The programme is open to scientists and scholars from all countries and disciplines who com-pleted their doctorates with distinction less than six years ago. The Alexander von Hum-boldt Foundation particularly welcomes applications from qualified, female junior researchers.
Candidates will be selected solely on the basis of their academic qualifications. There are no quotas for individual disciplines or countries. The most important assessment criteria are:
- academic publications in internationally reviewed journals and for publishing houses
- statements on the candidate’s academic profile and potential in the form of expert re-views, requested by the candidate, from different institutions and, where possible, from different countries
- the academic quality and feasibility of the research project proposed by the candidate
The award is valued at 1.65 million EUR.
Application requirements
1. Doctorate or comparable academic degree (Ph.D., C.Sc. or equivalent), completed with distinction less than six years prior to the date of application.
2. Cutting-edge academic achievements documented by a comprehensive list of aca-demic publications for internationally-reviewed journals and publishing houses.
3. Detailed expert's report by an academic host at a research institution in Germany as well as the host's agreement and the confirmation from the administration at the host institution.
4. Expert references by important collaborative partners and academics at the applicant's own institute and other institutes, if possible not all located in his/her country of origin.
5. Language skills: scholars in the humanities or social sciences and physicians must have a good knowledge of German if it is necessary to carry out the project successfully; otherwise a good knowledge of English; scientists and engineers must have a good knowledge of German or English.
6. Origin: Foreign academics staying in Germany are eligible to apply if they have not been working in an academic capacity in Germany for more than two years at the time of application. German academics are eligible to apply if they have been working in an academic capacity abroad for at least five consecutive years at the time of application. If in doubt, check with the Humboldt Foundation (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) before submitting an appli-cation, as formal grounds might militate against the application.
7. No previous Sofja Kovalevskaja Award: This award can only be granted once to any individual researcher.
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