Universität Konstanz Research Fellowship 2017, Germany

Publish Date: Apr 28, 2017

Deadline: Jun 13, 2017

Research Fellowship

5-year Research Fellowships promote researchers with significant work experience at the postdoctoral level aiming for a career in academia. Research Fellows build their own academic identity by leading an independent research group at the University of Konstanz.

The Zukunftskolleg provides them with a professional infrastructure and an appropriate workplace for conducting research. Each Fellow receives an annual research allowance e.g. for funding research assistants or equipment. Furthermore, the Zukunftskolleg gives financial support for start-up, consumerables and travel costs, and assists in developing acaemic skills.

Each Fellow is a member of both a University department and the Zukunftskolleg. A Mentoring Committee supports each Fellow in her/his career development. This committee consists of an experienced researcher from the Fellow’s research field within the university department, as well as an advanced Research Fellow of the Zukunftskolleg.

Fellows have a work contract with the University of Konstanz and are expected to have their place of residence in Konstanz. They participate actively in the regular weekly meetings ("Jour Fixe") of the Zukunftskolleg and have an opportunity to teach.

Research Fellows profit from

  • Co-Funding
  • Mentorship
  • Senior Fellowships
  • Scientific Retreat
  • Funding for Cooperative Initiatives
  • Funding for Particular Career Stages
  • Non-monetary Support

In order to be eligible, candidates must fulfill all of the eligibility criteria:

  • Applicants must have a doctoral degree
  • Applicants cannot currently hold a permanent position as full professor, or the equivalent of the German venia legendi (“Habilitation”)
  • Candidates with their own position funded by another program, which can be transferred to Konstanz, are also eligible
  • Applicants must propose a research project that ties in with a discipline represented at the University of Konstanz
  • Applicants must have already secured a research grant of at least 50,000 Euros or an equivalent amount of funding to be used for their research while at the Zukunftskolleg. Applicants with pending grant applications are eligible to apply for a Fellowship. A Fellowship offer would be contingent upon the successful attainment of the required third-party funding
  • Candidates with their own position funded by another program, which can be transferred to Konstanz, are also eligible

The applications are selected in a multi stage process

  1. Eligibility check and pre-selection
  2. International external peer-review
  3. Interdisciplinary Workshop on Future Research Directions at the University of Konstanz

Since it is the community of Fellows that makes up the Zukunftskolleg, applicants are assessed, not only for their academic achievements, but also for their personal, social and method-related abilities. The selection of Fellows is organized as a highly competitive process involving intra-disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary evaluation. Criteria include diverse knowledge and qualifications such as leadership and teamwork skills, teaching or management experience, mobility and independence.

The candidates’ achievements should be in line with their “academic age”, so that they have a realistic prospect of being appointed professors.

 1. Eligibility check and formal pre-selection

In order to be eligible for application, candidates must fulfill all of the eligibility criteria listed above. Applications that do not pass the eligibility check will not be further considered. All eligible applications are forwarded to the Local Hosts for a first evaluation. Evaluation criteria are the quality of the proposal and the applicant's qualifications.

Applicants are informed whether they have passed the eligibility check and whether their applications are forwarded for peer review.

2. International external peer-review

In the second stage, the best applications are forwarded to external experts who evaluate the research project and CV. Peer reviewers are distinguished experts in the same area of research as the proposals they assess, thus guaranteeing a high level of competence in the evaluation process. Peer reviewers are asked to comment on the quality of the proposal, the qualifications of the applicant and the long-term potential of the project.

Evaluation criteria include academic performance, skills and competence relevant to an interdisciplinary setting, and quality of the research proposal and prospects for the proposed research.All candidates will receive short synopses of the anonymous reviewers’ reports.

At this stage, candidates will be asked to submit a research plan (3-5 pages max) for the research project. This plan should take into account the research costs that the project will incur and the necessary infrastructure required. It should provide a description of the research grant that will be brought to the University of Konstanz and how it will be used (funding PhD positions or laboratory equipment for example). Likewise, some details concerning planned applications for further external funding should be listed. Please keep in mind that the Zukunftskolleg is not able to pay salaries for personnel such as PhD students or postdoctoral researchers that would work in the research group. The research plan and planned third-party funding acquisitions should reflect this funding constellation. An overview of the project structure for the 5-years is also advisable.

Estimates of research and infrastructure costs will provide the basis of the start-up funding if a Fellowship is offered. For potential equipment costs, for example, candidates should be prepared to provide official cost estimates from potential suppliers.

3. Interdisciplinary Workshop on Future Research Directions and decision

In the next step, the Recruitment Committee discusses all peer-reviewed applications. Please note that the Recruitment Committee has access to all applications, even to those that have not passed the eligibility check. The top candidates for the fellowships (approximately twice the number of advertised positions) are invited to the Workshop on Future Research Directions at the University of Konstanz.

The purpose of the workshop is to give the interdisciplinary Recruitment Committee an opportunity to evaluate candidates in person. At this workshop, applicants present their proposed projects to the Recruitment Committee and the other applicants, and discuss their own and other applicants’ projects. They subsequently are further evaluated in a personal interview.

The committee evaluates the personal aptitude of the candidates with regard to leadership and teamwork skills, their ability to present their projects and receive criticism, as well as their ability and willingness to engage in interdisciplinary exchange. Candidates are informed of the final decision and their own strengths and weaknesses shortly after the workshop.

Successful applicants are offered a Research Fellowship at the Zukunftskolleg. The members of the Recruitment Committee draw up a waiting list in case selected candidates reject the offer. No redress procedure is provided, but unsuccessful candidates are eligible to resubmit a revised proposal in the next selection round. Similarly, candidates who have evidence that there has been a shortcoming in the way their proposal was evaluated may appeal their rejection and resubmit their application, together with a justification for the appeal, for re-evaluation in the next selection round.

For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.


This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

https://www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskolleg/fellowships/research-fellowship/

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