ERP Fellowship Programme — Fellowship

The ERP Fellowship Programme is administered by the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes and financed from the German Federal Government’s Special ERP assets. It supports a US Master’s degree, the course phase of a US PhD, or a 10–12-month dissertation research stay linked to a German university.

Recipients study or research at a leading US university and plan a two- to three-month public-sector internship. The programme aims to strengthen transatlantic ties and connect graduates pursuing public-service careers.

Benefits & funding

A monthly scholarship of USD 2,500, a one-off USD 500 start-up grant, and a USD 1,000 travel grant.
Up to USD 25,000 per academic year toward tuition or eligible research-stay fees.
Admission to the Studienstiftung’s programmes and the worldwide ERP network, plus programme events before and during the stay.
The ERP award may be combined with other scholarships, subject to individual checks on double funding.

Eligibility

Hold at least a Bachelor’s degree by 20 September 2026; the most recent university degree must normally be no more than five years old on that date.
German citizens may apply. Applicants without German citizenship qualify if they earned their higher-education entrance qualification in Germany or at a German school abroad, meet a BAföG section 8 equivalence route, or are EU or Swiss citizens whose latest university degree was earned in Germany.
Propose a US Master’s degree, the course phase of a US PhD, or a 10–12-month dissertation research stay tied to a German university.
All disciplines except artistic study programmes are eligible; postdoctoral projects, Harvard Kennedy School study, short exchanges within a German Master’s, and medical dissertations before the medical degree are excluded.
An excellent degree is expected; law graduates are expected to have at least the German grade “fully satisfactory”. There is no published age limit or work-experience minimum.
Previous Studienstiftung funding is not required, but former McCloy scholarship holders cannot receive ERP funding.

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Education required
Bachelor · Master · PhD

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Application process

1
Download the current application file and FAQ from the official programme page.
2
Prepare the application file, a one-page tabular CV, a narrative CV of up to three pages, a motivation letter of up to three pages, school and university certificates, and two referee reports.
3
Email one signed PDF with a photo, named “Surname_GivenName_ERP”, to the programme address by 20 September 2026; referees send their reports directly.
4
Apply separately to the chosen US universities and arrange the public-sector internship; university admission is not required at the ERP application stage.
5
After written pre-selection, invited candidates attend either the Bonn or digital selection seminar for two individual interviews and group discussions in German.

Program timeline

Applications open.
1 July 2026
First digital information session.
5 August 2026
Contact deadline for an individual review of specified degree-window extensions.
1 September 2026
Second digital information session.
7 September 2026
Application and referee-report deadline.
20 September 2026
Pre-selection invitations and rejections are normally issued.
January 2027
In-person selection seminar in Bonn.
26–28 February 2027
Digital selection seminar.
5–7 March 2027
Within four weeks after the seminars
Final decisions.
Earliest funding start.
September 2027