The decision for BMS Phase II scholarships are made by the BMS Committee. These scholarships are awarded based on the criteria listed below and the rules and regulations of the DFG, which includes the criteria of excellence and diversity. The BMS Committee will also evaluate the student’s chances to secure alternative funding for the dissertation project at a later stage.

Students who complete the BMS Phase I program and successfully pass the BMS Qualifying Exam (QE) must meet the following criteria to apply for a BMS Phase II scholarship:

1. An average of better than 1.5 for the required Phase I courses.
2. A grade of better than 1.5 in the Qualifying Exam.
3. Regular attendance of BMS events, such as MATH+ Fridays.

Students who are planning their QE for the semester break, may apply for the Phase II scholarship before taking the QE and may be awarded a Phase II scholarship on the condition that they pass their QE with a grade better than 1.5 by a certain date.

BMS Phase I students, who meet the criteria mentioned above, should contact the BMS liaison officer as soon as possible. After a consultation the complete application should be sent via email to the BMS as soon as possible. The application should include the following documents:

1. Application form (please ask your BMS liaison officer for the form)
2. Application letter containing a report of the achievements made during Phase I
3. Transcript of Phase I courses (issued by the BMS Office)
4. Description of the potential dissertation project
5. A letter of support from the future PhD supervisor describing the potential of the student and expectations for the dissertation.
    In addition, the statement must contain:
     a. details on efforts to secure other means of funding
     b. details of current applications for funding; and if necessary
     c. an explanation as to why no alternative funding is available
    The letter of support should be sent directly to the BMS.

In justified cases, the BMS Committee may allow exemptions from the aforementioned criteria. There is no fixed deadline for this application.

Phase II scholarships are awarded for two years with the possibility to extend the scholarship for a third year. The BMS cannot extend any scholarships beyond three years.

All Phase II scholarship recipients must be enrolled as PhD students at one the participating universities (FU, HU, TU).

Approximately 25% of Phase II students will receive a BMS scholarship. Funding for all other Phase II students will come from Certified Units, from third-party funding available to individual professors or from the departments’ budgets. All Phase II students should take advantage of the many opportunities offered by the mathematics research environment in Berlin, which includes:
• three Research Training Groups (RTG)
• two International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS)
• four DFG Collaborative Research Centers
• ECMath
• Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB)
• Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS).

A complete list can be found here: www.math-berlin.de/about-bms/people-a-organization/units
The BMS integrates the above projects and institutions, as well as many others, as Certified Units, Associated Units, Cooperating Research Centers and Research Institutes. They guarantee PhD supervisors and suitable research environments for all Phase II students.

Extension for the third year

To apply for an extension of your Phase II scholarship for a third year, please contact your BMS liaison officer 5 months before the end of your scholarship contract. Your application should be sent via email and usually contains:

1. Application form (please ask your BMS liaison officer for the form)
2. Application letter detailing the research and dissertation progress made and a work plan for the third year
3. A letter of support from the PhD supervisor describing the following:
     a. progress on dissertation and research project
     b. realisitic outlook on the completion of the dissertation in the third year
     c. possible additional funding sources, if the student will not complete their doctorate in the third year

Gap Funding

To avoid funding gaps during the transition period from Phase I to Phase II, all BMS students, who have successfully completed the Qualifying Exam, can apply for "gap funding". The length of the period in which gap funding is paid should not exceed six months. Students who meet the criteria to obtain a Phase II scholarship, but cannot be awarded one for budgetary reasons, will automatically be considered for gap funding. All other students will be required to submit the following information to apply for gap funding:

1. Transcript of Phase I courses and QE grade (issued by the BMS Office)
2. Statement from the future PhD supervisor explaining the student's potential and expectations for the dissertation. In addition, the statement must contain:
    a. details on efforts to secure other means of funding
    b. details of current applications for funding; and if necessary 
    c. an explanation as to why no alternative funding is available.
3. Regular attendance of BMS events, such as MATH+ Fridays.

In justified cases, the BMS Committee may allow exemptions from the aforementioned criteria.