Universität Freiburg, Germany PhD Scholarship

PROGRAMME DETAILS

1. Programme objective

The Marie S. Curie FRIAS COFUND Fellowship Programme (FCFP) contributes to the overarching aims of supporting researchers at crucial points in their careers and making research careers more attractive. Doing so, the objectives of the Marie S. Curie FCFP are in line with the objectives of the European Research Area (ERA) and the EU’s People Programme.

2. Programme details

The Marie S. Curie FCFP addresses excellent researchers from all disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medicine and engineering. Under the Marie S. Curie FCFP, incoming fellows are placed within the strongest and most competitive research areas of the University of Freiburg. They are free to pursue their own research projects and are given the means to really push forward with their ideas.

For a comprehensive list of excellence clusters, priority programs, research centers, collaborative research centers (SFBs), EU-projects, graduate schools and research training groups as well for further information on the 11 faculties and their research profile please consult www.uni-freiburg.de/forschung-en.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible, candidates must fulfill all of (1) the basic formal eligibility criteria and (2) the basic academic quality criteria.

1. Basic formal eligibility criteria

• Applicants must be in possession of a doctoral degree at the time of the application deadline;
  
  
  • Junior scheme: completed PhD plus one to six years post-doctoral experience at the time of the application deadline. (Time off for family or medical reasons or non-academic professional activities may be added to the six years.)
  • Senior scheme: completed PhD plus a minimum of six years post-doctoral research experience or a tenured professorship or equivalent permanent position at the time of the application deadline.
• Mobility rule: Researchers from all countries are eligible for the Marie S. Curie FCFP; however, applicants may not have resided or have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc) in Germany for more than a total of 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the application deadline. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.
  
• Applicants must submit the complete application dossier by the specified deadline. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Page limits may not be exceeded.

• The English the proposal is written in must meet the standards of Academic English in international research.
  
• The larger field of the applicant’s research project must be represented at the University of Freiburg. Furthermore, applicants must propose a research project that can be supported at the University of Freiburg (refers to infrastructural, technical and laboratory requirements).
  
• Prior to submission of the application, experimental scientists are required to identify a host laboratory in Freiburg where their research project can be carried out.
  
• The research project is not excluded from EU funding due to ethical issues.

2. Basic academic quality criteria

Minimum requirements for publications:

• Junior Fellows Natural Sciences:

At least 3 publications since January 1, 2014 listed in Web of Knowledge (Thomson Reuters).

• Junior Fellows Humanities and Social Sciences:

At least 5 publications since January 1, 2014 in peer-reviewed, internationally recognized journals or chapters in peer-reviewed edited volumes, or peer-reviewed monographs (counting three times).

• Senior Fellows Natural Sciences:

At least 10 publications since January 1, 2012 listed in Web of Knowledge (Thomson Reuters).

• Senior Fellows Humanities and Social Sciences:

At least 10 publications since January 1, 2012 in peer-reviewed, internationally recognized journals, or chapters in peer-reviewed edited volumes, or peer-reviewed monographs (counting three times).
Textbooks, reprints or submitted manuscripts not accepted for publication before the application deadline, book reviews or editorial publications do not count. Accepted manuscripts need proof of acceptance.

Minimum requirements regarding the international mobility of the candidate:

Depending on the length of career, the applicant’s development as evidenced by the CV should meet today’s standards of mobility/international mobility or some other sign of international outlook.

- Junior scheme: The applicant must have undertaken at least one academic stay of minimally two months duration abroad during the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral or postdoctoral phase.

- Senior scheme: The applicant must have spent at least two international research stays (each of at least two months duration) at international institutions during or after the doctoral phase.

Requirements regarding the internationality of the project: 

The project should not be of local interest only, thus lacking sufficient potential for international transfer.

There is no age limit for applying to the Marie S. Curie FRIAS COFUND Fellowship Programme although the candidates’ achievements should be in line with their “academic age”.