Final Report Summary - B.R.I.G.H.T (Boosting Research and Integration in Europe through Humboldt Fellowships)
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a well-established national funding organisation with longstanding expertise in managing fellowship programmes for highly qualified researchers based on individual-driven trans-national mobility. The prestigious Humboldt Research Fellowship Programme for Postdoctoral Researchers is the Foundation’s core funding programme. It allows international post-doctoral fellows with a proven track record of academic excellence to conduct research on a freely chosen topic at a freely chosen host institution in Germany for a duration of 6 to 24 months. Between November 2009 and November 2013, European Community co-funding supported and reinforced this highly successful programme in several ways:
1. Co-funding allowed the Foundation to increase the number of incoming fellows sponsored. Going beyond the originally envisaged 145 additional fellowships, the Foundation was in fact able to grant 165 fellowships to excellent researchers. The exact costs of a Humboldt fellowship vary depending on factors such as number of accompanying family members and duration of stay – in the case of BRIGHT in favour of the overall number of fellowship possible within the available budget.
2. Co-funding strengthened the Foundation’s hand in negotiations with its partners concerning higher fellowship allowances and additional social security benefits for fellows. From December 2012 onwards, the Humboldt Foundation was able to pay significantly higher fellowship rates and to expand benefits for fellows who are accompanied by their families.
3. This, in turn, greatly improved the situation of fellows and helped bring the Humboldt fellowship programme even more in line with the European Charter for Researchers.
4. Co-funding enabled the Humboldt Foundation to strengthen its existing contribution to the development of a European Research Area in so far as the Foundation was able to provide support for trans-national mobility, life-long learning, and career development for a larger number of fellows.
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation combines high standards of excellence and open competition with professional management and the highest possible degree of freedom for applicants regarding the chosen field of research, host institution, and duration of the research stay. The Foundation’s client-friendliness and post-scheme network support have set benchmarks in the past. Still, participation in the COFUND scheme encouraged processes of learning and led to an improvement of administrative procedures within the Humboldt Foundation itself.
1. In line with Commission rules, the fellows’ declaration of the ethical implications of their research was given more prominence.
2. Applicants for fellowships receive more detailed feedback on their applications. Especially in case of a rejection, applicants are now provided with detailed reasons for the selection committee’s decision as well as advice for a possible re-application.
3. As the result of a financial audit, the Foundation is implementing a monitoring system, which will result in better track-keeping of each fellow’s duration of stay.
The co-funding scheme has given the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation the opportunity to share its expertise, to help exploit synergies between European funding programmes, to increase mobility options and life-long career development of researchers, and thereby to contribute to the creation of a European Research Area.
For more information visit:
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/humboldt-fellowship-postdoc.html
Contact:
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Jean-Paul-Str. 12
53173 Bonn
GERMANY
Phone: (+49) 0228-833-0
Fax: (+49) 0228-833-199
Email: info@avh.de
1. Co-funding allowed the Foundation to increase the number of incoming fellows sponsored. Going beyond the originally envisaged 145 additional fellowships, the Foundation was in fact able to grant 165 fellowships to excellent researchers. The exact costs of a Humboldt fellowship vary depending on factors such as number of accompanying family members and duration of stay – in the case of BRIGHT in favour of the overall number of fellowship possible within the available budget.
2. Co-funding strengthened the Foundation’s hand in negotiations with its partners concerning higher fellowship allowances and additional social security benefits for fellows. From December 2012 onwards, the Humboldt Foundation was able to pay significantly higher fellowship rates and to expand benefits for fellows who are accompanied by their families.
3. This, in turn, greatly improved the situation of fellows and helped bring the Humboldt fellowship programme even more in line with the European Charter for Researchers.
4. Co-funding enabled the Humboldt Foundation to strengthen its existing contribution to the development of a European Research Area in so far as the Foundation was able to provide support for trans-national mobility, life-long learning, and career development for a larger number of fellows.
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation combines high standards of excellence and open competition with professional management and the highest possible degree of freedom for applicants regarding the chosen field of research, host institution, and duration of the research stay. The Foundation’s client-friendliness and post-scheme network support have set benchmarks in the past. Still, participation in the COFUND scheme encouraged processes of learning and led to an improvement of administrative procedures within the Humboldt Foundation itself.
1. In line with Commission rules, the fellows’ declaration of the ethical implications of their research was given more prominence.
2. Applicants for fellowships receive more detailed feedback on their applications. Especially in case of a rejection, applicants are now provided with detailed reasons for the selection committee’s decision as well as advice for a possible re-application.
3. As the result of a financial audit, the Foundation is implementing a monitoring system, which will result in better track-keeping of each fellow’s duration of stay.
The co-funding scheme has given the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation the opportunity to share its expertise, to help exploit synergies between European funding programmes, to increase mobility options and life-long career development of researchers, and thereby to contribute to the creation of a European Research Area.
For more information visit:
http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/humboldt-fellowship-postdoc.html
Contact:
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Jean-Paul-Str. 12
53173 Bonn
GERMANY
Phone: (+49) 0228-833-0
Fax: (+49) 0228-833-199
Email: info@avh.de