DLGS PhD Scholarships 2027, Germany (€1,515 Monthly Stipend)
The Germany DLGS PhD Scholarships 2027 are now open for applicants interested in pursuing doctoral research on sustainable urban mobility transformations. The scholarship is offered through the Dresden Leibniz Graduate School (DLGS) in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) and TU Dresden.
The 2027 doctoral scholarship focuses on “Levers for Sustainable Urban Mobility Transformations.” The programme is particularly suitable for candidates whose research interests involve sustainable mobility, urban planning, transport systems, public policy, data, technology, economics, social transformation, or related areas.
Successful candidates will receive a monthly stipend of €1,515 for three years, along with additional support for research-related and conference travel. The doctoral programme is conducted in English, making it accessible to qualified international applicants.
The application deadline for the 2027 call is September 1, 2026, and successful candidates are expected to begin their doctoral programme on March 1, 2027.
Germany DLGS PhD Scholarships 2027 – Quick Facts
- Host Country: Germany
- Graduate School: Dresden Leibniz Graduate School (DLGS)
- Partner Institutions: IOER and TU Dresden
- Degree Level: PhD / Doctoral
- Research Theme: Levers for Sustainable Urban Mobility Transformations
- Duration: 3 years
- Monthly Stipend: €1,515
- Research Funding: Additional support available
- Travel Funding: Available for eligible research, conference and international travel
- Language: English
- Eligible Nationalities: Applicants of all nationalities
- Master’s Degree: Required
- Master’s Recency: First Master’s degree must have been obtained within the previous 3 years
- Supervisor Contact Before Application: Not required
- Application Deadline: September 1, 2026
- Programme Start Date: March 1, 2027
- Application Method: Online
About the DLGS PhD Scholarship
The Dresden Leibniz Graduate School brings together doctoral researchers working on important questions related to sustainable urban and regional development.
The 2027 scholarship call focuses specifically on how cities can transform their mobility systems while maintaining accessibility, social equity and economic viability.
The research is not limited to traditional transport engineering. Applicants from different academic backgrounds can develop interdisciplinary research proposals that investigate how urban mobility can become more sustainable through policy, business models, technology, data, governance and cooperation among different stakeholders.
Degree Level
The DLGS scholarship is available for:
- PhD
- Doctoral research
- Full-time doctoral study
- Interdisciplinary research related to sustainable urban mobility
The scholarship provides funding for a period of three years.
Available Subjects
The programme welcomes interdisciplinary approaches. Possible research directions include:
Public Policy
Research may examine:
- Urban mobility governance
- Public policy
- Planning instruments
- Mobility regulations
- Institutional arrangements
- Sustainable transport policies
- Business Models
Applicants may explore:
- Sustainable mobility services
- Public-private cooperation
- New mobility business models
- Private-sector involvement
- Civil-society participation
- Economic models for sustainable mobility
- Integrative Tools
Research can also focus on:
- Data-driven models
- Spatial analysis
- Digital tools
- Decision-support systems
- Interfaces
- Urban mobility modelling
- Data-based planning approaches
- Integrated Perspectives
Applicants may investigate how different urban stakeholders interact, including:
- Government
- Businesses
- Civil society
- Communities
- Research institutions
- Other urban actors
The interdisciplinary nature of the call means that applicants from areas such as urban planning, transport studies, geography, economics, business, sociology, political science, data science, urban informatics and transition studies may find the programme relevant.
2027 Research Theme
The central theme of the 2027 DLGS call is:
“Levers for Sustainable Urban Mobility Transformations.”
Applicants should develop a research proposal that clearly connects with this theme and with the research activities of IOER.
The research may investigate how cities can introduce changes to mobility systems while addressing issues such as sustainability, accessibility, affordability, equity and economic feasibility.
Who Should Apply?
The DLGS PhD Scholarship is particularly suitable for applicants with a recent Master's degree and an interest in topics such as:
Sustainable urban mobility
Transport systems
Urban planning
Geography
Mobility policy
Sustainability
Data science
Urban informatics
Economics
Business models
Sociology
Political science
Innovation and transition studies
Urban transformation
The strongest applicants will have a clear research question, a convincing methodology and a proposal that directly connects with the 2027 DLGS theme and IOER research.
Benefits
Successful applicants will receive financial support throughout the three-year doctoral programme.
The benefits include:
- €1,515 monthly stipend
- Funding for three years
- Support for conference travel
- Research-related travel support
- Fieldwork-related support
- Support for an international round trip
- Opportunity to conduct doctoral research in Germany
- Participation in an interdisciplinary research environment
- Access to academic networks associated with DLGS, IOER and TU Dresden
Applicants should note that the scholarship does not provide an additional family allowance for spouses or children.
Eligible Nationalities
Open to applicants of all nationalities.Eligibility Criteria
Applicants should meet the following requirements:- Hold a Master's degree or equivalent qualification.
- The first Master's degree must have been awarded within three years of the September 1, 2026 application deadline.
- Demonstrate above-average academic performance equivalent to the German grade “gut” or better.
- Have an academic background suitable for doctoral research.
- Submit a research proposal that aligns with the 2027 DLGS research theme.
- Demonstrate a clear connection between the proposed research and IOER research.
- Identify suitable potential supervisors at TU Dresden or IOER.
- Meet the English-language requirements of the programme.
- Submit a complete application through the online application system.
Applicants of all nationalities are eligible to apply, provided they satisfy the programme requirements.
English Language Requirements
The DLGS doctoral programme is conducted in English.
Applicants whose first language is not English and whose Master's programme was not taught entirely in English will normally need to demonstrate English proficiency.
Indicative benchmarks include:
- IELTS: 7.0 or above
- TOEFL iBT: approximately 95–100 or above
Applicants who do not have a valid language certificate at the time of application may, under the stated conditions, provide a letter from a Master's supervisor or an appropriate university official confirming their English proficiency.
Applicants should check the current DLGS requirements before submitting their application.
Do You Need to Contact a Professor?
One notable feature of the DLGS application process is that applicants should not contact potential supervisors themselves before applying.
However, applicants are expected to identify up to three potential supervisors at TU Dresden or IOER whose expertise could support their proposed research.
DLGS will handle potential supervisor contact after the application has been reviewed.
This means applicants should focus on identifying suitable researchers and explaining the connection between their proposed project and the supervisors' expertise rather than sending individual supervisor requests before submission.
Research Proposal Requirements
The research proposal is one of the most important components of the DLGS application.
The proposal should fit the 2027 research theme and have a maximum length of 13,000 characters including spaces.
Applicants should address:
- Research problem and motivation
- Current scientific knowledge
- Existing research gap
- Research questions
- Theoretical approach
- Proposed methodology
- Research work plan
- Connection with the DLGS research theme
- Alignment with IOER research
- Potential supervisors
The proposal should demonstrate that the applicant understands the research area and has developed a realistic plan for conducting doctoral research.
Interdisciplinary research is expected under the programme.
Applicants proposing transdisciplinary research involving non-academic stakeholders in Dresden or Saxony must demonstrate German-language proficiency at C1 level.
Selection Process
Applications are evaluated based on the quality and relevance of the proposed doctoral research as well as the applicant's academic preparation.
Particular attention should be given to:
- Academic performance
- Quality of the research proposal
- Research gap
- Relevance to sustainable urban mobility
- Methodological strength
- Feasibility of the research plan
- Alignment with IOER research
- Suitability of potential supervisors
- Interdisciplinary potential
A strong proposal should move beyond a general discussion of sustainable transport and identify a specific urban mobility problem that can be investigated through a well-defined research methodology.
Application Procedure
Required Documents
Applicants should prepare the documents required by the DLGS online application system.
These may include:
- Academic CV
- Master's degree certificate
- Academic transcripts
- Proof of academic performance
- Research proposal
- Research plan
- Evidence of English proficiency, where applicable
- Information about potential supervisors
- Other supporting documents requested by DLGS
Applicants should make sure that all documents are complete and submitted before the deadline.
How to Apply
The application is submitted online through the DLGS application system.Follow these steps:
- Review the 2027 DLGS PhD scholarship requirements.
- Check that your first Master's degree meets the three-year recency requirement.
- Identify a research problem related to sustainable urban mobility transformations.
- Develop a research proposal of no more than 13,000 characters including spaces.
- Ensure that your proposal demonstrates a clear research gap and methodology.
- Connect your proposed research with the work of IOER.
- Identify up to three suitable potential supervisors at TU Dresden or IOER.
- Prepare your academic and supporting documents.
- Provide evidence of English-language proficiency if required.
- Complete the online DLGS application.
- Upload all required documents.
- Submit the application before September 1, 2026.
Applicants should not contact potential professors directly before submitting their application unless the programme's instructions change.
Application Deadline
The deadline for the Germany DLGS PhD Scholarships 2027 is:
September 1, 2026
Because the deadline is approaching, applicants should complete their research proposal and supporting documents as early as possible.
Programme Start Date
Successful candidates are expected to begin their doctoral programme on:
March 1, 2027
The scholarship provides funding for three years.
