Closing Date: 29 April 2026
Call for Applications: DAAD In-Country/In-Region Programme Sub-Saharan Africa Scholarships 2026
DAAD In-Country/In-Region Programme Sub-Saharan Africa Overview
The programme aims at fostering strong, internationally oriented higher education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa with the capacity to contribute to sustainable development. To this end, DAAD scholarships are granted for development-related Master studies for individuals who plan to pursue a career in teaching and / or research at a higher education institution in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme: Background and objectives
Scholarships are provided for high-quality (post)graduate programmes that give students and doctoral candidates excellent training opportunities.
By training future academic and professional leaders, the programme contributes to the following long-term impacts:
- Qualified professionals’ involvement in the solution of development-related problems in developing countries
- Graduates strengthening education and research in developing countries
- Structural strengthening and regional networking of partner institutions and partner universities
To achieve these long-term impacts, the following outcomes have been formulated as programme objectives:
Programme objective 1:
Graduates are qualified to take on responsible positions in or for their region of origin
Programme objective 2:
The participation of women and underprivileged groups is reinforced
Programme objective 3:
Organisational, financial and personal capacities of partner institutions are strengthened.
To achieve this, the aim at the output level is to ensure that qualified master’s students are educated in development-related degree programs and that doctoral students are qualified as young scientists. In addition, master’s students and doctoral students acquire additional subject-specific and interdisciplinary skills.
To achieve the outputs, funding is provided at the input and activity level for the target-group-oriented award of scholarships based on a quality-oriented selection process, as well as for the training and support of DAAD scholarship holders. In addition, further education and training for professional and interdisciplinary qualifications and project-related stays can be financed. Finally, the tuition fees for Master’s and doctoral programs at partner universities and institutions are covered.
Who can apply?
Graduates and postgraduates from Sub-Saharan Africa with a first academic degree if applying for a Master’s programme who want to pursue Master’s degrees in their home country or in the country for which they have a residence permit (so called In-Country scholarships) or in another Sub-Saharan African country, outside their home country/in the country for which they do not have a residence permit (so called In-Region scholarships). Female applicants and candidates from less privileged regions or groups are especially encouraged to apply for funding.
What is supported?
Master studies in selected, development-related degree programmes
Duration of funding
Funding is provided for the regular duration of a course – generally, up to two years.
Value
Generally:
- Monthly scholarship
- Study and research allowance
- Thesis publishing costs
- Tuition fees
Only applicable for In-Region scholarship holders:
- Travel allowance
- Health insurance
For further information, in particular the respective amounts, please see the call for applications of the degree programme you wish to apply for.
Selection
The selection process differs between the individual degree programmes. Please see the call for applications for further information.
Please note that the application procedure may differ between the regions and host institutions. The specific application instructions regarding each host institution are listed in the respective calls for applications
More detailed information
Below you will find a list of the degree programmes funded under this scholarship programme with links to the corresponding calls for applications, for which the application period is currently open.
West and Central Africa
Nigeria
- Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta Nigeria (FUNAAB):
Southern Africa
South Africa
- University of Cape Town (UCT):
Master of Philosophy in Urban Studies – Southern Urbanism
- University of Pretoria (UP):
Master of Science in Mathematics
Further calls for applications (in other countries, institutions, and academic fields) that are not yet open will be published in the autumn of 2026.
