Sofja Kovalevskaja Award for Young Researchers from Abroad, Germany

Deadline: 1 September, 2011
Open to: international scientists and scholars holding min. a PhD degree.
Prizes: The Humboldt Foundation plans to grant up to eight Sofja Kovalevskaja Awards. The award is valued at 1.65 million EUR.

Scientists and scholars from all disciplines may apply directly to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The Sofja Kovalevskaja Award allows you to spend five years building up a working group and working on a high-profile, innovative research project of your own choice at a research institution of your own choice in Germany.

Description

The programme is open to scientists and scholars from all countries and disciplines who completed their doctorates with distinction less than six years ago. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation particularly welcomes applications from qualified, female junior researchers.
Candidates will be selected solely on the basis of their academic qualifications. There are no quotas for individual disciplines or countries. The most important assessment criteria are:

• academic publications in internationally reviewed journals and for publishing houses
• statements on the candidate’s academic profile and potential in the form of expert reviews, requested by the candidate, from different institutions and, where possible, from different countries
• the academic quality and feasibility of the research project proposed by the candidate.

Eligibility

• The programme is open to scientists and scholars from all countries and disciplines who completed their doctorates with distinction less than six years ago.
• The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation particularly welcomes applications from qualified, female junior researchers.
• Language   skills: scholars   in   the   humanities   or   social   sciences   and   physicians   must have a good knowledge of German if it is necessary to carry out the project successfully; otherwise   a   good   knowledge   of   English;  scientists   and   engineers   must have a good knowledge of German or English.

Prizes

Winners of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award will be granted funding totalling up to 1.65 million EUR to conduct the approved research project over a period of five years commencing immediately after receiving the award (this sum includes a 15% administrative flat-rate, cf. below). The award amount will be   paid in instalments. The first instalment may be drawn as soon as the award winner has accepted the award and submitted the complete acceptance documents. The award is intended to sponsor the project headed by the winner at a host institution in Germany (including the necessary equipment and material, personnel, travel expenses etc.). It may be utilised for all expenditure serving this purpose and should be used economically and prudently.

When accepting the award, award winners undertake especially:

• to concentrate their entire working activity on the research project and to be present at the host institution in Germany regularly and continually; secondary employment is only permissible in exceptional cases, provided that it does not interfere with the sponsorship objectives,and requires written agreement from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation;
• not to utilise any other fellowships or funds from other German institutions designated for living expenses when using part of the award money to cover their living expenses;
• not to make use of any congruent sponsorship from funding deriving from German academicsponsorship; part funding from German or foreign sources must be reported to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation immediately.

Application requirements

• Doctorate or comparable academic degree (Ph.D., C.Sc. or equivalent), completed with distinction less than six years prior to the date of application.
• Cutting-edge  academic   achievements  documented by a comprehensive list of academic publications for internationally-reviewed journals and publishing houses.
• Detailed expert’s report by an academic host at a research institution in Germany as well as the  host’s agreement  and   the  confirmation from the administration at the host institution.
• Expert references by important collaborative partners and academics at the applicant’s own institute and other institutes, if possible not all located in his/her country of origin.
• Language   skills: scholars   in   the   humanities   or   social   sciences   and   physicians   must have a good knowledge of German if it is necessary to carry out the project successfully; otherwise   a   good   knowledge   of   English;  scientists  and  engineers  must have a good knowledge of German or English.
• Origin: Foreign academics staying in Germany are eligible to apply if they have been in Germany for less than 24 months at the time of application. German academics are eligible to apply if they have been working in an academic capacity abroad for at least five consecutive years at the time of application. If in doubt, check with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (info@avh.de) before submitting an application, as formal grounds might militate against the application.
• No previous Sofja Kovalevskaja Award: This award can only be granted once to any individual researcher

Application

Application documents you find at the official website.
Applications must reach the
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Selection Department
Jean-Paul-Str. 12, 53173 Bonn, Germany.  

The Official Website