Climate neutrality by the middle of the 21st century is the declared goal of Germany and the EU. Green hydrogen is an important component in the transformation of the energy sector and the decarbonization of emission-intensive sectors. Within the framework of the German and the European hydrogen strategies, we intend to recruit and qualify future specialists and young scientists. In addition, international cooperation, especially in the European Research Area, shall be strengthened and interdisciplinarity and innovative capabilities promoted. The ERA Fellowships – Green Hydrogen programme, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is complemented by comprehensive networking measures and the establishment of four working groups. Fellows will continue to be involved in those after the end of the funding period and thus will both receive and offer long-term support from and to the German research and innovation location for green hydrogen.

PhD students who are interested in any topics related to Green Hydrogen (GH2) and want to be an active part in one of the four working groups:

• Production
• Transport and Infrastructure
• Market stimulation (i.e. further development of the market for hydrogen)
• cross-cutting issues (i.e. regulation, socio-economic and legal framework)

PhD students enrolled in universities in the following countries are eligible for the GH2 program: EU member states, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Ghana, Island, Israel, Japan, Kosovo, Mexico, Morocco, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Togo, Türkiye, Tunisia, Ukraine, USA, United Kingdom and Uruguay.

The programme provides funding for

• a research project or continuing academic training at a state or state-recognised university in Germany or a non-university research insti-tute, which is being carried out in agreement with a supervisor in Germany or
• a self-organized internship in a company or a non-university institution in the field of GH2 in Germany.

The fellowship grants access to international working groups and expects active participation and involvement in a group that is supposed to continue after the fellowship ends. Here you can learn more about the working groups.

1 to 18 months for research fellowships and 2 to 3 months for internships.

The fellowship cannot be extended.

The fellowship covers:

• a monthly fellowship instalment of 1,300 Euros
• payments towards health, accident and personal liability insurance cover
• a lump sum towards international travel costs
• if the fellowship is awarded for more than six months: one-off study allowance of 460 Euros

Under certain circumstances, fellowship holders may receive the following additional benefits:

• if the fellowship is awarded for more than six months: Monthly rent subsidy
• if the fellowship is awarded for more than six months: Monthly allowance for accompanying members of family. Please also read our Important Scholarship Information / section F, point 3
• In the case of a disability or chronic illness: subsidy for additional costs which result from the disability or chronic illness and are not covered by other funding providers: Further information
• Green Mobility Top Up (Support for climate-friendly travel) or reimbursement of carbon offset payments for air travel
• grant for participation in a conference

To allow you to improve your language skills in preparation for your stay in Germany, the DAAD offers the following benefits:

• if necessary: German language course (2 or 4 months) before the start of the research stay in Germany; the DAAD decides whether to fund participation and for how long depending on German language skills and project. Participation in a language course is compulsory if the working language is German.
• if the fellowship is awarded for more than six months:
  
  • Payment of course fees for an online German language course after receipt of the Fellowship Award Letter
  • allowance for a personally chosen German language course during the fellowship period
  • reimbursement of the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test, which you can take either in your home country after you have received your Letter of Award or in Germany during your funding period

Please note that the DAAD does not cover tuition fees.

The selection committees are composed according to subject and, if applicable, regional criteria. The committee members are appointed by the DAAD Executive Board and are primarily researchers from German universities and research institutions. They evaluate the applications and decide on the awarding of the fellowships. DAAD staff members organize the meeting but have no voting rights.

Special consideration will be given to:

Academic qualifications

• academic performance and progress (incl. grade point average, grade progression)
• Knowledge of the language of instruction or working language
• If applicable, scholarly achievements after graduation, (e.g. publications, lectures, conference papers)

Quality of research project

• Quality of research proposal and preparation (originality, topicality and relevance of the project, choice of host institution and first contacts)
• Feasibility and consistency of research plan and schedule (analysis and evaluation stages)
• Incorporation of project within the overall doctorate (in terms of content and time)

Potential of the applicant

• Suitability of the applicant’s profile and the research project/internship to the objectives of the program (potential for personal and professional development, use of international networking in the working groups as well as own active contributions in the working groups)
• Career prospects: significance of the research project and stay in Germany for the applicant’s academic, professional and personal development
• Motivation: professional and personal reasons for the stay in Germany and the host university/the internship provider, knowledge of the local language (if different from the working language); regional knowledge
• Extracurricular commitment: extracurricular knowledge and skills, social commitment

In addition, the selection committee will give due consideration to aspects of equal opportunities, on which you can provide information in the application form.