The international Paul and Maria Kremer PhD-Scholarships support outstanding doctoral candidates from all disciplines who wish to conduct research (from 6 up to 24 months) at Christian theological faculties and institutes at a public university (non-private) in Germany. The scholarship holders benefit from the research-intensive and interdisciplinary profile of German theology, which ranges from the history and sociology of religion to social ethics, intercultural studies and the practical fields of Christian welfare and international solidarity. The program is open to non-German citizens in foreign countries. We particularly encourage applications from doctoral candidates from the Global South and Eastern Europe. We welcome interdisciplinary research that reflects on Christian responsibility, particularly in areas such as ecological and social transformation, sustainability, and changing working and living conditions of employees.

We expect applicants to be politically, culturally, or socially engaged and to demonstrate an active interest in the core values of the Hans Böckler Foundation. There is no age limit.

The scholarship currently includes a stipend of EUR 1850 for living expenses and a travel lump sum up to 1735 EUR.
 

Requirements:

• Enrollment in a PhD program in theology or adjacent fields of social sciences or humanities
• A description of your doctoral project in form of a research plan (3 pages), including the context of your further career development
• A research paper outlining the topic, questions, methodology and goals of your research in Germany (3 pages)
• An invitation letter from your host PhD supervisor in Germany, who is responsible for the on-site support and integration into the local and national research contexts in Germany. The person must belong to a Christian theological faculty or institutes at a public university in Germany.
• An assessment by the PhD supervisor at your home institution
• Your CV
• Your Diploma that entitles you to pursue a doctorate

Please include these documents along with your application.

Application deadlines are:

July 30th 2026
February 28th 2027
July 30th 2027
 

Application form

Please sign and send the PDF file as well es the other required documents to the Hans Böckler Foundation by e-mail: bewerbung[at]boeckler.de

For reasons of data protection, we recommend using encrypted documents.

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The Ute and György Széll International Scholarship shall permit outstanding international PhD-students in Social Sciences and Humanities a six month-stay at a German university or research institute, foundation or archive. There is no limit of age.

We expect applicants to be politically, culturally, and socially engaged and to have an active interest in the core values of the Hans Böckler Foundation.

The scholarship currently includes a stipend of EUR 1850 for living expenses and a travel lump sum up to 1735 EUR.

Requirements

• Enrollment in a PhD programme in the fields of Social Sciences or Humanities
• A description of your doctoral project in form of a research plan (3 pages), including the context of your further career development
• A research paper outlining the topic, questions, methodology and goals of your research in Germany (3 pages)
• An invitation letter from your host PhD supervisor in Germany, who is responsible for the on-site support and integration into the local and national research contexts in Germany
• An assessment by the PhD-supervisor at your home institution
• Your CV in table form
• Your Diploma that entitles you to pursue a doctorate
• Application form (explanation and download below)

Please include these documents with your application.

Application deadlines are:

February 28th
July 30th

Application form

Please sign and send the PDF file as well es the other required documents to the Hans Böckler Foundation by e-mail: bewerbung[at]boeckler.de

For reasons of data protection, we recommend using encrypted documents.
 

Procedure

The announcements and the application procedure will be handled by the HBS. The applications sent to the HBS will be formally approved there.

The pre-selection of the applicants will be carried out by the HBS department of study promotion with the participation of Ute and György Széll. The final decision will be taken by the HBS PhD-committee. The funds are provided by the Ute und György Széll Foundation within the HBS. This international scholarship project is limited for five years (2022-2027).

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The first Scholars of the UTE AND GYÖRGY SZÉLL PhD Scholarship are:

Aurongajeb Akond from Bangladesh with an UTE AND GYÖRGY SZÉLL PhD Scholarship in Social Sciences. Included is a 6-month stay from February 2023 - August 2023 at University Kassel and  Berlin School of Economics and Law Topic: "The functionality of OECD Guidelines and Responses of MNEs towards Securing Labour Rights at the Global Value Chain: Effectiveness and Challenges of the National Contact Points."

Maria Fragkou from Greece, with an UTE AND GYÖRGY SZÉLL PhD Scholarship in Literary Sciences. Included 6 months from June.2023 – November at Federal Archives (Koblenz) and Arolsen Archives (International Center on Nazi Persecution) Topic: "International Organizations and Cross-border Interventions: Relief Work Programs for Refugees and Displaced Persons in Germany, Austria and the USSR, 1943-1947."

If you are conducting research on fiscal and monetary policy, labor markets, income distribution and financial markets or other fields of research that are relevant from an employee’s perspective, we encourage you to apply.

We expect applicants to be politically, culturally, and socially engaged and to have an active interest in the core values of the Hans Böckler Foundation.

The scholarship currently includes a stipend of EUR 1850 for living expenses and a travel lump sum up to 1735 EUR. You can apply for a 12- or 24-months scholarship.

Requirements:

• A description of your doctoral project (3 pages)

• A research paper outlining the topic, questions, methodology and goals of your research in Germany (3 pages)

• An invitation letter from your host PhD supervisor in Germany, who is responsible for the on-site support and integration into the local and national research contexts in Germany

• A letter of recommendation from your PhD supervisor at your home institution

• Your CV in table form

• Your Diploma that entitles you to pursue a doctorate

• Application form (explanation and download below)

Please include these documents with your application.

Application deadlines are:

February 28th
July 30th
 

Application form

Please sign and send the PDF file as well es the other required documents to the Hans Böckler Foundation by e-mail: bewerbung[at]boeckler.de

For reasons of data protection, we recommend using encrypted documents.

Download PDF