Exzellenz verbindet – be part of a worldwide network Dr. Katja Hartmann Director Berlin Office May 26, 2009 German-Japanese Workshop

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Connecting academic excellence worldwide Knowledge transfer and cooperation at the highest level Melanie Schmitz: 4c Melanie Schmitz: 4c

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grants Research Fellowships and Research Awards to highly qualified scientists and scholars from all countries and all disciplines

Historical and Intellectual Roots  Alexander von Humboldt (1769 – 1859): discoverer, universal genius, cosmopolitan and patron of excellent scientific talent  1953: establishment of today’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation  international network of academic cooperation and trust

Academic Excellence  sole selection criterion: academic excellence  sponsorship for people, not projects  flexible sponsorship programmes for cutting-edge researchers at all stages of their careers  no quotas for countries or disciplines  free choice of academic host/collaboration partner in Germany  worldwide excellence network of Humboldtians  “Once an Humboldtian, always an Humboldtian”

Sponsorship Programmes at a Glance

Early Career (PhD-4 years after) Middle Career/ Junior Group Leader (5-12 years after PhD) Established Career International Researchers  Humboldt Research Fellowship  Humboldt- Research Fellowship  Sofia-Kovaleskaja Research Award  Friedrich-Bessel Research Award  Humboldt Research Award  Max Planck Award  Other Awards German Researchers Feodor-Lynen Research Fellowship JSPS Fellowship (up to 6 years after PhD) Feodor-Lynen Research Fellowship Alumni-Sponsorship AvH Sponsorship Programs

Humboldt Foundation Programmes for postdoctoral researchers (scientists who completed their doctorate less than 4 years ago)  Research Fellowships: 6 to 24 months Flexible sponsorship programmes for cutting-edge researchers at all stages of their careers from around the world

Humboldt Foundation Programmes for experienced researchers (who completed their doctorate less than 12 years ago)  Research Fellowships: 6 to 18 months  Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award; 45,000 €, nomination for internationally recognised cutting-edge researchers  Humbold Research Award; 60,000 EUR; research stays in Germany over a period of 6 to 12 months (may be divided into segments); nomination

Research Fellowships for Germans for research stays abroad Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers / for experienced researchers  worldwide, all subjects, no quotas  Humboldtians as hosts  host contribution

Research Fellowships Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships for postdoctoral researchers  months  endowment dependent on age, marital status and country for scientists who completed their doctorate less than 4 years ago Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships for experienced researchers  months, may be divided up into three blocks  for scientists who completed their doctorate less than 12 years ago

JSPS Fellowship to Japan (completion of PhD less than 6 years ago) -duration from 15 days to 24 months -AvH conducts pre-selection for stays longer than 6 months -20 Fellowships per year

Application requirements Postdoctoral researchers  doctorate  academic publications  agreement by academic host  autonomous research project  knowledge of German and/or English Experienced researchers  own, clearly defined academic profile  comprehensive list of academic publications  agreement by academic host  autonomous research project  knowledge of German and/or English

Application procedure  applications at any time to the Humboldt Foundation directly  assessment by independent expert reviewers  decision by Humboldt Foundation Selection Committees  duration of procedure: approx. 3 to 6 months

Sponsorship provisions  travel expenses  language courses or allowance towards language course *  fellowship  family allowance  additional funding for project costs and scientific equipment (*not applicable to Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships)

Sponsorship provisions  Intensive and individual mentoring in Germany and abroad by personal contacts at the Humboldt Foundation  Study Tour*, Network meeting, Annual meeting  Alumni Sponsorship  Return Fellowships for specific regions (*not applicable to Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships)

Research Awards – Overview  Humboldt Research Award: €  Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award: €  Sofja Kovalevskaja Award: 1,65 Mio € *  Max Planck Research Award: €  Reimar Lüst Award: €  Konrad Adenauer Research Award: €  Phillip Franz von Siebold Award: € * Applications are not possible (with the exception of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award). Scientists in Germany need to nominate candidates for an award.

Sofja Kovalevskaja Award for excellent, cutting-edge researchers from all disciplines from abroad to establish their own work groups and working on the research of their choice at research institutions in Germany Requirements  doctorate with outstanding results, publications for internationally recognised journals or publishing houses  academics who completed their doctorate less than 6 years ago

Sofja Kovalevskaja Award Provisions  up to 1.65 mill. EUR for a period of five years Applications  joint application by the candidate and the host/host institute  deadline: October 15, 2009

 maintaining continuous, life-long contact to all Humboldtians worldwide  actively sponsoring academic contacts amongst Humboldtians worldwide through events at home and abroad; Humboldt Associations  systematic network sponsorship An association for a lifetime

Frontiers of Research Symposia bi-national, interdisciplinary conferences involving outstanding junior researchers (USA, Japan, Great Britain, China, India) Form  3-day conferences for scientists, engineers and humanities scholars  in cooperation with foreign partner organisations  annually-alternating in Germany and the partner country  Japanese-German Frontiers of Science Symposium with JSPS

Other Fields of Activity

EURAXESS Germany Information and personal counselling for internationally mobile researchers:  funding programmes  job offers  immigration and residence, taxation Internet portal and contacts: Germany’s role in the EU-wide network of EURAXESS Services Centres (EURAXESS) to facilitate cross-border, research-related mobility

Contact Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Jean-Paul-Straße Bonn Germany Tel: Fax: