PhD Fellowships, Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, Germany

PhD Fellowships, Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, Germany



The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds awards PhD scholarships to outstanding junior scientists (max. age: 27 years) who wish to pursue an ambitious PhD project about 3 years in basic biomedical research in a leading international laboratory. Peer-review selection process based on very competitive. Applicants should therefore be exceptional in all three selection criteria.

Purpose
To promote basic research in biomedicine by providing the best young, up-and-coming scientists with a comprehensive support during the phase of their PhD.

More than a monthly allowance
The fellowship consists of a competitive monthly salary is initially granted for 2 years and can be extended to 12 months. Participation in international scientific conference is also supported. In addition, the grantee has to offer personal support, seminars to discuss their projects, training, communications and alumni gathering, and thus can become part of a worldwide network.

Time and selection
Deadline for applications: February 1, June 1, October 1 each year. Pre-selection takes approximately 4 weeks after each deadline, and the final selection of about 5 months after each deadline.

Who Can Apply for PhD Fellowship?
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) awards PhD fellowships to European citizens working in Europe or overseas, and non-European citizens pursuing their PhD project in Europe. Applicants must not be older than 27 years on each of the deadline (February 1, June 1, October 1).

PhD project must be experimental, in the field of basic biomedical research and aims to determine the basic biological phenomena of human life and acquire new scientific knowledge. For a survey on various topics, please see the FUTURA, an international journal of the foundation. Natural scientists have been awarded their diploma, BSc, MSc or equivalent degree; doctors, veterinary surgeons and pharmacists should have passed their state exams.

At the time, the applicant should not work on his / her project for more than 6 months. Beginning of the PhD project is considered by the BIF be:

date of final exams (eg BSc, MSc, Diploma, DEA, Licenciatura, Laurea) in an official certificate if the applicant continues to work in the same research group, or
months of arriving in the laboratory in which the PhD project pursued if the applicant changed his / her research group.

In other cases, namely when participating in MSc / PhD programs or graduate school with no formal final examination before the PhD project, please contact us. The Foundation gives preference to applicants who will begin their PhD work when they apply for the fellowship; preliminary results are not expected.

We do not support

applied research, such as biotechnology and pharmaceutical development and studies on the course of the disease or the treatment of symptoms;
botanical and prokaryotic investigations unless they are biologically important public;
education, we can support research only. Scholarship because it can not be used during any phase and the rotation of the PhD program, but only for the duration of the PhD project;
with a PhD scholarship can not be used to supplement inadequate funding from other institutions or earned income, to bridge temporary financial difficulties or to resolve an investigation has been sponsored by other agencies.

Conditions for PhD Scholarships
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds must be notified if the application is filed with the other sponsoring research institutions. If an applicant took the award from another institution before making Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, the application to the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds is considered withdrawn, and the foundation should be immediately notified.

Please note that only written notice is legally binding and that Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds decisions that need to be questioned. The Guild will expire if not taken within six months notice.

On receiving the PhD scholarship, fellowship holders agree to the following conditions:
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds does not intervene in the work of colleagues who, in turn, are required to make proper use of funds allocated. Every man must devote his / her energy throughout his / her PhD project in particular. In the laboratory, my friends just have to be submitted to the task directly connected to their PhD projects.
If someone decides to change the topic of the PhD project or laboratory, he / she must notify the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds without delay. In the event that the project was successfully completed before the end of the fellowship, the payment will be stopped.

PhD scholarships are given for 24 months and may be extended once for a maximum of 12 months. However, if the person begins work on his / her project before taking communion, the period will be deducted from the maximum extension period. Basic monthly salary amounts to € 1,550. In Britain, the United States, Australia, Israel, Canada, and Denmark, a further 300 euros, in Switzerland, a further 950 euros, and in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, a more further € 200 was added as an associated country premium. Depending on the cost of living, all other countries are grouped into one of these categories. In most countries, the fellow who pay an additional flat-rate € 150 per month to cover minor project-related costs (books, travel expenses, etc.) and to cover the premiums for private insurance. For example, the monthly salary for unmarried partners to work in Germany amounted to 1900 euro, in the United States to 2,000 euros, and in Switzerland for € 2,650. Allowance for spouse and / or child care benefits can be added; peers can apply for 14 weeks of maternity leave. Salary is transferred to a personal bank account of a fellow who in the middle of each month.

Education costs bench, and costs are not reimbursed by the foundation.

The fellowship is intended to cover the cost of living recipients. A Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds salary may therefore not be held personally receiving regular income from other institutions or research institutes. Any employment or other contracts that generate a regular income should be canceled upon receipt of a PhD scholarship. However, an additional fellowship from another institution to cover tuition fees exclusively acceptable in certain circumstances.

Salary amount originally awarded based on the information provided in the application. Scholarship holders must inform the foundation about a change in his / her circumstances personal or financial (change in marital status, income, spouse, etc.) so the foundation can adjust the size of the wages.

Scholarships are awarded by the Fonds Boehringer Ingelheim does not constitute any form of employment. In Germany (EstG § 3 No. 44) and in countries that maintain the double taxation treaty with Germany, scholarships exempt from tax. A fellowship is not considered remuneration as defined by Article 14 of the German Social Law IV and therefore not liable for social insurance. Laws governing the provision of capital formation, savings premiums and premium residential buildings do not apply. The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds does not provide the type of insurance for fellowship holders. They must ensure they and their families against all possible costs and consequences caused by illness, accident, personal liability, etc.

In the case of illness, Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds continues payments for 2 months, after which the aid will stop. After recovery, the scholarship may be extended for a period not because of illness.
Scholarship recipients are expected to supply reprints of all publications prepared with the help of the foundation. Furthermore, they must present the project report for publication in the FUTURA, the foundation of international journals, at the beginning of a friendship and a final report no later than two months after the PhD examination (defense).
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds reserves the right to reclaim payments surplus or money paid in error. Furthermore, foundations can cancel the payment request if the fellowship and communion was obtained under false pretenses or not used for its intended purpose, if the obligation to deliver the final report are not met, or for reasons other sounds.

Required to process applications for scholarship recipients and provides continuous support, Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds electronically collecting and storing data submitted by the applicant. This data includes personal information (name, address, date of birth, nationality, telephone number and e-mail addresses of recipients) as well as information about the PhD project and the support given.

The Foundation can publish the names of scholarship recipients, their workplace, their thesis title and abstract on the web (www.bifonds.de) and in print publications.

Applications for PhD Fellowship
Applications for a PhD scholarship from the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds consists of two parts:

online application is sent by the Internet and
two paper copies of applications including a CD that will be sent via surface mail.

Both must be submitted by one of the respective deadlines each year (date as per postmark for paper version): February 1, June 1, October 1

The entire application - including a project proposal - should be written in English and by the applicant himself. However, you should consult with the scientific supervisor. Form of presentation should be adequate but modest, please do not staple documents, or tie tack.

Two paper copies should contain all data and documents listed below (1) - (9). CD, clearly labeled with applicant's name and surname should contain the document (1) - (7) preferably in a single PDF, or * doc file .. Keep in mind, the foundation can only process a PC file; Macintosh file because it is not acceptable.

Applicants can facilitate the selection process with the following sequence:

PhD project title and summary (no more than one page);
detailed presentation of PhD project (please also refer to "How to write a research proposal"): the formulation of the problem, research status, the applicant's own base, goals, strategies, including methods of experimental investigation, the work schedule showing the entire project and the anticipated duration of individual steps;
The reason you want to work with specific groups;
summary of the thesis diploma or the equivalent of no more than one page;
a list of the applicant (if any);
certificates of all academic and public examinations and vocational qualification certificates (including value);
copy of university entrance qualification or high school-leaving certificate examinations, (eg Abitur, A-level, baccalauréat);
letter of recommendation from the supervisor of the PhD thesis;
letter of recommendation from thesis supervisor diploma or equivalent (only if changing the research group for PhD project).

Selection Criteria
The scientists in the Supervisory Board and the external peer reviewers evaluate the application in accordance with the following three criteria:

the applicant's achievements to date (of values ​​and curriculum vitae);
scientific quality, originality and creativity for example, the proposed PhD project;
scientific standards of the laboratory where the project is to be pursued.

When making their decision, the Board of Trustees and external peer reviewers to find the answers to these questions.

The applicant's achievements
What personal qualities has the applicant demonstrated during his / her training: persistence, class, talent and curiosity, flexibility and creativity, determination and motivation and persistence? Does the applicant demonstrate mobility or has he / she has been somewhat resolved? In the latter case, whether he / she has reasonable cause for the country has not changed, the university and / or supervisor? Does he / she is capable of independent research? Does the applicant have a variety of techniques in his / her disposal?
The quality of PhD project
Is imaginative and promising project? Is responsible for generating new insights or that piece, descriptive diligent but boring job? Is the current state of knowledge is described and adequately documented? Is the method of investigation of state-of-the-art and sophisticated? Is the work schedule logical and realistic for the PhD project of about 3 years? Is this project really a research project in its own right, or rather a subunit of a collaborative effort?
Standard laboratory
Does the laboratory in which he / she wants to pursue a PhD project has a class of equipment and state-of-the-art using the technique? Does the laboratory have contributed significantly to their respective scientific fields and whether it has an international reputation in this field? In other words, is one of the most suitable laboratories around the world for the project?

What happens with your application?
After the application online and paper version of your application has been accepted by the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, will be forwarded to the Foundation Board of Trustees which includes six internationally renowned scientists.

About 4 weeks after the application deadline, the Board of Trustees decides which application claims the overall evaluation process. Approximately 30% of successful applications in the first round of voting (pre-selection) and then sent to an independent external experts (peer reviewers) for additional evaluation. In addition, and whenever feasible, foundation staff members visited the applicant in his / her place of work and submit a written report to the Board of Trustees.

Applications, evaluation of external experts and report the results of personal interviews were then examined by the Foundation Board of Trustees. Council held three times a year, and after a detailed discussion of each application, make a decision. Approximately 15 scholarships are awarded to each Council meeting.The final decision on the application selected in the first round of approximately 5 months after the deadline.

After each meeting of the Council, the Foundation immediately inform the applicants of the results. Please note that only written notice is legally binding. Decisions of the Board is denied, and because the large and ever-increasing number of applications, reasons for refusal are not given. Re-filing is possible, but only after consultation with the foundation.

For more information, please visit the official website: www.bifonds.de