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PROMOS – Performance based Scholarship Programme - Funding Stays in Non-Erasmus Countries

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) funds the PROMOS program with support from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Through this program, JMU Würzburg receives an annual budget from the DAAD and based on that has to determine funding opportunities for its students. Students at JMU Würzburg can apply directly to the International Office for financial support for stays outside Europe.

It is a performance based scholarship, so very good and good performance is crucial for the evaluation and awarding of scholarships.

The following activities are eligible for funding under the PROMOS programme:

  • Study-abroad periods and thesis projects (1 to 6 months) in countries that are not Erasmus programme countries (doctoral theses are not eligible)
  • Work placements (1 to 6 months) in countries that are not Erasmus programme countries
  • Subject-specific workshops, summer/winter schools and courses for doctoral students (subject course lump sum for a maximum of 6 weeks)

  • Group Field Trips and Travel to competitions (e.g. NMUN) - please email us at promos@uni-wuerzburg.de to enquire about the conditions that must be met

  • No funding for language courses, and other short term progams (except PhD specific courses).

Note for students in the teaching profession

Student teachers have to primarily apply for the DAAD "Lehramt International" program. An addition application for PROMOS is possible, but it should be withdrawn, once the Lehramt International application was successful. A combination of the two scholarships is not possible. 

Please contact the Professional School of Education (PSE) of the University of Würzburg.

They offer:

  • support in the search for an internship
  • recognition 
  • (teaching) studies abroad
  • foreign language assistant via the Pedagogical Exchange Service (PAD) or at German schools abroad etc.

Information on funding ERASMUS internships: https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/international/studieren-im-ausland/praktika/erasmus-praktikum/

Full-year stays are not funded through PROMOS. For two-semester stays, the DAAD awards annual scholarships for students and provides funding for specific internships through its portal. Students who have been accepted for a one-year study exchange at a partner university of the University of Würzburg should apply for the International University Fund.

Stays abroad in countries outside the ERASMUS area (participating EU countries including EU overseas territories, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey) are eligible for funding.
Stays in Switzerland and Great Britain are eligible. 

The scholarships are destination specific and are bindingly set by the DAAD: 2025 (current year 2024). 

Group study and competition trips can be funded worldwide, but the group application must be submitted by the group coordinator.

Funding through a PROMOS scholarship may only be granted if there is no travel warning from the Federal Foreign Office for the country or region in question during the funding period in place.
Students going abroad to regions with a critical security situation are requested to register on the website of the Federal Foreign Office ("Electronic registration of Germans abroad").

Students of JMU Würzburg who are enrolled as regular full‑time degree-seeking students at the time of application and during the full duration of their stay abroad are aligible to apply. International students are eligible if the stay abroad is not in their home countries.
The grade point average must be very good or good, as PROMOS is a performance based scholarship. 
The maximum duration of the stay abroad is no longer than 6 months. 

Doctoral students who participate in subject-specific courses (e.g. PhD summer schools, workshops) can apply for a PROMOS scholarship for a subject course lump sum. Unfortunately, all other measures are not applicable to this target group. Consultation for doctoral students is available with Dr. Schröder-Köhne, UWGS.

Stays in countries or regions with a travel warning issued by the German Federal Foreign Office are not eligible for funding. If a travel warning is issued during your stay, your funding may be stopped.

Students can receive funding under the PROMOS programme for multiple activities within one cycle of study (Bachelor, Master, Diplom, Magister, state examination), but the total funding period may not exceed 6 months per cycle. Applications for the same stay abroad (e.g. multiple internships) are currently not possible. 

Study and competition trips can only be applied for by the group leader upon previous correspondence with the PROMOS team. 

1 - 30 November of the previous year: for stays starting between 1 January and 30 June

1 - 30 April of the same year: for stays starting between 1 July and 31 December

The application form will be active only during the application window. 

Please note that incomplete applications and late submissions of documents will not be accepted.

Online application only via  Bewerbungsportal (no paper application accepted)

The following documents as pdf-files will be required for the application.

Please note that we will not accept incomplete, late submissions of documents and applications for stays that have already started are not accepted.

JMU Würzburg receives a PROMOS budget from the DAAD annually. Unfortunately, the budget is decreasing every year. Depending on the available budget and the overall application situation, partial scholarships are usually awarded for 1 and up to a maximum of 3 months; Travel expenses and tuition fees cannot currently be supported. The duration and scope of the funding is therefore independent of the actual period of stay and the actual costs incurred as a result of a stay abroad. Thus, a stay must not be dependent on the approval of the PROMOS scholarship. Alternative or additional funding sources are recommended. 

Scholarships vary by country and are set by the DAAD: 2025 (currenty year 2024)

BAföG recipients must notify their BAföG office that they have received the PROMOS grant.  The scholarship amount may be deducted from your BAföG payments.

If PROMOS applicants also apply for other scholarships, they should indicate this in their application and promptly withdraw their PROMOS scholarship application if there is no possibility of combining the scholarships. Due to the very limited overall budget, applicants who have other scholarships will not be considered, or possibly only considered as a lower priority.

Combination with other scholarships

  • DAAD individual grants and PROMOS grants may not be used at the same time.

  • The Deutschlandstipendium and the PROMOS grants can be drawn at the same time without any restrictions.

  • Scholarships from private funds can be obtained in addition to PROMOS scholarships without restrictions.

  • Remunerated activities during the duration of the scholarship may only be carried out with the consent of the project sponsor.

  • Double funding from German public funds is not permitted. If stays abroad are funded by German public funds, the purpose of the funding is decisive. This means that funding via PROMOS is not possible if the same purpose is already being pursued with German public funds.

The University of Würzburg points out that PROMOS funding must be reported to other scholarship providers.

A special funding need for PROMOS grantees with disabilities can be recognized as eligible for funding up to an amount of €10,000 if it involves additional expenses abroad related to the disability or chronic illness (e.g., travel abroad, local transportation, accommodation abroad, medical care, specialized teaching materials, including expenses for a possible companion, etc.) and if other responsible agencies (e.g., social insurance providers) do not provide financial support after prior review.

The application form is available upon request from the DAAD and must be submitted with the following documents:

  • Rejection of cost coverage by the health insurance or supplementary insurance
  • Copy of the disability ID card
  • For individuals with chronic illnesses: a medical certificate describing the medical requirements
  • Additional documentation explaining the necessity and reasonableness of the increased expenses

Approval is granted through a separate funding agreement (approval letter).

All inquiries on this topic require a case-by-case review by the DAAD. Contact with the program-specific department at the DAAD can be facilitated through the International Office Outgoing of JMU Würzburg.

General information, answers, and links regarding the mobility of students with disabilities or chronic illnesses during their stay abroad can be found on the relevant  DAAD website.

Current proof of language skills serves to ensure quality in the selection process and a successful stay abroad. Successful applicants must demonstrate sufficient foreign language skills in the language of instruction or work in the form of a current language certificate. Unfortunately, applicants who do not meet this language hurdle cannot be considered further in the selection process. Late submitted language certificates will not be accepted.

What language? Language of instruction or local language?

The language of instruction/work is what is relevant. Having proficiency in the local language will be seen as an advantage in the selection process. If the language of instruction/work is German, a confirmation by the host institution needs to be provided with the application. 

Language certificates no older than 24 months after issuance are accepted. Abitur/high school grades for foreign languages and language course participation confirmations are not accepted as language proof.

General information about language certificates (information sheet available in German only).

Only complete and timely applications will be considered in the selection process. Applications with missing or invalid document, e.g. language certificates will be excluded from the selection process.

Complete application documents will be evaluated using a point system while the following criteria will be taken into account:

  • Academic and language qualifications (transcript of records and reports)
  • Presentation of the motivation for the stay
  • linguistic proficiency
  • Relevance of stay abroad for studies
  • University and non-university engagement
  • Underrepresented groups: first-generation students, students with children, and students with disabilities or chronic illnesses are given preferential consideration.  
  • Sustainability/Climate Sensitivity: Special emphasis is placed on supporting longer mobility periods.

The selection is based on the application documents. Applicants may be invited to selection interviews. The selection committee consists of representatives of the Service Center InterNational Transfer and the Vice President for Internationalisation.

Applicants classified as eligible for funding, but who have not received a nomination due to insufficient funding, are put on a waiting list. If additional funds are subsequently approved by the DAAD or if selected scholarship holders reject the scholarships awarded, then applicants from the waiting list can move up and will be informed by email.

Paid internships are given lower priority in the selection process and are considered if sufficient funds are available.

Notification of the selection results will be send by email within 8 weeks after the application deadline.

Selected applicants will receive a binding PROMOS scholarship agreement via email, which must be signed and returned by email to promos@uni-wuerzburg.de in due time.

Please note that scholarship awards vary by country and assessment score. There is no entitlement to funding or full scholarships!

The University of Würzburg, together with the German Academic Exchange Service, aims to promote the international mobility of students who are fully enrolled in Germany. This is done by awarding PROMOS grants as part of a selection process, insofar as the funding requirements are met and subject to available funds.

There is no legal entitlement to a PROMOS scholarship even if all funding requirements are met. The selection is at the dutiful discretion of the University of Würzburg, taking into account the DAAD funding requirements. The social need of the applicant has no influence on the approval or the assessment of the grant. It is a performance based scholarship, so very good and good performance is crucial for the evaluation and awarding of scholarships.

Travel Warnings

Funding through a PROMOS scholarship may only be granted if there is no travel warning in place from the Federal Foreign Office for the country or region in question during the funding period. Students going abroad to regions with a critical security situation are requested to register on the website of the Federal Foreign Office ("Electronic registration of Germans abroad").

You can find general information on security precautions for trips abroad and stays abroad here.

Insurance coverage

It is the responsibility of the scholarship holder to ensure adequate insurance cover for the duration of the full stay abroad. Please consult your insurance provider or the DAAD group insurance provider.
It is advisable to take out supplementary international health insurance (including repatriation) and liability insurance that offers insurance cover in the respective host country.
It is important to note that neither the PROMOS scholarship from the DAAD nor the International Office of the University of Würzburg offers insurance coverage. All insurance services must be paid for by the scholarship holders themselves.

Last updated: 15 November 2024