on your doctoral project. This could include issues such as finding a source of long-term funding, while dealing with the formalities of moving to Heidelberg from abroad, organizing childcare, balancing your doctoral training with a career or investigation questions regarding the contents of your project.

b) Starting grant for your postdoctoral project

This grant provides financial support for the transition from doctoral training to a postdoc project at Heidelberg University, during which time you focus is on the preparation of your planned postdoctoral project. This can include such work as writing a project proposal, applying for postdoc funding or carrying out initial work leading up to the start of a concrete postdoc position at Heidelberg University.

If the funding period you are applying for begins before your disputation, it is required that your disputation takes place no longer than 3 months after the start of funding. Please be aware that you cannot apply for this grant to fund the preparation of your disputation but rather only for the preparation of a concrete postdoc project.

a) Starting grant for your doctoral project

You are eligible to apply for this grant if you

• have successfully completed a university degree that entitles you to pursue a doctoral degree (In Germany, this is usually a Diplom, Magister or master's degree) and
• have been officially admitted to one of the 13 Faculties at Heidelberg University*
  *Medical students who are writing their doctoral thesis during their medical studies, before completing their degree (studienbegleitende Promotion) are not eligible to apply.

Important:

• As a general rule, confirmation of admission to the faculty must be submitted at the time of application. If the letter of admission is not yet available, it may be submitted later. However, applicants must be officially admitted as a doctoral researcher before the start of the funding period. The funding must start within 4 months after admission to the faculty.
• You are not eligible for this grant if you have already received funding for your doctoral training from other sources that had the same funding purpose.
• Eligibility for funding ends at the end of the month in which your doctoral training at Heidelberg University ends (e.g. termination of your doctoral training or transfer to another university to pursue doctoral training. Eligibility for funding ends at the beginning of the month in which you take up employment that is not compatible with the funding or in which you start receiving an equivalent grant for your doctoral training from private or public sources.

b) Starting grant for your postdoctoral project

You are eligible to apply for this grant, if you

• have successfully completed a university degree that entitles you to pursue a doctoral degree (In Germany, this is usually a Diplom, Magister or master's degree),
• have been officially admitted to one of the 13 Faculties at Heidelberg University*,
• you have submitted your doctoral thesis to the faculty,
• you have concrete plans for your postdoctoral project at Heidelberg University and
• you are not receiving/will not receive funding that is equivalent to this grant (e.g. in the form of a full or part-time fellowship from a German or international institution or funding organization or an employment contract of more than 25% or 26% of a full-time position. For more information see “General Questions about the Application Process”).
  *Medical students who are writing their doctoral thesis during their medical studies, before completing their degree (studienbegleitende Promotion) are not eligible to apply.

Important:

• Your oral examination (Disputation/Rigorosum) must take place no later than 3 months after the beginning of this grant. Please be aware that you cannot apply for this grant to fund the preparation of your oral examination but rather only for the preparation of your concrete postdoc project.
• You are not eligible for this grant if you have already received funding for your postdoctoral training from other sources that had the same funding purpose.
• Eligibility for funding ends at the end of the month in which your postdoctoral training at Heidelberg University ends (e.g. termination of your postdoctoral training or transfer to another university to pursue postdoctoral training. Eligibility for funding ends at the beginning of the month in which you take up employment that is not compatible with the funding or in which you start receiving an equivalent grant for your post doctoral training from private or public sources.

You must submit a complete application by the relevant deadline in order to be considered for funding.

Please note that this also applies even if the deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday.

Please note the following deadlines and plan accordingly:

a) Starting grant for your doctoral project

The starting grant for your doctoral project is max. 1,300 Euro per month.

b) Starting grant for your postdoctoral project

The starting grant for your post doctoral project is max. 1,500 Euro per month.

The bridging grant can be awarded for a maximum of 6 months. The grant is paid monthly.

Child benefits

If you have one or more children, you can apply for child benefits. The child benefit is 400 Euro for one child and 100 Euro for each additional child. Please indicate on the online registration form if you have children.