Hey @mumford07 , how did the Ph.D. student contact you, e-mail? Was there any communication through the daad rise website?
I just sent an email to the PhD student saying that I was very interested in his project and we set up a skype meeting to understand more about the project. Our research interests were very similar and I have worked extensively with batteries before. And then a couple of days ago he sent that I was ranked no. 1.
I just got my offer - Universität Hohenheim on the topic of Polyhalogenated environmental contaminants (Analytical Chemistry) - anyone else from the UK got their offer yet? 
Just received my offer and I accepted it as well to my first choice at TU Ilmenau and my project is Water Impurities in Lithium Ion Batteries. Man! I thought I was getting rejected because it seemed all the people received their offers more than two weeks ago.
I am from Wisconsin, USA. If anybody wants to contact me, please shoot me a message. I would love to connect with other DAAD Rise recipients.
Hey! I got my acceptance on the 17th, Im going to Rheinbach (not very close to you) to work on a project with stem cells. Rheinbach seems really small so I am trying to find others that got accepted! Im from Calgary Canada but studying in Ontario =)
Oh yeah! There is a facebook page if you saw the email. Ilmenau is also really small resort town haha.