What is the DAAD WISE application deadline for 2026-2027?

The DAAD WISE application window typically opens in November or December and closes by mid-January for placements the following summer (May to August). For the 2026-2027 cycle, check the official DAAD portal at daad.de for the exact date. Applications are submitted online and must include a supervisor commitment letter from a German host institute.

What is the DAAD WISE stipend amount for Indian students in 2026?

The DAAD WISE stipend is 800 EUR per month. DAAD also provides a travel grant of 500 EUR for most long-haul routes including India-Germany. Health insurance for the duration of the placement is covered by DAAD. There is no living cost top-up beyond the monthly stipend.

What CGPA is required for DAAD WISE?

DAAD does not publish a fixed CGPA cutoff for WISE. In practice, successful applicants typically have a CGPA of 8.0 or higher on a 10-point scale, or equivalent of First Division. DAAD looks at academic standing relative to your cohort, not an absolute number. A letter from your academic advisor confirming your standing in the top 25% of your batch strengthens your application.

Do I need to know German to apply for DAAD WISE?

No. DAAD WISE operates entirely in English. Research at German universities and Fraunhofer or Max Planck institutes is conducted in English. There is no German language requirement in the program guidelines. Basic conversational German is helpful for daily life in Germany but is not evaluated in the selection process.

How do I find a supervisor in Germany for DAAD WISE?

Finding a willing supervisor is the hardest part of DAAD WISE. The process: identify research groups at German universities or Fraunhofer/Max Planck institutes working in your field, read their most recent published papers, write a personalised email to the professor or group leader referencing their specific work, and request a WISE hosting commitment. You must secure this commitment before submitting your DAAD application. Generic emails rarely receive replies.

What is the acceptance rate for DAAD WISE for Indian students?

DAAD does not publish acceptance rates by country. For DAAD RISE, which is the undergraduate sibling program, acceptance is around 5 to 8 percent. WISE is similarly competitive. Having a pre-arranged supervisor commitment substantially increases your chances, as DAAD approves applications that already have a German host rather than placing applicants centrally.

Can I extend my DAAD WISE placement beyond 3 months?

DAAD WISE funding covers 2 to 3 months. Extensions beyond this period are possible if your host institute is willing, but DAAD does not fund the extension. You would need to cover living costs independently for any period beyond the original WISE grant. Some students combine WISE with a self-funded extension to write up research results.

DAAD WISE Scholarship 2026 for Indian Students: Apply for a Research Internship in Germany

DAAD WISE (Working Internships in Science and Engineering) pays Indian STEM students 800 EUR per month plus a travel allowance for a 2 to 3 month research internship at a German university or research institute. Health insurance is included. The program is specifically designed to bring students from India and other select countries into German laboratories, distinct from the better-known DAAD RISE which is restricted to North American students.

June 2026 is the right moment to start: the next application window opens in November or December 2026 for placements in summer 2027. Identifying a willing German supervisor, which is the hardest step, takes 6 to 12 weeks of outreach. Students who start now are six months ahead.

Who is eligible for DAAD WISE 2026?

Requirement	Details
Enrollment	Current undergraduate student (B.Tech, B.E., B.Sc.) during the internship. M.Tech and PhD students are NOT eligible for WISE.
Fields	Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Sciences, and closely related STEM fields only.
Academic standing	Top quarter of your cohort. Typically CGPA 8.0+ on a 10-point scale or First Division equivalent. No published cutoff.
Language	No German required. Research is conducted in English.
Nationality	Indian nationals apply through the standard WISE application. WISE accepts students from India, Brazil, China, Israel, Japan, and select other non-Western countries.
Age	No formal age cap. You must be enrolled as an undergraduate at the time of the placement.

What does the DAAD WISE stipend cover?

Component	Amount (2026)	Notes
Monthly stipend	800 EUR/month	Paid directly to the intern by DAAD
Travel grant	500 EUR (one-time)	For long-haul routes including India-Germany
Health insurance	Covered by DAAD	Valid for the full duration of the placement in Germany
Duration	2 to 3 months	Typically June to August; some placements May to September

800 EUR covers a shared flat room in most German cities (Munich is tighter: 700 to 900 EUR for a room), groceries, and local transport. It does not cover return flights beyond the 500 EUR grant. Budget an additional 300 to 500 EUR for incidentals, SIM card, and initial setup costs.

How to apply for DAAD WISE step by step

The process has two parallel tracks that must be completed before submitting to DAAD:

Find a German supervisor first. DAAD WISE requires a confirmed hosting commitment from a German professor or research group leader before you can apply. DAAD does not match students with supervisors centrally for WISE (unlike RISE). This means you must identify professors working in your research area, read their recent papers, and email them directly. Expect 2 to 8 weeks of outreach to secure a positive reply.
Get a commitment letter. Once a professor agrees to host you, they provide a Betreuungszusage (supervisor commitment letter). This letter is a required document in your DAAD application.
Prepare your DAAD application documents:
- DAAD online application form (submitted via the DAAD portal at daad.de)
- Research proposal (1 to 2 pages): what you will study, why this lab, what prior work you build on
- CV in English or German
- Transcripts (all semesters, with English translation if in Hindi or regional language)
- Two academic reference letters (from professors who know your research capacity)
- Supervisor commitment letter from the German host
- Language certificate (English: TOEFL or IELTS, or a letter from your institution confirming English-medium instruction)
Submit via the DAAD portal within the application window (typically December to mid-January). Results are communicated by March or April for summer placements.
Visa: DAAD acceptance letter is sufficient documentation for the German visa application at the German Embassy in New Delhi or Consulate in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, or Bangalore. Apply for the visa as soon as you receive acceptance. Processing: 4 to 6 weeks.

DAAD WISE vs DAAD RISE: which should Indian students choose?

Criterion	DAAD WISE	DAAD RISE
Open to Indian students	Yes	Yes (via RISE Worldwide, more limited than North America RISE)
Eligible students	Undergraduates in STEM	Undergraduates in STEM
Stipend	800 EUR/month	800 EUR/month
Duration	2 to 3 months	6 to 12 weeks
Supervisor required before applying	Yes (required)	No (DAAD matches in some tracks)
Application window	December to January	December to January
Competitiveness	High (similar to RISE)	Very high (5 to 8% acceptance)

If you already have a contact in a German lab, apply to WISE. If you have no German contacts yet, start with RISE (which has a centralized matching process in some tracks) while simultaneously building outreach for WISE. Apply to both if your timeline allows.

Top German institutes that accept WISE interns

These institutions have established WISE hosting programs and actively respond to student outreach:

Fraunhofer Society: 76 institutes across Germany. Applied research with industry relevance. Particularly strong in materials, manufacturing, and information technology. Many groups have English-speaking PIs. Contact via individual institute pages at fraunhofer.de.
Max Planck Society: 86 institutes. Basic research in physics, chemistry, biology, and social sciences. High prestige, competitive. Contact via the Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) portals.
TU Munich (TUM): Germany's top-ranked technical university. Engineering, computer science, life sciences. Many professors have international backgrounds and respond to WISE inquiries.
RWTH Aachen: Germany's largest technical university. Strong in mechanical and electrical engineering, materials science, and process engineering.
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Top 10 German universities for engineering and computer science. Active DAAD partner institution.

When emailing professors, reference their most recent publication and explain specifically how your skills contribute to their current work. Generic "I am interested in your lab" emails receive no response.

How to build an application that professors actually open

The bottleneck in DAAD WISE is not DAAD itself: it is getting a German professor to say yes. Here is what works:

Find 3 to 4 papers from the group's last 2 years. Read them.
Identify one specific technique or question in their work that connects to something you have done or studied.
Write a 4-paragraph email: (1) who you are and your academic standing in one sentence, (2) the specific paper and what you found interesting, (3) a concrete skill you bring that helps their current work, (4) the DAAD WISE ask and your proposed dates.
Attach your CV (2 pages max) and one representative piece of academic work.
Email 12 to 15 professors. Expect 1 to 3 responses. Follow up once after 10 days if no reply.

See how an engineering student presents their research profile on our platform, which we use when connecting students with international research placements.

Ready to start building toward a DAAD WISE placement? Create your free profile and access our Germany-specific placement guidance, including a template for reaching out to German research supervisors.