The Hanns Seidel Foundation (Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung) awards its doctoral scholarship in fixed application windows. If you want to do a doctorate, know the date first and then assemble your reports and documents. Students and doctoral candidates use the same windows.
The foundation page gives the deadlines precisely, but neither a monthly amount nor a funding period. This guide therefore separates what is confirmed from what you must ask the foundation about.
Short answer: The Hanns Seidel Foundation accepts applications from students and doctoral candidates from 15 December 2026 to 15 January 2027, each day up to 12:00. The next window after that runs from 15 June to 15 July 2027. The page states no monthly amount. Last updated: October 2026.
The most important points
- Next window: 15 December 2026 to 15 January 2027, each day at 12:00 Central European Time.
- Following window: 15 June to 15 July 2027, each day at 12:00 Central European Summer Time.
- Groups: According to the foundation page, the windows apply to students and doctoral candidates.
- Monthly amount and funding period: Not stated on the page.
- Five doctoral scholarships fall under the winter window within a three-year international summer school.
When can you apply?
The foundation names two windows for students and doctoral candidates. The winter window runs between December and January, the summer window between June and July. Both close at 12:00 on the final day.
| Window | Period | Time zone stated | Status on 26 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2026/27 | 15 December 2026 to 15 January 2027, 12:00 | CET | Next window |
| Summer 2027 | 15 June 2027 to 15 July 2027, 12:00 | CEST | Following window |
The time zone matters. In winter, Central European Time (CET) applies, in summer Central European Summer Time (CEST). Both deadlines are at 12:00 local German time, so the cut-off moves in relation to UTC. If you live abroad, convert the time and plan a buffer of at least one working day.
Does the window apply to you?
The page names the winter window for students and doctoral candidates alike. For five doctoral scholarships, however, the winter window applies within a three-year international summer school. The page does not say whether you belong to this group.
If you are interested in a summer school, ask the foundation about the selection conditions for this programme. The general windows and the summer school programme are not the same thing, even where the dates match.
How high is the funding?
The page gives no monthly amount, and the funding period is also missing. A worked example would therefore be a guess, so we do not calculate and give no sum. Ask the foundation directly before you plan your finances.
| Item | Status on the foundation page | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly amount | Not stated | Ask the foundation |
| Funding period | Mentioned only for the three-year summer school | Clarify whether it matches a regular funding period |
| Requirements | Refers to the page “Wen wir suchen” (Whom we seek) | Read that page before you apply |
| Final grade | Not stated | Check the call for applications |
Whom does the foundation seek?
The overview page refers to a page titled “Wen wir suchen” (Whom we seek), which describes the profiles the foundation addresses. That page was not part of our review. Read it in full before you write your application, because the actual selection logic is found there.
For any foundation, a clear reason why you need a scholarship and what you will do with it persuades more than general statements. Write your motivation concretely and check whether it fits the values the foundation names on its website.
Prepare your documents in time
Often only a few weeks lie between the opening of a window and the deadline. Expert reports need lead time, and evidence of studies and commitment must be complete. Anyone who starts on the last day risks missing documents. Plan to submit by mid-December 2026.
Health insurance during the doctorate belongs in your planning too. Our guide health insurance during a doctorate (in German) gives an overview. Whether scholarship payments are taxable is covered in our guide scholarships, tax and social insurance (in German).
Frequently asked questions
Is the deadline the same for students and doctoral candidates?
Yes, the foundation page names both groups for both windows. The deadlines are not split. Whether the selection differs by group is not stated on the page.
What do 12:00 CET and CEST mean for me?
The deadline ends at 12:00 Central European Time in winter and at 12:00 Central European Summer Time in summer. If you submit from another time zone, convert the time. A buffer protects you from problems with server time.
How much is the scholarship?
The foundation page we reviewed gives no amount. The figure may appear in the procedure documents or on subpages. Ask the foundation directly.
Can I apply for the summer school if I am not one of the five places?
The page describes the summer school only as the frame for five doctoral scholarships. Whether other routes exist is unclear. Clarify this directly with the foundation.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
The page states the deadline as a firm limit. Do not rely on a grace period after 12:00 on the final day. Plan with a buffer.
What to do next
- Enter 15 January 2027, 12:00 CET as the deadline and plan to submit by mid-December 2026.
- Read the page “Wen wir suchen” on hss.de and note which profiles the foundation addresses.
- Ask the foundation about the monthly amount, the funding period and the conditions of the summer school.
- Enter the summer deadline of 15 July 2027 in your calendar in case the winter window does not work for you.
Related guides
- Doctoral scholarship of the Heinrich Böll Foundation: Amount and deadlines
- Doctoral scholarship of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation: Deadlines and terms
- Doctoral scholarship of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation: Amount and deadlines
- Doctoral scholarship of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
- Financing a doctorate: Position, scholarship or own funds compared (in German)
Sources: Hanns Seidel Foundation, scholarship and doctoral scholarship (German, accessed October 2026).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
