Erasmus + Short-Term Mobility for PhD Students

Generally, all Doctoral Students enrolled in a third-cycle programme at the University of Konstanz are eligible for funding through Erasmus+. The Erasmus+ funding line supports doctoral mobility for a duration of min. 5 working days to max. 30 working days.

The Erasmus+ programme promotes stays abroad to:

• expand, further develop and/or acquire new relevant (research) skills or provide  research work/training, participate in courses or have access to equipment or libraries necessary for the successful preparation of your doctoral dissertation/thesis offered by the host institution
• exchange experience about skills acquired at the U Konstanz
• support international network activities
• improve foreign language, digital communication skills and intercultural competences
• improve and extend collaboration between partner institution
• better understand the European Higher Education Area aspects for 3rd cycle students/young academics by experiencing a different scientific environment on site and in action
• prepare for a European job market in academia and beyond

_{Examples: participation in seminars and lectures, tutorials, research colloquia; learn, professionalise, expand research methods skills, research data analysis training, literature/archive research, participation in a particular training and/or workshop offered by the host institution.}

Not eligible is the participation in conferences or language courses.
No fees may be charged by the host university.

If applicable, we recommend a work load of min. 3 ECTS per mobility or at least 30 hours/week to be documented in the Learning Agreement.

No strict deadlines during the Academic Year 2023/2024*

PhD Short term mobilities will be possible any time during your doctoral studies, usually for one month (min. 5 working days, max. 30 working days) between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.

*_{Outlook: Academic Year 2024/25 onwards funding will be available within Erasmus Project 2023 – slightly different rules may apply depending on budget and demand  (updates will be announced).}

Partner universities in Europe which have signed an Erasmus+ Inter Institutional agreement (IIA) for student mobility with the University of Konstanz preferably within your subject area/department. You can find the complete list of our Erasmus+ partner institutions in Europe for the academic year 2024/2025 here.

 Not eligible are mobilities

• to the country of your permanent residence
• to the United Kingdom or Switzerland as they are currently not regular Erasmus partner countries. 

The purpose of the Erasmus + grant is to co-finance your mobility abroad, not to cover all expenses.

Begining with the 2023 Project (AJ 2024/25), Erasmus+ supports your short-term study/research stay with 79 € per day for the first 14 days of your physical mobility and 56 € per day for the remaining stay period (max. 30 days incl. travel). Virtual activities before or after the mobility are encouraged but not eligible for funding.

Top Up for students with fewer opportunities and/or special needs

The Erasmus+ programme is offering Top Ups for students with fewer opportunities and/or special needs starting with the Project 2023 (AJ 2024/25).

Top Up Fewer Opportunities and/ or special needs are available for:

• first generation students
• working students
• students with disabilities
• student with child

With the project 2023, students who meet the criteria receive an additional lump-sum of 100€ (day 1-14) or 150€ (Day 15-30).

According to the Erasmus+ programme, the combination and/or complementary financial support from other national or institutional funding programmes is possible, except other EU funds! Please check relevant budget rules.

The programme is still relatively new for many universities, so processes and coordination with partner universities may take longer. Please apply at least eight weeks before the planned physical mobility abroad. The earlier, the better—as long as funding is available.

To apply:

Provide detailed information about your individual study/work plan, time frame, and confirm the individual and institutional motivation and benefits using the application form.

Include an informal confirmation from your supervisors at both the home and host institutions (an email is sufficient).

Submit proof of enrollment or an official acceptance as a doctoral candidate from the relevant department along with your application form.

On this basis, the International Office will review your application to ensure it meets the formal requirements, and evaluate the eligibility of your mobility project, taking into account the available funding and how well your project aligns with the programme's objectives.

Important: The procedures of the institutions have significantly diverged since the inception of the programme. While some universities support these mobilities for study purposes, others accept them exclusively for traineeships (internships). This results in discrepancies in the opportunities, conditions, and implementation of the programme. Please be aware that we can only fund your mobility project once the host institution has confirmed that they will accept the PhD student under the conditions stipulated by the University of Konstanz.

Upon positive decision and confirmation from the International Office regarding the eligibility of the mobility plan you will need following documents in order to recieve your first payment (70% of Grant Agreement):

•  Confirmation of Acceptance for your mobility from the host university refers to their official approval of your application for the mobility programme.  An official Erasmus+ Officer at the host institution must confirm your acceptance for the mobility programme, which is required before any further arrangements can be made (e.g. via email).
•  Erasmus Learning Agreement (see useful information and documents): Before the Erasmus+ PhD Short Term mobility, both home and host university must confirm the study plan by signing the "Learning Agreement" (LA) and accepting this funding line within the InterInstitutional Agreement (IIA). The LA documents the learning experience in detail and confirms the recognition for your PhD programme by both supervisors. If there are ECTS awarded, please state this in the document.
• Erasmus Grant Agreement is stating your individual funding. Once the signed Learning Agreement  has been submitted, the individual grant amount will be calculated and a Grant Agreement will be issued. This agreement must be signed and returned to the International Office in the original. Upon receiving the signed Grant Agreement, we will disburse the first installment.
• Dienstreiseantrag (if you are employed by the U Konstanz) and Confirmation of secondment if your stay exceeds 14 calendar days or  Antrag auf Übernahme der Reisekosten 
• Online Linguistic test/course in working language (only for mobilities >15 days) - access will be provided by International Office

Important Requirement:

Your host institution must confirm your stay by signing a Confirmation of Stay and issuing ECTS credits through a Transcript of Records or another form that proves your achievements and activities.

Optional Opportunities:

If you're interested, the International Office can provide you with information materials to represent the University of Konstanz during your stay.

We would greatly appreciate your help in promoting the Erasmus+ programme, whether through social media, reports, or interviews. If you’re interested, please contact us at erasmus@uni-konstanz.de

Enjoy your study experience abroad!

EU Survey:
After your mobility, you will receive an email from the EU's Reporting Tool inviting you to participate in a survey. This email will contain a link to the questionnaire.

Proof of Recognition:
Please submit proof of your achievements during your mobility. Ideally, this should be in the form of a Transcript of Records, reflecting the ECTS credits earned, which you can download from ZEuS.

Final Payment:
Once all the required documents and formalities are submitted, the second installment (30%) of your payment will be issued.