Leibniz – DAAD Research Fellowships 2016

The Leibniz – DAAD Research Fellowship programme is jointly carried out by the Leibniz Association (Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz e.V.) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Leibniz-DAAD fellowships offer highly-qualified, international postdoctoral researchers, who have recently completed their doctoral studies, the opportunity to conduct research at a Leibniz Institute of their choice in Germany.

Leibniz Association

The Leibniz Association is an umbrella organisation currently consisting of 88 independent research institutions located throughout Germany. It has an annual budget of over €1.6 billion. More than 18,100 people are employed at Leibniz Institutes, 9,100 of whom are scientists working in the humanities and educational sciences, the social sciences, economics, business administration, regional and life sciences, as well as in mathematics, the natural sciences, engineering and environmental research.

All Leibniz Institutes have an interdisciplinary approach. They conduct problem-oriented research and provide scientific infrastructures of national and international significance. Leibniz Institutes foster close cooperation with universities, other research institutes, and industry in Germany and abroad. Leibniz researchers uphold the highest standards of excellence. Their aim is to offer research-based solutions to current challenges facing society. The Leibniz Association has developed a comprehensive system of quality management: Independent experts assess each institute at regular intervals.

Leibniz Institutes contribute to clusters of excellence in fields such as mathematics, optical technologies, materials research, bio-medical research, environmental research, bio- and nanotechnology, as well as biodiversity, economic policy, and educational research.

The Leibniz Association is structured into five scientific sections. Further information is available online at http://www.leibniz-association.eu

DAAD

The DAAD is the largest funding organisation in the world supporting the international exchange of students and scholars. Since it was founded in 1925, more than 1.5 million scholars in Germany and abroad have received DAAD funding. It is a registered association and its members are German institutions of higher education and student bodies.

In addition to awarding grants and scholarships, it supports the internationalisation of German universities, promotes German studies and the German language abroad, assists developing countries in establishing effective universities and advises decision-makers on matters of cultural, education and development policy. Its budget (approx. €440 million in 2014) is derived mainly from the federal funding for various ministries, primarily the German Federal Foreign Office, but also from the European Union and a number of other enterprises, organisations and foreign governments.

The DAAD runs over 250 programmes, through which it funds more than 74,000 German and foreign scholars worldwide each year.

Further information is available online at http://www.daad.de

Research Offerings

Leibniz-DAAD research fellows can undertake their research at the Leibniz Institutes listed in the following links:

• Section A: Humanities and Educational Research/Geisteswissenschaften und Bildungsforschung
• Section B: Economics, Social Sciences and Spatial Research/Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Raumwissenschaften
• Section C: Life Sciences/Lebenswissenschaften
• Section D: Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Engineering/Mathematik, Natur- und Ingenieurwissenschaften
• Section E: Environmental Sciences/Umweltwissenschaften

Please note:

1. Only Leibniz Institutes listed under the above links can accept fellows this year.
2. Projects that do not correspond with the activities of the chosen institute can not be considered.
3. During the application, you will be asked to provide the name of a host scientist or department at the chosen Leibniz Institute.

Terms of the Fellowship

Fellowships can be awarded for 12 months and include:

• a monthly instalment of €2,000,
• a combined health, accident and personal liability insurance as well as long-term care insurance in Germany,
• a research allowance of €460 per annum and
• a two-months German language course in Germany (if desired).

Family-related allowances or support for travel costs are not provided.

Application Requirements

At the time of application (date of submission of the application) applicants for a Leibniz-DAAD Research Fellowship must neither hold German nationality nor have resided in Germany for more than six months.

Applicants should:

• be able to prove their outstanding academic or research achievements,
• have completed their studies with a PhD or equivalent qualification (no more than two years should have passed since graduation), and pursue a project for which the respective Leibniz Institute can offer an adequate infrastructure and scientific environment.
• have excellent knowledge of English.
• Knowledge of German is welcome

Application Documents

1. Documents to be uploaded to the DAAD online portal:

• Online application form (available in the portal) Cover page (available in the portal)
• Curriculum vitae;
• List of publications;
• Description of the research project (max. 3 pages);
• Detailed work plan and timeline (max. 1 page);
• Abstract of the doctoral thesis (max. 3 pages);
• Copy of the Master degree certificate;
• PhD diploma;
• University certificates on all annual examinations with individual grade(s) of the Master and the PhD studies (transcripts of records), incl. explanation of grading system;
• Officially recognised English language certificate (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS) or confirmation of the English language skills by a university teacher of the applicant´s own choice. This does not apply to applicants whose mother tongue is English.

2. Documents to be sent to the DAAD application address by post:

• One copy of the "Application summary", which is generated in the portal in PDF format and which can be printed out after the online application procedure is completed;
• Two letters of recommendation, which should be written by scholars of the applicant´s own choice: The form of the letter of recommendation has to be generated in the DAAD portal in the section "Request reference" after registration and downloaded. Please send the form by e-mail to your referees (senior academics) and ask for the completed reference form to be sent to the application address in Bonn in a sealed envelope. References are confidential and should not be read by the applicant.

Please submit your application online through the DAAD online portal.

Deadline: 9 March 2016

Application address for the documents mentioned under point 2:

Ms Cordula Behrsing
Section ST43
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
PO Box 200404, 53134 Bonn, Germany
Email: behrsing@daad.de