€1,800 Monthly CGIAR PhD Scholarship

The Germany-CGIAR++ Science and Impact Hub, run from the Landscape Alliance's CIFOR office in Bonn and commissioned by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ, is funding 10 PhD candidates in this call. Each scholar enrols at a German university and carries out their research inside an ongoing project at a CGIAR++ centre, supervised jointly by a German professor and a senior centre scientist. Nationals of any country can apply, but you must line up both supervisors yourself before you apply.

What you get:

• A scholarship of EUR 1,800 a month for three years
• A possible 12-month extension if your progress shows the PhD can be finished within that year
• A research grant of up to EUR 25,000 you can request on top of the monthly scholarship, for research on your PhD project
• A scientific support programme of courses and seminars that German universities recognise for structured PhD programmes
• Joint supervision by a professor at a German university and a senior scientist at a CGIAR++ centre

What you'll do:

• Enrol in a PhD programme at a German university and in a structured PhD programme there
• Carry out your PhD research attached to an ongoing CGIAR++ research programme or project, with field research of an international character
• Spend roughly at least a third of the scholarship period in Germany and at least a third at the CGIAR++ centre or field site, as the Hub envisions it
• Complete three modules of about 6 ECTS each to earn the Hub's Scientific Support Program certificate, including the Hub's seminar on development oriented agricultural research

Key dates:

• Applications close 30 November 2026
• Applications are evaluated after the deadline
• Scholarships are awarded for PhD projects starting from 1 March 2027

More information:

• Application requirements and document templates: https://hub.landscapealliance.org/phd-research-scholarship/application
• Call for applications PDF (August 2026): https://hub.landscapealliance.org/media/pages/application/4ad3c6ce0b-1788507894/hub_phd_call-for-application-2026.pdf
• FAQ, including the list of eligible CGIAR++ centres: https://hub.landscapealliance.org/academy/faq
• The previous call, in 2025, had an acceptance rate of 5 percent

• An MSc degree in agricultural sciences or a related field with an above average final grade
• For non-European degrees, a ranking from the issuing university must be included
• Nationals of any country are eligible; you do not need to be German
• You must enrol in a PhD programme at a German university or German institution able to award PhDs
• You must form a tridem: you, a senior CGIAR++ scientist and a professor at a German university, who develop the proposal together. The Hub does not help you find supervisors
• You must be hosted by a CGIAR++ centre and attached to an ongoing CGIAR++ research activity, and your project must add value to it
• Each supervisor can support at most two candidates
• Documents: signed one-page motivation letter, signed and dated one-page tabular CV, research proposal on the Hub's template, MSc certificate and transcript, and English proficiency proof (TOEFL, IELTS or equivalent; an MSc taught in English is accepted by the Hub)
• Your two supervisors send their recommendation and supervision letters and the centre sends a hosting agreement, as one PDF to hub@landscapealliance.org
• The scholarship is full time; part-time work of up to 10 hours a week is allowed if it does not slow the PhD