The DBU grants 60 dissertation fellowships per year, for young scientists of all disciplines, for advanced research work in the field of environmental protection. A selection committee, composed of professors of different disciplines, decides on successful candidates twice a year.
Basic Conditions for a DBU dissertation fellowship are: You have not yet started your doctoral thesis. An institutional support is excluded as also a concentration on a larger range of topics (pooling of individual applications) without prior reconciliation with DBU. Incomplete and late applications (received after the deadline) can not be considered. We clearly welcome subjects of international importance. The work, however, has to be done mainly in Germany, with a clear reference to the German environmental situation. The application must be written in German. We expect good skills of German from foreign applicants to allow their integration into the DBU scholars' network. Besides an above-average degree, the chosen topic is expected to be of high relevance and should contribute to solving problems in environmental and conservation efforts. Generally, all environmental issues are welcome who meet the above-mentioned criteria, i.e. in addition to the natural sciences and engineering, also applications from the social sciences, humanities, economics and law. Interdisciplinary topics that support a sustainable development, are especially welcome. The complexity of environmental problems requires interdisciplinary collaboration between different scientific disciplines. Therefore, DBU would like to support young researchers with its scholarship programme with as many different environmental issues and in various fields. In terms of this target range of themes, DBU expects that each workgroup and/or scientific supervisor submits not more than one application per selection round. The DBU attaches great importance to a transparent work plan and timetable, which, together with the tutor's statement, clearly show that the work can be completed in a period of up to three years. The refusal of an application excludes from further attempts.