Saxon Scholarship Program

Eligible are:

• doctoral candidates of all disciplines at TU Dresden, who were accepted as such at a faculty of TU Dresden no more than six months before the planned start of funding
• Prospective doctoral candidates who submitted the application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate at a faculty of TU Dresden at least electronically via Promovendus and who thus have the status „Applicant“

Further requirements:

• The applicant must be accepted as a doctoral candidate at a faculty of TU Dresden latest by the planned start of funding.
• At the planned start of funding, no paid sideline activity of more than eight hours per week is carried out (otherwise, the funding cannot be taken advantage of).
• Applicants must ensure that any requirements are fulfilled latest by the planned start of funding, at the very latest by the last possible start of funding on December 1, 2026.

Not eligible are:

• Individuals, who are already publicly funded otherwise.
• Individuals, who receives funding for the project from private institutions that receive public funding.
• Individuals, who have legal claim to such funding.

Your supervising professor is the primary supervisor, who is officially responsible for you during your doctorate and who signed the supervision agreement.

The description of the research project shall not exceed 7 pages and has to include:

• Problem statement, explanation and aim of the planned project
• Overview of the State of Research in the discipline (literary review)
• Preparatory work
• Work und time schedule for the requested funding period

There are no formal restrictions to the design of the description, but we recommend the following:

• A4
• font size mininum 10, preferably Arial
• Cover sheet and bibliography can be added to the 7 pages of the description

You only have to convince by your written application when applying within the Saxon Scholarship Program - a personal interview will not take place. The more important is the letter of motivation: use it to present your personality and motivation for your application. In principle, a letter of motivation is similar to a job application and you need to present yourself, your knowledge and skills and relate them to the funding provider. The letter of motivation is the perfect instrument for that, because it offers more space to explain your personal and academic background than the "ordinary" cover letter can do only in brief.

There is no formal pattern for such a letter - but you can implement some tips, because you should convince with your "personal touch" to convince:

Content issues:

• Before writing, think about why do you fit to the TUD and especially this funding program? Why do you even need a scholarship and why exactly this? Why should the TUD just promote you? Why do you want to pursue a doctorate?
• What do you expect from the scholarship? How would the scholarship specifically help you to pursue and achieve your personal and professional goals?
• Read the call for applications thoroughly and highlight all the requirements and expectations (criteria) that are set to the applicants. Describe how you meet these criteria and why you are the appropriate candidate for the scholarship. Best to prove your statements with examples as well.
• Use the most important and appropriate points from your curriculum vitae, which qualify you especially for the scholarship, which you particularly distinguish and stand out from others, e.g., study, internships, work experience, language skills, awards / honors, publications, previous doctoral studies etc.

Formal issues:

• max. 2 pages
• DIN A4 page
• at least font size 11

The selection takes place by the executive committee of the Graduate Academy on the basis of the application handed in. The scholarships are awarded in a competitive process. 

According to SächsLStipVO , highly eligible PhD projects are:

• from disciplines with a special need for young researchers,
• from applicants, who kept the standard period of study within gaining their last (relevant for doctorate) university degree,
• from women, whereby the percentage of women from all passed exams at the universities of the Free State Saxony from the past three years are taken into consideration.

Further criteria:

• qualification of the applicant
  (academic performance, publications, prizes/awards)
• quality of the letter of recommendation and the Letter of Reference
• consideration of life circumstances
  (social criteria)

A fundamental legal right to claim funding within this program does not exist.

No, the grants are not subject to social insurance contribution, because according to § 3 Nr. 44 Income Tax Act (EStG) they are exempt from taxation. Reception of the grant does not constitute a employment relationship and thus does not represent a payment according to § 14 Social Insurance Code (SGB) IV. As a result, the funding is not subject to social insurance contribution. It is the grant holder's sole responsibility to arrange for all her necessary personal and property insurances. Financial assistance in case of illness, or contributions to health insurance cannot be granted.

No, because the grants do not constitute an employment relationship, your health is not insured via the TU Dresden. As it is obligatory to be sufficiently health insured, it is your own responsibility to procure a health insurance and cover its costs. Neither does the grant include an accident or third party liability insurance. We therefore highly recommend you arrange for those insurances as well.

§ 3  Absatz 3 Satz 4 SächsLStipVO: 

[Link to the SächsLStipVO]
Translation: "The pursuit of remunerated sideline activity (secondary employment) shall be permissible for an average of up to eight hours per week, provided that the recipient of the grant furnishes proof thereof by submitting an employment contract."

As a grant holder you are obliged to inform about all personal and economic changes that are relavant for the amount of your funding. Especially income changes may lead to a reduction of the amount of funding you receive.