Fellowships

EQUALFIN is an attractive PhD program, as it provides fully funded PhD positions in an excellent academic environment. Doctoral students receive a fellowship of an estimated €1,550 per month. In some cases, allowances of up to €100 are also paid for health term care insurance and, where applicable, a family allowance of up to €155. In fall 2024 and 2025, further increases in the basic scholarship of €100 per month are foreseen. The duration of the doctoral scholarship is generally three years and can be extended in specific cases.

Requirements for candidates:

1. You must have a degree in economics or a closely related discipline.
2. In accordance with the FU Economics departments’ PhD regulations of the Economics Department of the Freie Universität Berlin, candidates need to hold a Master degree* in Economics or a closely related course of study. In exceptional cases, when the first supervisor comes from the Political Science department, a MA degree in Political Science is required.
3. Prerequisite for application is knowledge of the German language at B2 level, at the start of the fellowship.
4. In accordance with the selection criteria of the Hans Böckler Stiftung, you should demonstrate social commitment or trade union activities.

Key dates:

• Application period: August 15 – November 2, 2025
• Communication of selection results: May 2026
• Start of PhD fellowships: between June and September 2026

Candidates will receive support in reviewing and refining their research proposals during the application process. If you are interested in applying for a doctoral fellowship at EQUALFIN, please contact the coordination office (carmen.marull@fu-berlin.de ). We will be happy to assist you in identifying a potential supervisor for your research project.