Picture this: a summer spent working inside a real German research lab, guided by a PhD student mentor, with your rent, food, and insurance covered. That is what RISE Germany offers, and for the right applicant, it is one of the best-paid summer research routes in the world. But here is the catch most people miss before they spend hours on an application: RISE Germany only accepts undergraduates from a short list of countries. Read this guide carefully before you start, because eligibility is the single biggest filter on this programme.
What RISE Germany Actually Is
RISE stands for Research Internships in Science and Engineering. The German Academic Exchange Service, known as DAAD, runs it with funding from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office. The programme matches undergraduate students with research groups at German universities, universities of applied sciences, and research institutes for a summer placement. You work alongside a PhD student or researcher who mentors you directly, and the whole experience runs in English, so German language skills are not required.
RISE Germany started in 2005 for students from the United States and Canada. It expanded to the United Kingdom in 2009 and to Ireland in 2018. Today, it offers around 300 placements every year across fields like biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering, and computer science.
Looking for more budget-friendly ways to study abroad too? You may also want to check this guide to finding affordable universities abroad.
The Eligibility Warning You Cannot Skip
Here is the part that trips up most applicants searching online. RISE Germany is not open to students from every country. You can only apply if you meet all of the following:
- You are currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a university or college in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Ireland.
- You will have completed at least two years of your degree programme by the time the internship starts.
- You are studying biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, earth sciences, engineering, or a closely related field.
- You can prove that you will remain an enrolled undergraduate after the internship ends, since German authorities need this to process your visa.
- If you hold German citizenship, you can only apply if you prove you have lived outside Germany for six years or more.
If you study at a university outside these four countries, this particular programme is not for you, no matter how strong your grades are. UK undergraduates in STEM fields who qualify for RISE Germany are often also strong candidates for Imperial College London’s scholarships for international students, worth comparing alongside this programme. DAAD runs other research schemes for different regions, so it is worth checking the wider DAAD scholarship database if RISE Germany does not fit your situation.
Want more routes into Germany beyond this internship? You may also want to check this guide to studying in Germany without IELTS on scholarship.
Key Dates for the 2027 Internship Cycle
Here is the full timeline in one place, pulled from DAAD’s own published schedule.
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Internship database opens | 15 October 2026 |
| Application deadline | 30 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. CET |
| Letter of recommendation deadline | 15 December 2026, 11:59 p.m. CET |
| Ranking by providers | January to February 2027 |
| Announcement of internship positions | February or March 2027 |
| Internship start window | 15 May to 15 July 2027 |
| Minimum internship length | 10 weeks |
| Maximum internship length | 90 days (about 3 months) |
| RISE Germany meeting in Heidelberg | July 2027 |
Write that 30 November deadline down now. German research institutions move through applications in batches, and a late submission simply misses the entire cycle. There is no rolling intake here.
What the Funding Actually Covers
RISE Germany pays real money, not a token stipend. Here is what a selected intern receives:
- A monthly stipend of 992 euros to cover living costs like rent and food. DAAD calculates this on a daily basis if your stay runs less than 23 days in a given month.
- A travel allowance of 160 euros for the mandatory RISE Germany meeting in Heidelberg, which brings together all interns for three days at the start of July.
- Health, accident, and personal liability insurance for the full internship period.
- Housing assistance from your host university or institute, though you usually still need to search for and secure your own accommodation.
Airfare to Germany and back is not covered, so budget for that separately. Canadian students get an extra boost here. DAAD works with the Canadian organisation Mitacs through its Globalink Research Internship programme, and up to 100 matched Canadian candidates receive a combined scholarship. Mitacs contributes funding toward travel costs and living expenses on top of what DAAD provides, so Canadian applicants should check the Mitacs Globalink page alongside the main RISE application.
If you arrive with little or no German language ability, DAAD also offers selected interns a two-week intensive German course in Berlin before the internship begins. It is optional, but it is a genuinely useful bonus if you want to get more out of your time in the country.
Interested in other paid, fully funded STEM research routes in Europe? You may also want to check this complete guide to CERN internships and graduate programmes.
How the Matching Process Works
Unlike many internship programmes where you apply directly to a single position, RISE Germany works through a database. Here is the general flow:
- Register for a DAAD ID on the RISE Germany portal and create your profile.
- Browse the internship database, which lists hundreds of research projects posted by German host institutions once it opens on 15 October 2026.
- Select and apply to internship listings that match your field and interests, uploading your transcript, a list of completed courses, and other required documents. Since your motivation letter carries real weight here, it helps to know the difference between a statement of purpose and a personal statement before you start drafting.
- Arrange for your referee to submit a letter of recommendation directly through the portal by 15 December 2026.
- Wait while host institutions rank the applicants who applied to their projects, a process that runs from January into February 2027.
- Receive notification of your match, expected in February or March 2027. You may also be contacted by the internship provider to discuss your application, so it is worth brushing up on how to prepare for a scholarship interview just in case.
You can apply to more than one listing, which genuinely improves your odds, since each host project ranks candidates independently. Once you are matched and confirmed, it is also worth reading up on what to do after receiving a university admission offer, since many of the same visa and enrollment steps apply.
Need help lining up a strong letter of reference before the 15 December deadline? You may also want to check this guide on how to ask for a scholarship recommendation letter.
Real-World Context: Why This Programme Stands Out
Compare RISE Germany to many unpaid or lightly paid research internships elsewhere, and the difference is obvious. A stipend of 992 euros a month, paired with free insurance and a structured mentorship model, puts real money in an undergraduate’s pocket during a summer that might otherwise mean an unpaid lab assistantship back home. Universities including Penn, the University of Maryland, and the University of Alberta actively promote RISE Germany to their science and engineering undergraduates, and that institutional backing reflects how established the programme has become since it launched two decades ago. For students who use this summer to build toward a research career, a fully funded STEM doctorate such as the Monash University PhD Scholarship in privacy-preserving AI for video analytics is a logical next step worth keeping on the radar.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying from the wrong country. Double-check your university’s home country before you invest hours in this application. RISE Germany will not consider applicants outside the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland.
- Missing the recommendation letter deadline. Your referee has until 15 December 2026, which is two weeks after your own application deadline. Chase this early, because professors get busy.
- Applying to only one project. Spread your applications across several listings in the database that genuinely match your academic background.
- Forgetting about your visa and bank account. You will need a European bank account using the IBAN system to receive your stipend, so start that process as soon as you are matched. A clear CV also helps at this stage; this guide on writing a cover letter for jobs abroad covers habits that transfer well to internship applications too.
Already thinking beyond this internship toward a fully funded postgraduate route? You may also want to check the Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027/28 guide.
Where to Apply and Learn More
🔗 Official Application Portal: Apply through the official RISE Germany application portal
🔗 Official Eligibility Information: Read the official RISE Germany applicant eligibility page
- RISE Germany programme overview from DAAD’s US office: daad.org
- Contact for questions: rise-germany@daad.de
Once you are matched with a host institution in Germany, it is worth understanding the difference between visa sponsorship and a work visa, since the paperwork for a research internship differs from standard employment routes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can students outside the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland apply?
No. RISE Germany only accepts undergraduates currently enrolled at universities in these four countries. If your university sits elsewhere, this specific programme will not consider your application, so check DAAD’s broader scholarship database instead.
How much does RISE Germany pay each month?
Selected interns receive a monthly stipend of 992 euros to cover living costs, plus a 160 euro travel allowance for the Heidelberg meeting. Health, accident, and liability insurance are also included, though airfare is not covered.
What happens if my recommendation letter arrives late?
Your application becomes incomplete without it, and DAAD states clearly that only complete applications move forward to host institutions. The letter deadline is 15 December 2026, two weeks after the main application deadline, so start this process early.
Do I need to speak German to apply?
No. The internship language is English, and German is not required. If you want to learn some, DAAD offers selected interns an optional two-week intensive German course in Berlin before the internship begins.