Germany RISE Internships for 2027 Cycle Opens for Foreign Bachelor Students Applicants

There is one detail about DAAD RISE Worldwide 2027 that can easily confuse international students: the programme sends students abroad, but you cannot normally apply simply because you are studying science or engineering somewhere in the world.

Foreign nationals can apply, but they must be enrolled in a bachelor’s degree at a German university and intend to complete that degree in Germany. DAAD specifically allows non-German students under this condition.

So, if you are a Pakistani, Indian, Nigerian, Egyptian, Bangladeshi or other international student currently completing your bachelor’s degree at a German university, RISE Worldwide could give you the chance to spend summer 2027 working inside a research team in another country.

Here is how to approach the application without making it more complicated than it needs to be.

First Check: Are You Actually Eligible for DAAD-RISE Projects?

Your nationality is not the deciding factor.

DAAD requires applicants to be fully enrolled bachelor’s students at a German higher education institution. Eligible areas include natural sciences, engineering, computer science, medicine and pharmacy. You must also have completed at least your first semester by the time you apply.

For foreign students, there is one additional condition: your German university should be the institution where you intend to complete your bachelor’s degree.

There is also a practical restriction worth noticing. Funding for an internship in your own home country is generally excluded. An international student from India studying in Germany, for example, should not automatically assume that a RISE placement back in India would be funded.

Do Not Start With the Country — Start With the Project

This is where applicants can make a much smarter choice.

RISE Worldwide is not simply a list of countries where you can spend the summer. For the 2027 round, the database contains more than 500 research projects across 57 countries.

The better strategy is to look for research that fits what you already study.

If your degree is in computer science, look for projects where your programming, data or computational skills are relevant. A biology student should look at laboratory or life-science projects connected to coursework already completed.

In other words, do not write an application that basically says, “I have always wanted to visit Japan.”

The researcher selecting an intern is far more interested in why you belong in their research project.

What Should You Prepare Before Applications Open?

The worldwide application is submitted in English, and DAAD currently asks applicants to prepare:

• a tabular CV;
• a motivation letter for each selected project;
• transcript of records;
• a list of relevant courses;
• proof of English proficiency;
• additional language evidence where relevant; and
• a recommendation from a university lecturer.

The motivation letter should normally be around one to two pages and should be written for the specific project rather than reused unchanged for every application.

That means preparation can begin before the application portal opens. Update your CV, obtain your transcript and identify a lecturer who knows your academic work well enough to provide a meaningful recommendation.

What About IELTS?

IELTS is not the only way to prove your English for RISE research internships. DAAD indicates that applicants should generally have English at around B2 level under the Common European Framework of Reference. Accepted evidence can include the DAAD language certificate as well as Cambridge certificates, IELTS, TELC, TOEFL and TOEIC.

DAAD also specifically warns applicants to arrange their language test early.

So if you do not already have IELTS, do not automatically conclude that you cannot apply. Check which of the accepted alternatives you can obtain through your university.

What Happens If You Are Selected?

RISE Worldwide research internships normally last six weeks to three months, preferably during the semester break between June and October.

DAAD provides a monthly scholarship rate based on the destination, a travel allowance and health, accident and personal liability insurance.

The programme therefore gives students something more useful than a short study-abroad trip: you actually join a research group and gain practical experience in an international academic environment. The working language is usually English.

How Do Foreign Students Apply for Summer 2027?

For most destinations, applications are submitted through the RISE Worldwide internship database. Once the projects become available, read the research descriptions carefully and concentrate on opportunities that genuinely match your academic background.

Canada follows a separate route through Mitacs Globalink.

Application Dates

Students seeking a Canada internship can apply from August 5 to September 16, 2026.

For RISE Worldwide projects in other participating countries, applications will be accepted from October 15 to November 30, 2026. The academic recommendation is due by December 15, with DAAD indicating limited provision for later submission in exceptional timing circumstances.

For foreign students already completing a science or engineering bachelor’s degree in Germany, the key question is therefore not nationality. It is whether your academic background fits one of the research projects well enough to convince the host researcher that you can contribute during summer 2027.