If you once studied or researched in Germany on a DAAD scholarship, there is a funded way back. The DAAD Re-Invitation Programme invites former scholarship holders to return to Germany for a short research or working stay of one to three months — with a monthly payment of €2,000 to €2,150, plus travel and insurance support. It is a rare second-chance scholarship: most funding doors open once, but DAAD deliberately keeps one open for its alumni.
In short: The DAAD Re-Invitation Programme 2027 funds former DAAD scholarship holders for a 1–3 month research or working stay in Germany, paying €2,000/month (or €2,150 for professors). Applications for stays starting in 2027 close on 1 October 2026.
Quick Overview
- Host Country: Germany
- Host Institution: Any state or state-recognised university or non-university research institute in Germany (your choice, with a cooperation partner)
- Degree Level: Post-graduate research / professional working stays
- Program Duration: 1–3 months (the selection committee sets the exact length)
- Funding Type: Fully funded
- Deadline: 1 October 2026, 23:59 CET/CEST — for stays starting from April 2027. A second round closes 23 February 2027 for stays starting from October 2027.
Benefits of the DAAD Re-Invitation Programme 2027
You are not starting from scratch — this is DAAD investing in someone it already funded. The support is straightforward and serious:
- Monthly payment — Assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers receive €2,000 per month; professors receive €2,150. If you work outside academia (business, administration, culture, media), the rate is calculated against your qualifications.
- Travel allowance — Added to your grant, unless your travel costs are covered from another source.
- Health insurance — Provided if you are not otherwise insured; the cost is deducted from the scholarship payment.
- Alumni network access — The programme explicitly aims to maintain contacts as part of DAAD's global alumni network, which is real career capital.
- Flexible host institutions — Your stay can take place at several host institutions across Germany, not just one.
- Working stays outside science — Former holders who now work in business, administration, culture or media can apply for working stays, not just academic research.
Eligibility Criteria for the DAAD Re-Invitation Programme 2027
This is the part that catches people out, because the rules are specific:
- Former DAAD scholar — You must have held a DAAD research grant or study scholarship lasting more than six months, funded from Federal Foreign Office money. Former GDR scholarship holders who studied in Germany for at least one year are also eligible.
- Not living in Germany — You must not have lived in Germany for at least the last three years.
- Coordinated project — Your research or working project must be coordinated in advance with a cooperation partner in Germany.
- Aimed at professionals and academics — The programme targets academics, but people working in business, administration, culture and media can apply for working stays.
- Once in three years — Funding can only be claimed once within any three-year period. Grants cannot be extended or renewed.
- Before applying from abroad — Applicants from third countries, or German applicants living in a foreign country, are asked to contact the responsible DAAD branch office or section before submitting, to discuss possible special application requirements.
How to Apply for the DAAD Re-Invitation Programme 2027
1. Contact a German host partner first. This is not optional in practice — you need a cooperation partner in Germany, and the application requires written confirmation from the host confirming your project and guaranteeing you a workplace. 2. Register in the DAAD portal. The portal access opens at least six weeks before the application deadline and only appears while the current application period is running. 3. Complete the online application form. Fill it in carefully; the selection committee's most important criteria are your academic achievements (documented in your CV and publications) and a convincing, well-planned project. 4. Upload your project statement (max. 10 pages). This is the heart of your application — a comprehensive statement about your research or working project, uploaded under "research project" in the portal. 5. Upload the time schedule and itinerary. List the host institutions and cooperation partners of your planned visit. Plan a project that still makes sense if only one month is awarded, because you do not choose the length — the committee does. 6. Upload host confirmation and remaining documents. CV (max. 3 pages, tabular form), publication list if relevant, and translations (German or English) of any documents in another language. 7. Submit before the portal closes. The DAAD portal closes at 24:00 hrs CET/CEST on the last application day. DAAD itself advises: if possible, do not send your application on the final date in case of technical problems. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.
Required Documents
- Online application form (completed in the DAAD portal)
- Full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 3 pages)
- List of academic publications (if applicable)
- Comprehensive statement about the research or working project (max. 10 pages)
- Time schedule and itinerary of the planned visit (host institutions / cooperation partners)
- Confirmation from the academic host in Germany referring to your project and guaranteeing a workplace
- German or English translations of any documents submitted in another language
DAAD Re-Invitation Programme 2027 Deadline
Applications for stays beginning in 2027 close on 1 October 2026 — selection takes place in February 2027 and funding starts from April 2027. There is a second round with a 23 February 2027 deadline, where selection happens in June/July 2027 and funding starts from October 2027. DAAD updates these deadlines annually in the second quarter of each year, and in most cases they fall in the same period as the previous year — so always confirm the current date on the official scholarship database entry. Miss the deadline and the portal simply disappears; it reopens only for the next application period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for the DAAD Re-Invitation Programme?
Former DAAD scholarship holders whose original research or study scholarship lasted more than six months (funded from Federal Foreign Office money), and former GDR scholarship holders who studied in Germany for at least one year. In both cases, you must not have lived in Germany for at least the last three years. The programme is aimed at academics, but people working in business, administration, culture and media can apply for working stays.
Is the DAAD Re-Invitation Programme fully funded?
Yes. You receive €2,000 per month (assistant teachers, assistant professors and lecturers) or €2,150 (professors), plus a travel allowance unless your costs are covered elsewhere, and health insurance if you are not otherwise insured. The insurance cost is deducted from the payment, so budget for that.
How long is a DAAD Re-Invitation Programme stay?
Between one and three months — and you do not choose. The selection committee sets the exact length as part of its decision, so your project proposal should still make sense if only a single month is awarded. Grants cannot be extended or renewed.
Can I apply for the Re-Invitation Programme more than once?
Yes, but not often. Funding can only be claimed once within any three-year period, so a previous award pushes your next eligible application out to the third year after. Grants are also non-renewable — a stay cannot be extended into a second round.
Do I need to have published research papers?
Publications are one of the most important selection criteria, documented in your CV and a publication list — but they are not an absolute requirement for every applicant. What the committee weighs most is your academic achievements and a convincing, well-planned project. If you work outside the science sector, the committee instead asks whether your stay will have a sustainable effect on your professional activity, multiplier effects such as planned publications, and whether it promotes existing cooperations.
Do I need to know German?
Not necessarily. DAAD assumes you have contacted your German host institute in advance to confirm you can work with colleagues — in English, for example. But documents submitted in your national language must be accompanied by German or English translations.
Can I visit several institutions in Germany?
Yes. A research or working visit can take place at several host institutions, and your time schedule should list all of them along with your cooperation partners.
Can freelancers or people outside academia apply?
Former scholarship holders who now work outside the science sector — in business, administration, culture or media — can apply for working stays at an institution in their field. Your rate is calculated against your qualifications rather than the academic pay scale.
What happens if my application is incomplete?
It cannot be considered. You are responsible for ensuring your application is complete, and your application is only valid if all required documents reach the DAAD portal by the deadline. The portal closes at 24:00 CET/CEST on the last day.
When will I know the result?
For the 1 October 2026 deadline, selection takes place in February 2027 with funding from April 2027. For the 23 February 2027 round, selection takes place in June/July 2027 with funding from October 2027.
Final Words
If Germany once funded your studies and you have since built a career worth showing for, this programme is DAAD's way of saying: come back and do something with it. The bar is real — a well-planned project with a committed host partner — but the reward is a fully funded research stay in one of the world's strongest research ecosystems. Start with the host, write a project that could fit in one month, and get your documents in before the portal closes.
