Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience
P.R.I.M.E. 2017
In 2014 the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) initiated the P.R.I.M.E. programme to support the international mobility of postdoctoral researchers by temporary positions at German universities in place of conventional fellowships. The programme has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the European Union (EU). 1 After three selection cycles that were co-financed by the EU, DAAD has successfully established this funding instrument and will now continue the programme primarily with support from the national funding provider, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF). Postdoctoral researchers of all nationalities, who see their long-term career perspectives in Germany, will be given the opportunity to combine employment at a German university with a research stay abroad. DAAD support measures and the possibility of continuous coordination with the German host institution shall ensure an efficient reintegration following the research stay abroad.
Duration
The support is provided for 18 months, of which the first 12 months have to be spent abroad and the remaining six months in Germany (reintegration phase).
Support
Funding is provided through an 18-month temporary job position at the selected German university. The position will be remunerated according to the appropriate rate for postdoctoral researchers at the respective university (usually according to the German pay scale “TV-L E13”). DAAD will provide the respective universities with a grant agreement to cover the costs for the regular salary and an additional expatriate allowance for the 12-month research stay abroad. 3 An additional lump sum travel allowance in accordance with DAAD rates for the selected candidate and accompanying spouse or partner (within the meaning of the German law on civil partnerships) and children will be paid directly by DAAD. Successful applicants will be invited to an information seminar before the start of the fellowship, together with current fellows, alumni and representatives from science and business. The seminar will presumably take place in Bonn on 19-21 November 2017. Applicants are asked to save the date but not to make any travel arrangements before receiving a letter of acceptance.
Application Documents
The application form will be available at the application portal. To get to the portal please click on Stipendiendatenbank für Deutsche, fill in “Fachrichtung” (subject of your research), “Zielland” (country of the period abroad) and Status “Promovierte” (position) and select the programme. Please mind the instructions on registering on the portal, choose English as portal language and activate, if necessary, the compatibility view of your browser. Once the application form has been completed, all other application documents (except the letters of recommendation) can be uploaded. All documents for upload must be in pdf format. If not stated otherwise, all documents must be submitted in English as the selection process will be conducted by an international commission.
Application Conditions
- Applications may be made by persons of all nationalities.
- Applications may be submitted before completion of the PhD. However, the PhD must be completed before the start of the funding period.
- There are no restrictions as to the country of destination as long as the applicant has not stayed in the respective country for more than 12 months in total during the three years preceding the application deadline of 15 May 2017.
- Appropriate host institutions in Germany and abroad must have been identified at the time of application. The contact with these institutions and the agreement on modalities are the responsibility of the applicant.
- The host institution in Germany has to be a university.
- The German host university must confirm in writing that the postdoc will be employed for the whole funding period, should the application be successful. The necessary means will be made available to the university through separate DAAD project funding. The university will appoint a mentor/scientific host, who will inform the P.R.I.M.E. scholar during his/her stay abroad about developments at the institution and answer his/her queries so as to ensure a successful reintegration at the end of the period abroad. It is expected that the German university indicates at the time of application the possibilities for longer-term research perspectives at the institution following DAAD funding.4 On its website DAAD offers a list of P.R.I.M.E. contacts at German universities who can answer questions from potential applicants concerning their institution. Universities that did not specifically nominate a P.R.I.M.E. contact person are equally eligible as hosts.
- The foreign host institution shall be selected according to the scientific preferences/needs of the applicant and the research project. It can be a university, a non-university research institute, or an industrial research entity. It must be willing to support the postdoc in the realization of her/his research project. The type of support (office space, access to instruments, laboratories, libraries etc.) has to be defined and a mentor/scientific host appointed at the foreign host institution, who may be contacted if necessary. DAAD cannot make funding available to the foreign host institution.
- The starting date of the fellowship must be between 1 January 2018 and 1 May 2018. A postponement is only possible under exceptional circumstances (e.g. pregnancy, motherhood, parental leave) and has to be approved by DAAD.
- The “Rules of good scientific practice” and the ethical guidelines of the programme must be accepted.
- The reintegration phase is mandatory․
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.daad.de/medien/ausland/dokumente/prime2017_ausschreibung_engl.pdf