Which countries are eligible?

This call for applications is aimed at Sub-Saharan Africa higher education institutions from the following countries:

• Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Congo, Democratic Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Which institutions are eligible?

• This call for applications is aimed at Sub-Saharan Africa higher education institutions wishing to participate as host institutions in the DAAD In-country / In-region Scholarship Programme by offering a particular academic programme. 
• Only universities and higher education institutions that are directly awarding Master or PhD degrees at their institutions are eligible. 
• Research Networks that do not directly award degrees are not eligible.
• The DAAD particularly encourages universities from Least Developed Countries (LDC, definition according to United Nations) in Sub-Saharan Africa to apply. 

Which study programmes are eligible?

• Institutions offering high quality Master programmes, doctoral programmes or individual doctorates are invited to participate in this call. 
• Within the context of regional development the study programmes should aim to qualify especially future teaching and research staff, as well as future decision-makers and executives. 
• The application may only be submitted for post-graduate programmes that have been accredited or recognized according to national quality standards and requirements set by Higher Education Commissions or National Qualification Frameworks.
• At least two cohorts of the study programme must have graduated successfully. 
• Programmes must also attract their own applicants; the DAAD cannot grant to finance a full student intake. 
• Programmes should preferably be in English. Other languages are not excluded in principle. Please note, however, that students must apply to and communicate with DAAD in English for the scholarship (including all related documents). 
• Programmes should be run mainly in the host institution’s country for at least 75 percent of the entire study period.
• Programmes with phases of blended learning of up to 25 percent of the entire study period can apply, but intensive consultation preferably prior to submission of the expression of interest is highly recommended and requested.
• Not fundable are: Online programmes, part-time programmes, short courses, specialization courses or professional and further training programmes that do not lead to an award of a Master or PhD degree.

Which subject areas are eligible?

• Master's and PhD programmes should align with national/regional development plans and the SDGs goals to prepare graduates for future careers that address these goals.
• This includes agricultural sciences, medicine, public health, engineering and life sciences, the applied social sciences, ITC, environmental and other special areas of law. 
• The humanities might be considered in exceptional cases only if the above conditions are met. 
• The fine arts are excluded. 

Who is authorised to apply?

• The application of the first phase “Expression of Interest” must be handed in by a head of department, director of institute or dean of teaching from the university or higher education institution - or it can be a person at a structurally comparable level of responsibility.
• Co-ordinators of study programmes, heads of international offices or individual researchers are not authorised to apply.
• The endorsement of the leadership of the institution (rector, president) will only be necessary in the second phase of the application process, the “Full Application”.

The applications will be evaluated according to:

• formal and content criteria, 
• with a particular emphasis on target group orientation, 
• the uniqueness of the (post)graduate programmes, 
• relation to development issues and 
• impact orientation. 

The following criteria will be applied in the evaluation of applications:

Target group orientation: 

The DAAD In-Country / In-Region programme addresses two target groups: graduates and postgraduates studying

1. in their home country (In-Country scholarships are designed for students studying in their home country or in a country where they hold a residence permit.) 
   OR
2. in another region within Sub Saharan Africa (In-Region scholarships are designed for students who wish to participate in a study programme outside their home country within their region, for which they do not have a residence permit). 

Support services and professional training:

• The applying institution follows a target group-oriented approach in terms of efficient support services (e.g. administrative, social, and intercultural support) and professional training, considering the heterogeneity of its students. 
• It provides a concrete support concept for the scholarship holders, especially for female and In-Region students, explaining and listing the existing and planned support services and activities,
• It offers training in academic, mentoring and management skills that enable the students to apply their acquired knowledge in their subsequent academic or professional careers, stimulating change and development.

Academic expertise: 

• The applying institution provides high quality academic education through renowned faculty and gives detailed information on all post-graduate programmes that are included in the application. 
• The programme reflects cutting-edge research as well as application-oriented skills and know-how, makes use of the most up-to-date concepts, methods and methodologies in its field and shows strong motivation to continually develop and improve its academic portfolio. 
• The programme demonstrates its high academic quality, among other things, via the course plans to be submitted, via the academic staff list (if applicable, together with the corresponding publication list) and the number of academic supervisors available for the students of the respective (post)graduate degree track.
• The statistical information to be submitted regarding the number of applicants, students, especially female and In-Region students, dropouts and graduates will further highlight the quality, competitiveness and attractiveness of the programmes.
• In addition, the institution takes effective steps towards continuous quality assurance and quality improvement.
• The results of tracer studies and alumni evaluation show the high effectiveness of the postgraduate programmes and specify their alignment with the overall goals of the scholarship programme.

Cooperation and networking: 

The applying institution regularly pursues cooperation and networking activities within and beyond academia, fostering inter-institutional and international exchange. Experience in managing international projects and cooperation with German partners are especially desirable. 

Marketing and Admission process for students: 

• The applying institution demonstrates a professional marketing approach and a transparent selection process. DAAD expects the programme to be so attractive that the number of scholarship applicants is usually at least three times higher than the number of scholarships to be awarded.
• It provides a concrete marketing concept on how to attract future scholarship holders to apply for the (post)graduate programmes offered by the institution considering 
  • that female applicants and candidates from less privileged regions or groups are especially encouraged to apply.
  • that the focus of programme is on regional mobility, hence, on attracting In-Region applicants – preferably from LCD Countries.
• It describes in detail its admission process and implements measures to enhance participation of women, underprivileged groups related to, e.g., disability, social or regional background, refugees, and the admission of In-Region students. 

Infrastructure, management, and staff development: 

• The applying institution provides sufficient infrastructure (space, equipment, service facilities), a clear organisational structure, efficient management, and a strong focus on staff development.
• Provision of a staff development plan for the supervisors of the DAAD scholarship holders will be an asset. 

Re-application of a host institution:

• A re-application of a current host institution is possible.
• In case of a re-application, the selection committee will also evaluate its performance in the past affiliate period. This considers the number of applicants, graduates, dropout rates, monitoring reports and communication and co-operation behaviour in previous collaboration.

Upper limit for the number of applications per institution

• Higher education institutions may list in total up to three (post)graduate programmes (Master, PhD) in their application.
• A maximum of two of the three submitted programmes can be PhD programmes.
• If more than one department or faculty of an institution would like to submit applications for this call, a separate application must be submitted for every department or faculty. This does not change the maximum number of three programmes per institution. If more than three departments or faculties of an institution wish to apply, an internal university decision must take place beforehand. 
• This upper limit also includes schools / colleges / institutes that do not have their own legal status and do not award degrees in their own name, but in the name of a university to which they are affiliated.

Application phases

• The application process for institutions consists of two phases: 

1. Expression of Interest and 
2. Full Application. 

• Applying institutions that are selected based on their Expression of Interest will be invited by the DAAD to submit a full application. 

Mandatory forms and other application documents for Expression of Interest:

• Form “Expression of Interest”, to be filled out and submitted online – along with the annexes.
• Please note: The deadline for this application has expired, it is no longer possible to apply!
• For each of the (post)graduate programmes listed in the form “Expression of interest”:
  • Annex I: Staff list of the (post)graduate programme/Supervisor list (DAAD form)
  • Annex II: Accreditation / recognition certificate(s) of each (post)graduate programme

Language of application

All application information and documents must be submitted in English or German.

Application deadline for “Expression of Interest” and submission

Universities and higher education institutes from Sub-Saharan Africa can submit their completed applications until 19th of September 2024

Please note: The deadline for this application has expired, it is no longer possible to apply!

Preliminary information on the second phase of application – “Full Application”

• DAAD will pre-select institution between September and November 2024
• Pre-selected institutions are invited to submit a full application starting from December 2024. 
• As an overview, with the full application the following additional documents will be required:
  • Endorsement of the leadership of the applying institution
  • Organizational chart and academic calendar of the applying department
  • DAAD proposal form and additional documents (reports, documentations, concepts for marketing, admission, student support, staff development etc.)
  • Module book/course plan and Study/Course schedule
  • Official fee structure
• The invitation to submit a full application by DAAD will contain more detailed information on the necessary documents and information.
• Application Deadline for “Full Application” will be in the middle of February 2025.
• The final selection will take place in June or July 2025 with the personal involvement of the representatives of the applying institutions (online).
   

• DAAD aims to promote a diverse and broad range of studies through the scholarship programme from different host institutions in as many countries as possible. Therefore, diversity of subject areas and regional diversity are criteria for the selection in both phases.
• The final selection of host institutions is carried out by an independent committee of international peers (university professors) to be nominated by DAAD and the respective regional university associations.

The following flow chart illustrates all phases of the application and selection process for host institutions: