Marie Curie “FRIAS COFUND Fellowship Programme (FCFP)”, University of Freiburg, Germany

Designation/Position- FRIAS COFUND Fellowship Programme

University of Freiburg, Germany invites application for FRIAS COFUND Fellowship Programme from eligible and interested candidates

About- The University of Freiburg, one of the strongest research universities in Germany and member of LERU (the League of European Research Universities), offers a fellowship programme, the Marie S. Curie “FRIAS COFUND Fellowship Programme (FCFP)”. About 25 incoming or reintegration fellows per year (juniors and seniors) from all disciplines are given the opportunity of spending three to twelve months working on their own research project at the university’s research college, the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS). All fellows funded by the FCFP distinguish themselves by qualifying as Marie S. Curie Fellows. The university welcomes top researchers from abroad to give their input to its scholarly community, both in terms of research expertise and benefitting the university’s vibrant research culture and diversity.

Research/Job Area- Humanities and social sciences, the natural and life sciences, engineering and medicine

Location- University of Freiburg, Germany

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Eligibility/Qualification–

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

1.    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 is not counted towards these six years, the effective elapsed time is calculated in accordance with the ERC Standard Eligibility Conditions)
  • 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 12 months in the 3 years immediately preceding the call 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. Formatting rules have to be observed. Page limits may not be exceeded.
• The proposal must meet the standards of academic English in international research.

• Applicants must propose a research project that can be supported at the University of Freiburg (refers to infrastructural, technical and laboratory requirements, especially in the experimental sciences). 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 must not be engaged with topics that are excluded from EU funding due to ethical issues.

2.    Basic academic quality criteria

Minimum requirements for publication record:

Natural sciences/medicine/engineering:

• Junior scheme: 3 publications since 1 January 2017
• Senior scheme: 10 publications since 1 January 2015       

listed in Web of Knowledge (Thomson Reuters).

Humanities and social sciences:

• Junior scheme: 5 publications since 1 January 2017
• Senior scheme: 10 publications since 1 January 2015

in peer-reviewed, internationally recognised journals, or chapters in peer-reviewed edited volumes, or peer-reviewed monographs (counted as three publications).

Textbooks, reprints, book reviews and editorial publications as well as submitted manuscripts not accepted for publication before the application deadline do not count. Proof of acceptance is required for accepted manuscripts. Time off for family, medical reasons or non-academic professional activities will not be counted as part of the relevant period (the effective elapsed time is calculated in accordance with the ERC Standard Eligibility Conditions).

Applicants from the disciplines mathematics and engineering may request to be exempted from this requirement but must then provide additional evidence that their research output is high. A decision concerning such a request will be taken on an individual basis.

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 international mobility or indicate some other sign of international involvement.

• 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, but should have 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”.

Job/Position Description- 

• The current call invites applications for fellowships for the academic year 2021/22. 
• Successful applicants will conduct their fellowship between September 2021 and September 2022.
• The Institute supports internationally outstanding researchers with academically excellent and innovative research projects through individual or group fellowships.
• FRIAS unites research in the humanities and social sciences, the natural and life sciences, engineering and medicine.
• Both the University of Freiburg and FRIAS take pride in a specific institutional culture that encourages and supports exchange and collaboration.
• It is the philosophy of FRIAS to support the career development of its fellows by integrating them into ambitious research communities here in Freiburg, as well as by supporting the international network of FRIAS fellows and alumni.

The Marie S. Curie FCFP is intended for current or future leaders in their fields. The fellowships are awarded through a highly competitive, strictly merit-based selection process (expected success rate: ~20% of eligible applications).

Applications are invited from academics of all nationalities.

Note, however, that applicants may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months in the three years immediately preceding the call deadline.

Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account.

How to Apply- 

Applicants complete and submit the application form. After sending the application form they need to register. After registration they can edit the application form, upload the required annexes as detailed below and complete the ethical issues questionnaire. All required documents should be in pdf format. After final submission of the documents the applicants will receive an acknowledgement of receipt . To view the application data and documents the applicants log in their application portal account.

The following materials (in English) are required to submit the application:

Formatting:   font Arial, 11 pt, line spacing 1.5, all margins 2.5 cm.

Page limits may not be exceeded.

All required documents should be in pdf format.

1.         Cover page (max. 1 page).

1. Title, name (last, first), e-mail address, link to webpage (optional)
2. Date of doctorate (PhD defense)
3. Current institution (Name of institution/city/country)
4. Research field
5. Project title
6. Envisaged period of research stay at FRIAS (ESF only)
7. The two most important reasons for choosing FRIAS at the University of Freiburg as a host for the research project.
8. Established contacts at Freiburg University (name, department; where applicable: host laboratory).

2.         Project proposal (max. 6 pages). 

The compulsory structure of the project proposal is as follows:

1. Research field, title and short abstract of the research project.
2. Aims, theoretical framework and methodology of the project.
3. Work plan and feasibility (time schedule and projected costs).
4. Innovative potential, originality and relevance of the project.
5. Added value of conducting research at FRIAS and the University of Freiburg (both for the applicant and the local research community).
6. Issues concerning research ethics.
7. Bibliographical reference

In exceptional cases and only after consultation the project proposal can be formulated in German or French.

3. CV in tabular form (max. 2 pages), incl. contact details of two referees (only in the junior scheme).

For the compulsory structure of the CV please use the CV template you can download in the applicant’s account.

4. Publication list (in the senior scheme: especially of the last ten years) highlighting the most important publications and the most important project-specific publications (max. 2 pages).

5. Completed ethical issues table (questionnaire in the applicant’s account, mandatory for all disciplines).

Just for information purposes – pdf copies of the CV Template and the Ethical Issues Table are provided here (CV Template, Ethical Issues Table).

Last Date for Apply–30 September 2020

See Position Details-

Official Website-

Click here to apply- (senior scheme, junior scheme).

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