FAQ

The scholarships are announced on our website several months in advance. The application deadline is usually in March of each year.

Details on application documents can be found in the section application.

Usually, GradAB awards up to six scholarships each year. A seventh scholarship is reserved for a severely handicapped applicant.

Preferably, the GradAB supports dissertation projects which particularly benefit from being associated with the IAB, and which are of particular benefit to the IAB as well. The profiles of the current participants give an insight into the currently promoted dissertation topics. An overview of all research topics at the IAB can be found in the organisational chart.

Regular participants of the GradAB receive a scholarship of 1,600 Euros per month. Participants with a family can receive additional 155 Euros per month if the annual net income of the spouse or partner is below 15,340 Euros, or if the participant has custody of at least one child living in the same household. Participants receive a lump sum of 155 Euros for the first, 205 Euros for the second and each further child aged 18 and below, living in the same household, given that the participant has custody of the child.
Every participant of the GradAB receives 1,800 Euros per year for conference participation, further training (e.g. summer schools) and other dissertation-related expenses.

Yes. Doctoral students of the GradAB may hold a job besides the GradAB with up to 10 hours per week in the field of research or education, 5 hours per week in other fields.

GradAB participants enroll at the university where their supervisor holds a professorship. This university will award your doctoral degree. The IAB does not award degrees.

No, but we recommend that you contact possible supervisors during the application phase who may support you with your application. However, it is possible to choose your supervisor after being accepted into the GradAB Programme.

No, your supervisor may hold a professorship at another university. However, successful applicants have to prove that they meet the doctoral regulations of the corresponding University.

Each doctoral candidate will be provided with an office at the IAB. We expect that you use this office on a regular Basis.

College members of the GradAB participate in the study programme but do not receive a scholarship. College members of the GradAB are either researchers from the IAB or doctoral students of the School of Business and Economics of the FAU, following the same application procedure as scholarship holders.  

Yes. However, note that degrees obtained abroad must be recognised by a German University.

The GradAB programme prepares doctoral students for an academic research career as well as for positions in policy advice. About one third of our alumni continue their careers at universities as assistant professors or post docs. About 15 % take up positions in public sector institutions, particularly in labour market policy. Another 10 % join the private sector. The remaining 40 % continue their career at the IAB as post docs.

Yes. Research stays abroad are possible at universities, research institutes and other relevant organisations worldwide. The GradAB supports participants seeking a research stay abroad. In previous years, GradAB participants went to the University of California (Berkeley), the University of Michigan, Boston University, the University of Melbourne, the London School of Economics and Political Science, Tilburg University and the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex amongst others. Besides universities and other research facilities, GradAB participants also worked at the OECD in Paris.