The LMU Research Fellowship Program: Promoting excellent early-stage postdoctoral researchers at LMU Munich

Project Information

LMUResearchFellows

Grant agreement ID: 754388

DOI

10.3030/754388

Project closed

EC signature date 12 May 2017

Start date 1 October 2017

End date 30 September 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 7 080 000,00

EU contribution

€ 3 540 000,00

Coordinated by

LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - LMUResearchFellows (The LMU Research Fellowship Program: Promoting excellent early-stage postdoctoral researchers at LMU Munich)

Reporting period: 2019-10-01 to 2023-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

As a leading international research-intensive university, LMU places a major focus on the provision of optimal conditions and reliable career options for junior researchers at all stages of their academic career. To this end, the University extended its successful “LMU Research Fellowship” Program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) grant. As part of the grant, LMU pursued the following objectives:

1) Enhancing the international make-up of the existing Incoming LMU Research Fellowship Program and integrating a mandatory segment of international or cross-sectoral mobility
2) Expanding the program by offering Outgoing LMU Research Fellowships
3) Increasing the number of fellowships offered
4) Developing the quality assurance of the program by establishing a multi-stage selection process based on international peer review
5) Extending the University’s support services

The action was directed at early-career postdocs from all fields of research and was designed to support their career development and mobility. Successful candidates managed their own research project with the academic support of an experienced LMU professor and undertook research stays at partner organizations abroad. Fellows received an attractive salary and a substantial budget to cover material and travel expenses for two years (in exceptional cases three years). During their time in Munich, they could make use of the excellent research infrastructure at LMU and benefitted from the wide range of professional training options and support services on offer.

• Incoming Fellowships were directed at international postdocs who had completed their doctoral degree within the last three years. Incoming fellows conducted their research at LMU in Munich and were required to undertake a three- to six-month research stay at academic partner institutions abroad or to collaborate with non-academic institutions.

• Outgoing Fellowships were targeted at postdocs who had completed their doctoral degree within the last year. This scheme also gave LMU doctorate holders the opportunity to apply for a fellowship. Outgoing fellows initially undertook a 12-month secondment to an academic institution in a country outside the European Union before returning to LMU for a 12-month reintegration phase.

LMU has successfully implemented the program, providing optimal conditions for the advancement of the academic careers of outstanding international postdoctoral researchers, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the funding period (1 October 2017 to 30 September 2023), LMU successfully achieved the set objectives:

• As a result of three Calls for Applications, LMU was able to award 29 fellowships to excellent candidates from all subject areas. Fellows joined LMU from renowned research institutions across the globe. 38% of those selected were female, 59% male, 3% diverse candidates. Almost all fellowships have been concluded by the end of the funding period, with one fellowship still ongoing until summer 2024.

• The amendment of funding and mobility rules resulted in a significant increase in international fellows, especially among Incoming LMU Research Fellows (86%) when compared to previous calls (71%). 67% of Incoming LMU Research Fellows came to LMU from renowned institutions abroad, (e.g. from Princeton University, Imperial College London, the University of Melbourne, and the National University of Singapore). These figures show that LMU was successful in attracting outstanding international junior academics.

• LMU successfully implemented the Outgoing LMU Research Fellowships as an additional scheme in order to foster scientific exchange especially with non-EU countries. Outgoing Fellows were seconded to first-rate institutions such as the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) or The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).

• LMU successfully established a multi-stage evaluation and selection process including an international peer review and established a needs-based project management and service infrastructure to safeguard the implementation of the action.

• As part of the action, LMU further developed its portfolio of first-rate support services ranging from interdisciplinary exchange and professional training measures to consulting services on research funding as well as support in developing research outputs into social and technological innovations.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

To enhance the potential and future career perspectives of researchers and strengthen human resources on regional, national or international level, LMU pursued the following objectives as part of the action:

• Recruiting outstanding postdoctoral candidates from all fields of research
• Providing optimal conditions for the career development of outstanding early-stage postdoctoral researchers in line with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers
• Capitalizing on and further developing transnational and cross-sectoral research training opportunities in accordance with the mobility requirements of the MSCA actions
• Producing excellent science and foster the translation of scientific findings into innovations
• Consolidating and expanding the University’s international and cross-sectoral networks
• Contributing to the establishment of attractive and reliable career paths

During the funding period, LMU recruited candidates from various disciplines (41% Humanities and Social Sciences; 59% Natural Sciences and Medicine) and renowned international research institutions (e.g. from Princeton University, Imperial College London, the University of Melbourne, and the National University of Singapore). The fellowship program provided fellows with attractive employment contracts and generous research budgets in line with Charter and Code. As part of their projects, fellows successfully developed networks of collaboration with partner institutions abroad. To this end, fellows planned research stays at, for example, Harvard University, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the University of Chicago, ETH Zurich or the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. The projects resulted in high-quality research outputs: In total, there were 116 conference/ workshop participations, and 71 Open Access publications have been published to date. Following the conclusion of their fellowships, and at least 82% of the fellows stayed in academia and secured attractive follow-up positions at prestigious institutions including Harvard University, University of Edinburgh, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, TU Darmstadt, Roma Tre University or CalTech.