Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst Research Internships in Science and Engineering - Professional

Program Name:

Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst Research Internships in Science and Engineering – Professional (DAAD RISE - Pro)

Eligibility: Recent graduates (must hold American or Canadian citizenship), Masters and PhD students from North American universities in the fields of biology, chemistry, engineering, geology and physics (or a closely related field) are invited to apply. Undergraduates who are RISE alumni or former DAAD scholarship holders are also eligible. German language ability requirements depend on the nature of the internship.

Brief Description: The German Academic Exchange Service (in German, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, or DAAD) is the largest German support organization in the field of international academic cooperation. DAAD is a private, federally- and state-funded, self-governing national agency of the institutions of higher education in Germany. RISE Professional is similar to the Fulbright Program, in that it awards competitive, merit-based grants to use toward research at an assigned corporation in Germany (students will have the opportunity to rank placement preferences). RISE Pro is supported by a generous grant from the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. Major German companies- including Bayer, Siemens, Henkel, Airbus and Bosch - also support the program by hosting students.

Program Duration: Funding is possible for a period of 6 weeks to 6 months between May and December the year the scholarship is granted.

Application Process:Online applications accepted from early December through the end of January of the following year. Required materials include:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Transcript
• Certificate of Enrollment (from home university)
• 1 or 2 recommendation letters (from professors or previous employers)
• List of completed or pending coursework

Additionally, students are invited to browse the DAAD RISE Pro online database of all available internship positions and provide a list of their top 3 preferences to the agency. All application materials, including teacher recommendations, must be submitted online. Completed applications will be screened by the DAAD RISE Pro committee, and then forwarded to their respective host institutions for further review. Successful candidates are usually notified of their acceptance in late March.

Miscellaneous:

There is no cost to apply or accept an internship offer. All participants will receive a scholarship from DAAD and an additional stipend from their host company to help cover living expenses. RISE Pro stipends are as follows:

• PhD students: 1000 €/month
• Masters students: 750 €/month
• Undergraduate students: 650 €/month

Host company salaries vary. All RISE Pro scholars will also be provided a travel stipend of 800 €, sponsorhip of language courses, health, accident and personal liability insurance and an all-expense paid 3-day trip to Bonn for the scholarship holders‘ meeting.

DAAD also sponsors a similar program for current undergraduate students studying in the US and Canada called RISE (without the “Pro”). Students in the RISE program are placed with various universities throughout Germany and work directly with PhD candidates at their host institutions.

More Information: For more information you can check out DAAD’s website, contact RISE Pro directly via e-mail or reach out to me with questions about the overall experience.