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

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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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

6. Research Training Groups (Graduiertenkollegs)excellent – innovative – international • thematically focussed research and study programme • 5 - 10 faculty, 1 - 2 postdocs, 12 - 24 PhD students 3 - 4 research students, coordinator • established at centres of scientific excellence • selected on a competitive peer-review basis • limited duration (max. 9 years, 2 funding periods)

7. Research Training Groups • Fellowships/positions for PhD students (Individual PhD funding:stipend up to 1.350 €/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

8. Research Training Groups • 272 RTGs in all scientific fields, 41 International RTGs • 6.600 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

9. Number of female doctoral fellows (top value) and male doctoral fellows in Research Training Groups by scientific discipline from April 2003 - March 2004 Humanities Life Sc. Natural Sc Engineering Sc.

10. Research Training Groups – Examples • 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)

11. InternationalResearch 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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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

15. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! www.dfg.de