TUDa GreenChips-EDU Scholarship

GreenChips-EDU Scholarship

1. Purpose of the call

The GreenChips-EDU Project was launched in 2023 with the aim of supporting talents in sustainable semiconductor technologies across Europe. The project seeks to educate students and researchers, equipping them with knowledge that will contribute to eco-friendly chip design, energy-efficient manufacturing, and materials innovation for the future of the EU.

As part of this initiative, TU Darmstadt is pleased to announce a call for applications for scholarships supporting Master’s students enrolled or planning to enrol in the relevant study programmes at TU Darmstadt:

· Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies

· Information and Communication Engineering

· Information Systems Engineering

These scholarships are intended to provide financial support to students participating in academia-industry collaborations through mobility programmes. The goal is to foster international cooperation and enrich the educational experience of students dedicated to advancing sustainable and innovative technologies in the electronics and microelectronics sectors.

2. Type of grants

The eligible expenses outlined in this document must be directly related to international and domestic mobility activities carried out at partner institutions participating in the GreenChips-EDU project. These mobility activities may also take place at industrial partner sites, including those that are not formal project partners, provided they align with the project's objectives and offer meaningful academic or professional engagement. In such cases, the mobility may take the form of professional training, enabling students to gain hands-on experience and develop practical skills within relevant industry settings.

University partner institutions include the following:

Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo) – Italy

Technische Universität Graz (TUG) – Austria

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) – Spain

Grenoble INP – UGA – France

Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa) – Portugal

Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) – Austria

Industry, SME and research partners include:

INESC ID – Portugal

Joanneum Research – Austria

Infineon Technologies Austria – Austria (and global)

Končar Inem – Croatia

Silicongate LDA – Portugal

Aedvices Consulting – France

RUSZ – Austria

Business Konsens OG – Austria

This funding call offers six distinct types of grants. While students are permitted to apply for multiple grants, the total amount awarded to any individual must not exceed €10,000, regardless of the maximum limits assigned to each grant type. Financial aid may be provided in the form of reimbursement and/or a fixed amount granted in advance. Each type of grant specifies which of these funding methods applies.

The total funding available is €40,000.

Students/applicants must disclose any other scholarships or fellowships they have already been awarded or are currently applying for at the time of submitting their application for this scholarship program. Additionally, they must inform us of any scholarships or fellowships they are granted thereafter.

2.1. Coverage for tuition and registration fees

Only semesters that commence before 30 June 2027 are considered eligible. Funding may be provided for up to a maximum of four consecutive semesters, covering credits taken both at TU Darmstadt and at the mobility destination.

Scope of coverage:

· Waiver of Tuition Fees for all first-time enrolled credits, provided they align with the academic path designed for the academic activity

· Coverage of any mandatory administrative fees

· Coverage of any optional fees, if they align with the goals of the scholarship programme

· For students, enrolled in a double degree programme, tuitions and fees occurring at host institution

· For students enrolled in a double degree programme, cost related to the issuance of the Master’s Degree certificate at both institutions (TU Darmstadt and host institution)

Funding Limit:

Under this grant type, each beneficiary may receive a maximum of €3,500 as reimbursement.

2.2. Coverage for participating specialized courses/trainings

This grant type supports participation in specialization courses or training programmes offered by universities or industries affiliated with the GreenChips-EDU project. It is intended to complement international and domestic mobility activities. All expenses must be incurred before 30 June 2027.

Scope of coverage:

These expenses are related to activities additional to those initially agreed upon for the mobility period. Examples of concepts that could be covered by the programme include:

· Courses beyond those offered by the TU Darmstadt degree programme, such as specialization courses, introductory training related to topics addressed in the Master’s thesis, or similar initiatives in the GreenChips-EDU thematic areas, are also eligible.

· Micro-credentials are also eligible for funding under the scholarship programme.

Covered Expenses:

Registration or tuition fees for extra courses, certification costs for micro-credentials, Material or software required for those additional courses, travel or accommodation if the course or training is held at a different location (if justified).

Funding Limit:

Under this grant type, each beneficiary may receive up to €1,500 as reimbursement. The grant type 2.2 grant includes a travel allowance of max. 500 €, including a daily scholarship rate (ranging from 5 -15 €, depending on the host country), and reimbursement of the course fees, up to a maximum of 1000 €.

2.3. Coverage for the costs of issuing documentation

This grant type covers essential expenses related to obtaining the documentation required by the host institution, provided these are necessary for international mobility. All expenses must be incurred before 30 June 2027.

Covered Expenses:

· Visa & Residence Permit Application and Issuance

– Costs associated with applying for and obtaining a visa/ residence permit.

·Insurance Coverage

– Expenses for life, health, accident, and civil liability insurance required during the mobility period.

· Language Accreditation

– Fees for language proficiency exams and official language certificates.

· Translation fees

– Costs for translations of required documents.

Funding Limit:

Under this grant type, each beneficiary may receive up to €1,000 as reimbursement.

2.4. Contribution to the costs of short-term mobility stays related to the Master's Degree

This grant type supports short-term mobility expenses not covered by the Erasmus+ Programme. It specifically excludes participation in Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs).

Scope of Coverage:

To be eligible for the grant, applicants must meet all of the following conditions:

All activities must be completed by 30 June 2027. The mobility period must typically be less than 2 months. The proposed activity must fall under one of the following eligible categories:

· Participation in international or domestic events, such as summer schools, workshops, or conferences.

· Completion of a Master’s thesis at a foreign or domestic institution that is part of the GreenChips-EDU network.

· Professional training or internships at companies aligned with the GreenChips-EDU project.

Please find interactive formats offered by the GreenChips-EDU project here: https://www.tugraz.at/projekte/greenchips-edu/news-events/event-calendar

Please find internships & other mobility opportunities here: https://www.tugraz.at/projekte/greenchips-edu/student-opportunities/overview-student-opportunities

Covered Expenses:

Transport, accommodation, and meals.

Funding Limit:

Under this grant type, each beneficiary may receive up to €1,500 as a fixed amount payment in advance (€ 79/day, up to a maximum total of €1,500 including the travel cost indicated in “Distance Band Support”).

2.5. Contribution to the expenses of long-term mobility stays related to the Master's Degree

This grant type provides additional financial support to ease the financial burden on students participating in long-term mobility, particularly in double degree programmes. All activities must be completed by 30 June 2027.

Scope of Coverage:

GreenChips-EDU programme may cover days that exceed the maximum duration funded by Erasmus+ (e.g., a 6-month stay with only 5 months of Erasmus+ support).

For students enrolled in a double degree programme, GreenChips-EDU may provide support for living during the first year of the programme while the students are still at TU Darmstadt.

Covered Expenses:

Transport, accommodation, and meals (taxi or private transport requires justification if public transport is available for the same route).

Funding Limit:

Under this grant type, each beneficiary may receive up to €6,000 as a fixed amount payment in advance.

2.6. Contribution to expenses for scientific achievements during the mobility stay

This grant type supports research activities carried out by Master’s students working on their final projects, preferably during a mobility period, that lead to a scientific publication aligned with GreenChips-EDU topics. All expenses must be incurred before 30 June 2027.

Scope of Coverage and funding limit:

Scientific Publication Fees

Up to €1,000 for full open-access publication in Q1 or Q2 journals.

Up to €500 for full open-access publication in Q3 or Q4 journals.

Presentation Materials

Up to €100 for the preparation of posters for scientific congresses.

High-Level Conference Attendance.

This limit increases to €2,000 if the congress is rated CORE A*.

Under this grant type, each beneficiary may be awarded funding in the form of reimbursement.

3. Who can apply for this grant?

3.1 Applicants criteria

Students who are enrolled—or have applied for admission—for the 2025/2026 academic year or later in one of the following three master’s programmes at TU Darmstadt will be eligible to receive a scholarship (only students in these three programmes are eligible under this call):

· Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies

· Information and Communication Engineering

· Information Systems Engineering

The applicant must hold the nationality of:

EU Member States or countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme (e.g., countries in the European Economic Area - EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway - and other nations that have signed association agreements, including those from the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine).

4. Submission of applications

4.1 Application method and documentation

Applications may be submitted starting from the day following the publication of the scholarship call.

Applications must be submitted by the following deadlines:

(The scholarship call includes four application rounds to allow for phased evaluation and funding, ensuring the full €40,000 grant is awarded in batches by June 2027.)

Call 1: 1 July 2026, 23:59 (CET)

Call 2: 14 February 2027, 23:59 (CET)

Call 3: 1 June 2027, 23:59 (CET)

The application must be submitted to Prof. Klaus Hofmann at TU Darmstadt. To submit your application or for inquiries, please send an e-mail to:

Klaus.Hofmann@ies.tu-darmstadt.de

The following documentation must be attached to the application form:

· Form A : Cover Letter

Please submit a cover letter that includes the following: A brief introduction of yourself, highlighting your academic background / merits and current field of study. A description of your personal, social, economic, and professional circumstances, as well as your academic performance, that may be relevant to your scholarship application. If possible, outline your future academic and career plans, including the field in which you wish to further pursue your academic knowledge.

· Form B: Application of Grant (see checklist below)

o Please indicate the type(s) of grant(s) you are applying for.

o Multiple selections are allowed if you are applying for more than one type.

· Academic Grade Documentation:

Please provide a document stating the average grade of your completed Bachelor’s degree or Master’s Degree, specifically in a field that is related to Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Information and Communication Engineering, Information Systems Engineering, or has a strong relevance to the objectives of the GreenChips-EDU project.

The selection committee at TU Darmstadt (Prof. Klaus Hofmann, Prof. Franko Küppers, David Riehl, Viktor Weinelt) will check the average grade of all students in the same degree programme over the past year and use it as part of selection criteria.

· Documentary accreditation:

Applicants are responsible for providing documentation that supports the situations described in the previous point (likely referring to eligibility criteria or merit-based considerations). This includes:

Documentation Required for GPA and Academic Merits

You should provide:

o Official academic transcripts from your institution(s)

o Degree certificates or diplomas

o GPA certification or a document explaining the grading scale (especially if it's not standard)

o Awards or honours received (e.g., Dean’s List, scholarships, academic competitions)

o Letters of recommendation (if applicable)

o Documentation for Social and Economic Circumstances

o You may need to submit:

§ Proof of income (e.g., tax returns, salary slips, or income certificates)

§ Family income statements or affidavits

§ Social security or welfare documentation

§ Proof of residence in a disadvantaged area (if relevant)

§ Medical or disability certificates (if applicable)

§ Any official documentation that supports claims of economic hardship or social disadvantage

· Accreditation of Mobility Placement

Applicants must provide:

Proof of having secured a mobility placement in one of the destinations approved by the call, or, if not yet confirmed a document signed by the Head of Studies of your institution and the Deputy Director of International Relations, endorsing the application.

This document must clearly state the destination of the mobility and the estimated period the student will remain abroad

·Justification for Grants Type 2.2 – Specialized Trainings

Applicants must submit a justification document explaining the relevance and benefit of the specialized training. This document must include at least:

o The name and description of the course or activity

o Its purpose

o The organizing institution

o The location where the training takes place

o Course registration confirmation or payment confirmation (if applicable)

· Documentation for Grants Type 2.6 – Scientific Achievement

Applicants must provide:

o A copy of the publication or poster related to the grant application

o The complete reference number of the place of publication

o All documentation to verify the expenses related to the publication

5. Selection criteria

The evaluation of the applications will be carried out by the selection committee (Prof. Klaus Hofmann, Prof. Franko Küppers, David Riehl, Viktor Weinelt), which will consider the academic merit of the candidate as well as gender and socioeconomic inequalities in the relevant field of studies, mentioned in section 3.1.

Each application will be assigned a score based on an evaluation system of 35 points structured in 6 blocks:

5.1. (20 points) Academic performance (r1)

Academic performance will be measured in terms of the average grade (g) of a completed Bachelor's Degree (or Master's Degree) that is directly linked to the field of studies specified in section 3.1 or is directly connected to or has a special relevance to the objectives of the GreenChips-EDU project.

The calculation will be made by comparing the average grade (g) of the applicant with the average grade (gavg) obtained by all students who have completed the same Bachelor's or Master's Degree in the previous year. Students who have completed a Bachelor's programme or Master’s programme at another university (none TU Darmstadt) are required to provide the average grade (gavg) obtained by all students who completed the same Bachelor's or Master's degree at that university in the previous academic year.

Additional considerations:

In the event that the selection committee does not have this data, the applicant will receive 0 points in this section 5.1.

This information must be certified by the institution where the Bachelor's or Master's Degree was obtained.

5.2. (5 points) Additional academic merits (r2)

This section assesses academic merits beyond those derived from their academic performance. Specifically:

· (+1 point) If the student has completed a Bachelor's or Master's Degree beyond that used for the calculation of r1.

· (+1 point) If the student has received a recognition or award for their academic activity. Honours are not included in this consideration.

· (+1 point) If the student is the author of a publication or poster in a conference or research journal.

a. (+1 point) If the student demonstrates training in the field of sustainability or green electronics (Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Information and Communication Engineering, Information Systems Engineering).

· (+1 point) If the student has developed projects related to the field of studies mentioned in section 3.1 beyond those required to obtain academic degrees.

· The concepts listed above are considered independently, with r2 being the sum of all those that the student fulfills in accordance with the documentation provided.

5.3. (5 points) Professional experience (r3)

The applicant's work experience in the field of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Information and Communication Engineering, Information Systems Engineering will be valued. Depending on the number of accredited hours, the applicant will receive:

· (1 point) Between 100 hours and 500 hours.

· (2 points) Between 500 hours and 900 hours.

· (3 points) Between 900 hours and 1800 hours.

· (4 points) More than 1800 hours.

Applications that prove work experience in the field of sustainability or green electronics (Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies, Information and Communication Engineering, Information Systems Engineering) will receive an additional point.

5.4. (2 points) Positive gender discrimination (r4)

Two points will be assigned to female applicants, as a mechanism of positive discrimination that seeks to improve the presence of women in the relevant study and industry field.

5.5. (2 points) Situation of vulnerability (r5)

The applicant may receive 2 points if they can prove that they are in a situation of socioeconomic vulnerability. This accreditation may be based on other grants already granted and that takes this condition into account.

5.6. (1 point) Motivation and alignment with the call (r6)

The student's motivation and the alignment of the application with the objectives of the call will be valued with one point.

Resolution of applications

Applications will be assessed by a selection committee (Prof. Klaus Hofmann, Prof. Franko Küppers, David Riehl, Viktor Weinelt). The result will be announced electronically to all candidates.

6. Final Report

Students will be asked to provide a final report that outlines the experience and the main outcomes taken from it. This final report aims to help improve the scholarship program and support dissemination by sharing experiences that may inspire other students to participate. Therefore, the following elements are expected as part of the final report:

·A short questionnaire to gather students’ feedback on the scholarship call, aimed at improving future editions.

·A brief video (30 to 60 seconds) focused on the activity funded by the scholarship. This material will be used in outreach campaigns to engage more students and help ensure that the goals of the GreenChips-EDU project continue beyond its official duration.

Form A : Cover Letter

Please write a brief introduction of yourself, highlighting your academic background / merits and current field of study. A description of your personal, social, economic, and professional circumstances, as well as your academic performance, that may be relevant to your scholarship application. If possible, outline your future academic and career plans, including the field in which you wish to further pursue your academic knowledge.

Form B: Application of Grant (Checklist)

All applicants must submit

ð Form A

ð CV (please list relevant work experience, incl. duration, weekly hours)

ð Documentation Required for GPA and Academic Merits

ð Documentation for Social and Economic Circumstances

ð Average grade of your completed Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree

ð All Scholarship funding or grant currently being received

Scholarship/ Grant Name:

Duration of Scholarship/Grant to be received:

Coverage for tuition and registration fees

Please indicate the Master’s programme you are enrolled in, specify the semester for which you are applying for tuition support, and attach proof of your mobility placement

Master’s Programme:

Semester:

Attach Proof of your Mobility: ð Yes ð No

Coverage for participating specialized courses/trainings

Please list any specialized courses or trainings you have registered for or completed, including the cost. Submit proof of payment and proof of course registration.

The name the course:

Course content and its purpose:

Information about the institution, Name / Location:

Attach course registration confirmation or payment confirmation: ðYes ðNo

Coverage for the costs of issuing documentation

Please list any costs incurred for issuing documentation and submit proof of payment.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Contribution to the costs of short-term mobility stays related to the Master's Degree

Please state the destination and duration of your visit, along with the purpose of the trip.

Destination:

Duration:

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) ð Yes ð No

Erasmus+: ð Yes ð No

Duration of Erasmus+

Purpose of your visit:

Contribution to the expenses of long-term mobility stays related to the Master's Degree

Accreditation of Mobility Placement: ð Yes ð No

Destination and duration of your stay:

Erasmus+: ð Yes ð No

Duration of Erasmus+:

Contribution to expenses for scientific achievements during the mobility stay

Submit the payment receipt along with explanations for the following applicable items.

·A copy of the publication or poster related to the grant application

·The complete reference number of the place of publication

·All documentation to verify the expenses related to the publication

·Payment receipt

Distance Band Support

To calculate the distance between the home university and the host institution, the EU Distance Calculator is used. The amounts are lump sums.

Distance

Environmentally friendly travel (EUR)*

Non-environmentally friendly travel (EUR)

10 – 99 km

€56

€28

100 – 499 km

€285

€211

500 – 1999 km

€417

€309

2000 – 2999 km

€535

€395

3000 – 3999 km

€785

€580

4000 – 7999 km

€1188

€1188

8000+ km

€1735

€1735

*According to the European Commission Programme Guide, environmentally friendly travel includes low-emission means of transport such as train, bus, or carpooling.