DAAD Graduate School Scholarship Program (GSSP)

We currently welcome applications for the Graduate School Scholarship Program “Contentious Politics in the Digital Age” (CoPoDi) until November 25, 2024.

Please download the Call for Applications and refer to our Application & Admission page for further information. 

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The DAAD Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP) is a funding scheme of the German Academic Exchange System (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) that aims at increasing the number of international doctoral candidates within German structured graduate education. It is directed towards German institutions of higher education offering international structured PhD education and funds up to four years of education of PhD candidates. Interested PhD candidates apply directly at selected institutions like BIGSSS.

BIGSSS has now been selected for the third time by the DAAD to host a total of twelve international PhD students in its Grad School Scholarschip Programmes. In 2025 and 2026, two scholarships each are available in the research program “Contentious Politics in the Digital Age” (CoPoDi)”. In 2021 and 2022, two scholarships each were awarded in our first program GloWel - Global Inequality, the Middle Classes and the Welfare State, and in our second program in 2023 and 2024 Global Dynamics of Social Policy and Social Cohesion (GSPSC), we were delighted to welcome a total of four scholarship holders again.

Doctoral researchers at BIGSSS pursue their projects under the interdisci­p­linary umbrella theme "Chang­ing Patterns of Social and Political Integration", with focal points in global governance and regional integration, welfare state and inequality, diversity and socio-cultural contexts, communication and social media. The disciplines involved include sociology, political science, psychology, economics, communication and media studies. The thematic foci align with the following associat­ed research units in Bremen and form the core research frame­work of the aca­demic program:

·       SOCIUM – Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen

·       Collaborative Research Centre 1342 Global Dynamics of Social Policy, University of Bremen

·       Institute of Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS), University of Bremen

·       Research Centre for Social Cohesion (FGZ/RISC), University of Bremen

·       Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (ZeMKI), University of Bremen

·       School of Business, Social, and Decision Sciences, Constructor University 

·       Research Training Group Social Dynamics of the Self, Constructor University

Contentious Politics in the Digital Age (CoPoDi)

The program’s primary aim is to investigate how digital technology and media influence political activism, social movements, and socio-political conflicts. A secondary objective focuses on assessing the value of new digital data sources and computational methods for analyzing the dynamics of political protest and activism. Additionally, the program places particular emphasis on the Global South, where the potential of digital data is especially significant due to media restrictions and risks faced by informants, although this is not its sole geographical focus. 

The program will start in September 2025 and currently welcomes applications until November 25, 2024.

Learn more about the program here. 

Global Dynamics of Social Policy and Social Cohesion (GSPSC)

The program Global Dynamics of Social Policy and Social Cohesion (GSPSC) focuses on the question of how social policy and social cohesion are related on a global, regional or national level. Comparative or transnational perspectives that address interdependencies between the global South and North were especially welcome. Single country case studies scrutinize the complex interlinkages social policy and social cohesion.

The program welcomed two PhD fellows each in September 2024 and 2025.

Learn more about the program here. 

Global Inequality, the Middle Classes and the Welfare State (GloWel)

The program Global Inequality, the Middle Classes and the Welfare State (GloWel) focuses on the interrelation between the development of global inequalities, global social policies, and the role of the emerging middle classes for social and political integration. Embedded in the vibrant Bremen social science environment, we are particularly interested in comparative perspectives on the Global South and North.

The program started in 2021 with two PhD Fellows. In 2022 two more PhD Fellows joined the program. 

Learn more about the program here.

Benefits

The Scholarship Programme is providing the following benefits:

• a stipend of 1,300 EUR monthly, for a maximum of 48 months,
• additional travel allowance for stays abroad and research trips,
• complete medical insurance plus a combined liability and accident insurance,
• support with research expenses,
• if necessary and applicable, additional family allowances (eg. rent) and
• a German language course at Bremen.