Promoting Young Researchers in International Cooperation MORE Ankara, 11 October 2005

 Central self-governing organisation for funding research in Germany Serving all fields of science and research Supporting scientific excellence in competition Bottom-up funding policy Peer review  Promoting international cooperation  Promoting young researchers  Advising parliaments and governments on scientific matters  Budget: 1,3 billion € p.a. 1. DFG: The Mandate

2. Promoting International Cooperation – DFG Funding Possibilities for Young Researchers All fellowship-programmes  are open to candidates from abroad, as long as they intend to be based in Germany for a longer time All programmes have been opened for international cooperation:  funding for travel costs, research stays, inviting guest scientists  bilateral research projects  integration of research groups abroad Overarching aims for young researchers:  Excellence  Early Independence  Internationality

Promoting International Cooperation I Research Stays (max. 3 months): enable researchers to build up or intensify cooperation Inviting researchers from CEEC to take part in conferences in Germany Both instruments: Application to be submitted by the German partner Joint research projects (2-3 years):  narrowly-defined research project  funding: personnel, consumables, travel cost  co-funding for the non-German partner should be secured from other sources (national funding organization, EU)

Promoting International Cooperation II Bilateral Symposia: can be held in either country, application to be submitted by the German coordinator  Cooperation within Coordinated Programmes  International Research Training Groups  Collaborative Research Centres  DFG-Research Centres etc.  co-funding needed

Research Training Groups (Graduiertenkollegs) excellent – innovative – international  thematically focussed research and study programme  faculty, postdocs, PhD students research students, coordinator  established at centres of scientific excellence  selected on a competitive peer-review basis  limited duration (max. 9 years, 2 funding periods)

Research Training Groups  Fellowships/positions for PhD students (Individual PhD funding: stipend up to €/month), B.A. students and some postdocs Positions advertised world wide Local selection by Research Training Group PhD fellowships 3 years, postdocs 2 years  Means for research students (undergraduates)  Research materials, consumables, and travel funds for students  Workshops, excursions, and a visiting scientist programme  Costs for soft skill seminars  Co-ordination costs

Research Training Groups  272 RTGs in all scientific fields, 41 International RTGs  doctoral students currently funded, 41% female, 28% foreign doctoral students (of these 35% from CEEC = largest group)  ~ 10% of Germans doctoral students complete their doctorate in RTGs

Number of female doctoral fellows (top value) and male doctoral fellows in Research Training Groups by scientific discipline from April March 2004 Humanities Life Sc. Natural Sc Engineering Sc.

 Bioinformatics Bielefeld (Biology and Informatics)  Environmental and Resource Economics Heidelberg/Mannheim (Economics and Geography)  Travel Literature and Cultural Anthropology Paderborn (Cultural Anthropology, Literature Studies, History,...)  Hydrogen Bonding and Hydrogen Transfer Berlin (Chemistry and Physics) Research Training Groups – Examples

International Research Training Groups  integration of complementary expertise at centres of excellence  joint research programme & study programme  systematic coordination of bilateral research projects / joint supervision  complementary funding  6-12 month mobility period at partner university  allows to profit from cooperation & counteracts brain drain

International Research Training Groups – Examples Gene Regulation in and by Microbial Pathogens (Würzburg, Umea) Complex Processes: Modeling, Simulation and Optimization (Heidelberg, Warsaw) Conflict and Cooperation between Groups. Perspectives from Social and Developmental Psychology (Jena, Louvain-La- Neuve, Canterbury) Electron-Electron Interaction in Solids (Budapest, Marburg) Vascular Medicine (Heidelberg, EK Groningen)

Research Fellowships Enabling young researchers  to carry out a clearly defined research project  to acquaint themselves with new scientific research methods or  to complete a larger research project Funding: fellowship plus monthly lump sum payment to cover maintenance and travel costs Duration: up to 2 years

Independent Position Eligible to apply are qualified researchers (as a rule: holders of doctorates) Applications can be submitted within 5–6 years following completion of the doctorate Prerequisite: Confirmation from the host institution that it will take on employer responsibilities for the term of approved funding and a guarantee to provide the framework for the successful completion of the project Funding: salary, staff, consumables and equipment, travel allowances, other costs, publication costs Duration: Up to 3 years

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!