the alexander von humboldt foundation connecting academic excellence worldwide knowledge transfer...
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The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Connecting academic excellence worldwideKnowledge transfer and cooperation at the highest level
Melanie Schmitz:
4c
Melanie Schmitz:
4c
Historical and Intellectual Roots
Alexander von Humboldt (1769 – 1859): discoverer, universal genius, cosmopolitan and patron of excellent scientific talent
1953: establishment of today’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation international network of academic cooperation and trust more than 22,000 Humboldtians worldwide, including 40 Nobel Prize Winners
Humboldt Foundation Financing
The annual budget is approx. 60 mill. EUR, more than 97% of which is publicly financed
by the Federation. Financing is distributed as follows:
AA: Federal Foreign Office BMZ: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMBF: Federal Ministry of Education and Research
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Excellence worldwideindividual sponsorship for excellent scientists and scholars from all countries and disciplines based on research fellowships and research awards
Autonomy and freedomfree choice of research project and research partners. The Foundation does not stipulate how research proposals should be implemented.
Neutrality and independenceno ideological, commercial, political or denominational ties; the sole selection criterion are academic qualifications
Durability and sustainabilitymaintaining a worldwide network of 22,000 scientists and scholars; sponsorship even after the research visit has come to an end
Sponsorship – individual and personal
sponsorship for foreign and German top-flight academics to collaborate with specialist colleagues
the prestige associated with Humboldt Foundation fellowships and awards
individual and personal mentoring for those sponsored and their families
goals:- an enriching stay in Germany, both academically and privately- to strengthen Germany as a research location
Humboldtians and their families as ambassadors for Germany
“Once a Humboldtian, always a Humboldtian”: maintaining the association for a lifetime
Academic Excellence
sole selection criterion: academic excellence
individual sponsorship for people, not projects
no quotas for countries or subjects
free choice of academic host/collaboration partner in Germany
worldwide excellence network of Humboldtians
Origin of Guest Researchers
2001-2005: a total of 2,508 new research fellows from abroad
Disciplines of Guest Researchers
Arts and Social Sciences 24%, Science 66%, Engineering 10%
Disciplines of Guest Researchers in Canada in 2005
Total:413
Applications from Canada 2001-2005
Total number of applications: 106
Total number of applications granted: 54
Sponsorship Programmes at a Glance
Humboldt Foundation Programmes
Research fellowships and research awards for highly qualified scientists and
scholars from all countries and disciplines
research fellowships
research awards
other sponsorship programmes
other fields of activity
Research Fellowships
for highly qualified junior researchers from abroad
Humboldt Research Fellowship- 6 – 12 months, extension to maximum of 24 months
- doctoral degree, up to the age of 40
- no quotas for countries or subjects
Georg Forster Fellowship- 6 – 12 months, extension to maximum of 24 months
- doctoral degree, up to the age of 45
- developing and threshold countries
- research visits of relevance to development policy, no quotas
Research Fellowships
for highly qualified junior researchers from Germany
Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship
- 6 – 12 months, extension to maximum of 24 months
- doctoral degree, up to the age of 38
- worldwide, all subjects
- Humboldtians as hosts
- usually the host is expected to contribute
Application requirements
doctorate or equivalent degree
academic publications for internationally recognised journals and publishing houses
age limit
agreement by academic host to provide a research position
autonomous research project in agreement with the host
knowledge of German and/or English
Application procedure
applications at any time to the Humboldt Foundation directly
assessment by independent expert reviewers
decision by Humboldt Foundation Selection Committees (3 times per year)
duration of procedure after submission: approx. 3 to 6 months
Sponsorship provisions
language courses or allowance towards language course
fellowship
travel expenses
start-up lump sum*
family allowance
mobility and equipment lump sum for attending conferences, special material etc.
study trip, introductory meeting, annual meeting
intensive and individual mentoring in Germany and abroad by personal contacts at the Humboldt Foundation
life-long network sponsorship by the Humboldt Foundation
(*not applicable to Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships)
Sponsorship – personal, individual, sustainable
experienced staff at the Foundation
direct contact to staff during events
alumni associations in more than 70 countries
network online
sponsorship for academic cooperation with partners in Germany and abroad during an entire academic career
maintaining continuous, life-long contact to all Humboldtians worldwide
actively sponsoring academic contacts amongst Humboldtians worldwide through events at home and abroad; Humboldt Associations
systematic network sponsorship embracing:
- further research visits to Germany
- guest visits by German academics to Humboldtians’ institutes abroad
- long-term research collaboration (institutional partnerships)
An association for a lifetime
Short visits (up to 30 days):
allowances for
- actively participating in international congresses in Germany
- lecture trips or information visits
- short working visits to research institutes in Germany
Resumption of the research fellowship (up to 3 months):
- to continue or complete earlier projects or initiate new ones
Re-invitation (up to 3 months):
- no direct applications; re-invitations may be extended on the recommendation of an academic in Germany or the AvH itself
Network Sponsorship
guest visits by academics from Germany to Humboldtians’ institutes abroad (Sur Place)
research visits by German junior researchers to Humboldtians abroad (Feodor Lynen Programme)
book and equipment donations
long-term research cooperation (Institutional Partnerships, TransCoop Programme)
colloquia abroad, Humboldt Kollegs
Humboldt Associations
Network Sponsorship
Network Sponsorship
Humboldt Network Online
search and find Humboldtians electronically according to:
- name
- country of origin
- institution of higher education/research
- research field
- host institution in Germany
Humboldtians update their own data online
Bibliographia Humboldtiana: Humboldtians feed in their own publications
Research Awards
Humboldt Research Award*
for internationally renowned academics from all disciplines from abroad
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award*
for younger, foreign, top-flight researchers from all disciplines from abroad
Sofja Kovalevskaja Award**
for excellent, cutting-edge junior researchers from all disciplines from abroad to build up their own junior research groups in Germany
(*by nomination/**by application)
Research Awards
Max Planck Research Award*
for outstandingly qualified academics from Germany and abroad on an annually-alternating basis for areas within science and engineering, life sciences and the arts
Thyssen Humboldt Award*
for eminent humanities scholars from abroad Konrad Adenauer Research Award*
for an internationally recognised Canadian humanities scholar Phillip Franz von Siebold Award*
for an eminent Japanese academic
(*by nomination)
Konrad Adenauer Research Award
for Canadian scholars in the humanities and social sciences
Provisions award money of 60.000 EUR, coupled with an invitation for a research visit to
Germany
Nomination The initiative to bestow the Konrad Adenauer Research Award in any given year
must be taken by Canadian universities and/or research institutions
Other Sponsorship Programmes
Federal Chancellor Scholarships
for outstanding prospective leaders from the USA, the Russian Federation and China
TransCoop Programme
for sponsoring transatlantic (USA, Canada) research cooperation with Germany in the arts and social sciences
Hezekiah Wardwell Fellowships
for Spanish musicians and musicologists
TransCoop Programme
Sponsorship provisions
45,000 EUR over a period of three years’ cooperation providing the American and/or Canadian partner can raise matching funds at least equalling the endowment
funding may be used for reciprocal visits, organising/running conferences, material and printing costs and personnel
Applications
Deadlines: 30 April and 31 October
TransCoop Programme
for sponsoring transatlantic (USA, Canada) research cooperation with Germany in
the humanities and social sciences
Application requirements
German, American and Canadian academics from the humanities, social sciences, economics and law
doctorate, academically active
no age limit
autonomous research plan agreed by the research group
Other Fields of Activity
Frontiers of Research Symposia
German Mobility Centre
National Contact Point for Human Resources and Mobility
Welcome Centres (2006-2008)
Five out of twenty-two thousand
Robert Grubbs – 2005 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. 1975 Humboldt Research Fellow. One of the leading American researchers in organometallic chemistry.
László Sólyom – President of Hungary and the powerhouse behind democratic change in his country. Humboldt Research Fellow 1981, 1984 and 1988. Humboldt Research Award Winner 1999.
Tricia Striano – Sofja Kovalevskaja Award Winner. The excellent American junior research psychologist is investigating early-childhood development.
Hamadi Boga – Georg Forster Research Fellow from Kenya. The biologist is investigating flagellating micro-organisms in the intestinal tract of termites.
Erin Taylor – one of ten German Chancellor Scholars, a programme for future leaders. The American political scientist is comparing German and American strategies in the dialogue with the Islamic world.
Contact
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Jean-Paul-Straße 12
53173 Bonn
Germany
Tel: +49 228 833-0
Fax: +49 228 833-199
www.humboldt-foundation.de