PROMOS: Applications

In addition to the conditions of the specific line of funding, you must also meet the following general application criteria:

• You must be enrolled at the University of Bonn as a student or doctoral candidate at the time you apply as well as for the entire duration of your planned stay (exception: funding line internship)*:

• Bachelor’s and state exam students must have completed at least one program-related semester
• Master's students can apply at any time during their studies
• Doctoral candidates can only apply for the “language course” or “subject-related course (summer/winter school)” (Medical students who complete their doctorate during the course of their studies are regarded as students rather than doctoral candidates and can therefore apply for all lines of funding.)

• Good to very good academic performance
• Evidence of at least B1 standard in the language of instruction used in the workplace (certificate may be no older than three years; no proof of language proficiency is required for the “language course” line of funding)

* Students and doctoral candidates who are not German nationals and who are pursuing a degree program at the University of Bonn can only apply for projects outside their home country, which is defined as the country in which they have largely resided over the past five years at least.

The PROMOS program is tied to the calendar year rather than the academic year. There are usually two rounds of applications:

• Applications for projects starting in the first half of the year (January to June) must be submitted by the first deadline (usually in January)
• The second application deadline (usually in late May/ early June) is for projects in the second half of the year (from July onward)

Application deadlines in 2025

• Projects starting between January 01 and June 30, 2025: January 05, 2025
• Projects starting between July 01 and December 31, 2025: June 01, 2025

Separate deadlines for letters of recommendation

One of the required application documents is a letter of recommendation. Have a look at the corresponding template and the respective checklist under Downloads for more details. 

Your letter of recommendation should ideally reach us by the application deadline. If the deadline passes and no letter of recommendation has been provided but your application is otherwise complete, you will receive a notification and will then have seven days to submit the missing recommendation letter.

Different lines of funding require different documents to be submitted. You must read the corresponding checklist to find out the specific criteria for your funding line. It also contains additional information about the individual documents.

Applications are submitted via our online application portal Mobility-Online. You will need to upload PDF versions of the following documents as part of your application:

Compulsory

• Letter of motivation*
• Curriculum vitae
• Transcript of records
• Evidence of at least B1 standard in the language of instruction used in the workplace (certificate may be no older than three years; no proof of language is required for the “language course” line of funding)
• Certificate of enrollment
• Letter of recommendation*
• Application checklist*

* You can find templates for the motivation letter and the letter of recommendation as well as the application checklist under Downloads. To avoid being excluded from the application procedure on a technicality, please only use the templates provided.

If relevant

• Abitur certificate or document of an equivalent university entrance qualification (HZB; only for bachelor’s students who have not yet completed their third program-related semester by the application deadline)
• Bachelor’s certificate including transcript of records (only for master’s students)
• Bachelor's and master's certificate as well as transcript of records for master's program (only for doctoral candidates instead of current transcript of records)

Study

• Confirmation of admission to your host university or another form of evidence such as email correspondence showing that you have been accepted
• Proof of tuition fees if relevant
• Learning Agreement (read the explanatory notes on the Learning Agreement)

Internship

• Training Agreement

Thesis project

• Detailed description of your project including a detailed timetable
• Proof that your thesis topic has been assigned
• Confirmation from your supervisor or an official contact abroad

Language course or short-term academic program (summer/ winter school)

• Confirmation of your admission to the course and/ or proof that you have paid the course fees
• Proof of how much the course costs

If you would like to apply for a PROMOS scholarship, follow these steps:

1. Register with Mobility-Online

Applications are submitted via our online application portal Mobility-Online. In order to apply, please read the document entitled How to Register on Mobility-Online carefully and follow the instructions in the emails that you receive after completing each registration step (also make sure to check your spam folder).

2. Proceed with your application

Once you have completed your registration, you will be able to add any missing personal details via the Mobility-Online application portal and upload the necessary application documents. You will be able to save your application as you work through it before you submit the final version.

You will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt after you have sent off your online application. We would be grateful if you could refrain from inquiring about the status of your individual application once you have received this confirmation.

Tips for a successful application

Use the PROMOS scholarship web pages to do your research before you apply. You must read carefully through the checklist for the line of funding for which you are intending to apply as well as the FAQs on this page. Contact us during our office hours if you have any other queries.

Apply now!

Successful applicants must comply with the application requirements as stated above and will be chosen based on the following criteria:

• Good to very good academic performance and progress in their degree program (if you have exceeded the standard period of study, please give your reasons for doing so in your letter of motivation)
• Academic motivation and justification for their project abroad*
• Personal motivation
• Letter of recommendation
• Voluntary intercultural, social and/ or political commitment within and/ or outside of the University
• Format of the application and spelling

Please make sure that all scanned documents are legible and no pages are upside down.

The PROMOS program is managed centrally by the International Office. Your first step is to apply via the online mobility portal Mobility-Online.

1. After the application deadline

Once the application deadline has passed, all the complete applications that were submitted on time will undergo a formal review by the International Office.

2. Around four to six weeks after the application deadline

If your application meets the formal criteria, it will be considered in the selection process. The selection is made by a committee made up of representatives of all faculties of the University of Bonn as well as the Bonn Center for Teacher Education (BZL) which chooses applicants based on the abovementioned selection criteria and general funding requirements. The number of scholarships available depends on the total amount of money provided for that funding year by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

3. Around eight weeks after the application deadline

You can expect to receive an email informing you of the outcome of your application about eight weeks after your application deadline (check your spam folder). The email will also tell you what happens next (e.g. receiving your scholarship money). Please refrain from inquiring about the status of your application within these eight weeks.

We will arrange payment of your “mobility allowance” as your first installment shortly after we have received your signed scholarship agreement. Your “living allowance” takes the form of a lump sum rather than a monthly payment. It is paid as your second installment after your stay has begun and you have provided us with the relevant confirmation (Certificate of Arrival; the form can be downloaded from Mobility-Online).

When planning your stay, please bear in mind that it can take around four to eight weeks after submitting your documents for the money to appear in your account. If your stay is short (particularly if you are doing a language or short-term academic program), this may mean that you will not receive your second installment until after you have returned home.

Yes, taking a leave of absence during your study visit abroad is possible as a basic principle but it is not always recommended.

You will not be able to take any examinations at the University of Bonn during a leave of absence. However, this does not affect any credit you will obtain for study achievements abroad, which will usually be granted in the semester following your stay at the host university.