Prof. Sorin Huss-Fund

Prof. Sorin Huss-Fund for students and doctoral candidates with care responsibilities

Balancing your studies or doctorate with family responsibilities can present not only time-related but also financial challenges.

The Professor Sorin Huss-Fund offers support through a variety of funding options. Whether you need to cover childcare costs or study fees, or whether the support of a student assistant during your doctorate will allow you to reduce your scientific workload, the three funding options cater to different needs and target groups.

Programme Target group Scope of the funding
What is the funding for? 		The Maximum funding amount Requirements for application
(See the FAQs for details)
A
Application form A (PDF file) (opens in new tab) 		Students or doctoral candidates at TU Darmstadt who are pursuing a doctorate with a scholarship and who have responsibility for the care of minor children Costs of institutional childcare (nursery, daycare centre, childminding or after-school care) 1,800 EUR
  • Currently studying or pursuing a PhD accepted
  • Financial need
    Institutional childcare
  • Counselling services utilised
  • State funding opportunities exhausted
B
Application form B (PDF file) (opens in new tab) 		Students at TU Darmstadt who have responsibility for the care of minor children or relatives in need of care Study fees for the final two semesters Semester fee for a maximum of two semesters (currently approx. 400 EUR per semester)
  • Final stage of studies confirmed by CP
  • Responsibility for children or relatives requiring care
C
Application form C (PDF file) (opens in new tab) 		Doctoral candidates at TU Darmstadt who have responsibility for the care of minor children or relatives in need of care Support with scientific routine tasks provided by a student assistant 1,800 EUR
  • Accepted doctoral research proposal
  • Responsibility for children or relatives requiring care

All funding opportunities are aimed exclusively at students and PhD candidates at TU Darmstadt.

The Prof. Sorin Huss-Fund is intended to provide short-term financial support in particularly challenging situations and is not intended as a means of long-term funding. A one-off follow-up application is possible under options A and C; the jury will decide on further applications on a case-by-case basis.

Please note: There is a limited funding budget available each semester, so it may not be possible to approve all eligible applications. Priority will be given to those in particularly difficult circumstances, single parents, students and PhD candidates with more than one child, and students and PhD candidates in the final stages of their studies.

Call for Applications

Applications are possible until November 15, 2026.

Please send your application to

The application forms for the three funding programs can be found in the table above.

FAQ

Depending on the funding programme, we require either a childcare contract with an institutional provider (Funding Programme A) or the child’s birth certificate and proof that you live in the same household as the child (Funding Programmes B and C).

You can provide proof of caring for a family member (Funding Programmes B and C) either by being appointed as a caregiver, by submitting an already approved application for compensation for disadvantages or part-time study, or by providing a medical certificate.

Please provide proof that you have successfully applied for financial assistance from another source (e.g., BAföG, a request for reimbursement from the Youth Welfare Office, child allowance), or the reason for the denial of such an application.

If, due to your residence status, you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply for this support, please arrange a consultation with the social advisory service of the Studierendenwerk Darmstadt.

No, your average grade for the studies you have completed so far is not a factor. However, it is important that you show that you are actively engaged in your studies by earning CPs.

We will contact the provider of the childcare facility or the registered childminder directly and cover the agreed costs on your behalf. To do this, we will need the childcare contract. No payment will be made to the parents.

No, unfortunately this is not possible, as the child being cared for must actually reside in Germany.

Once your application has been approved, we will pay the semester fee on your behalf. To do this, we will need your matriculation number.

You are responsible for finding a suitable candidate to work as a research assistant. The costs involved can be covered by the Prof. Sorin Huss Fund up to the agreed amount.