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Science Tour in Germany 2012

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DAAD Science TOur in Germany

Science Tour “Research in Germany” 2012: Understanding Biodiversity and Climate Change

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) invites scientists and administrators from universities and research institutions to participate in a tour with focus on interdisciplinary research in biodiversity and climate change in Germany. The dates are November 25 to December 1, 2012. The call addresses foreign researchers and administrators who are attempting to initiate close cooperation with German colleagues, either in their specific research area or at an institutional level.

The Topic

Understanding biodiversity and climate change is an enormous task for the scientific community. Mastering this challenge might be decisive for the future well-being of mankind. International and interdisciplinary cooperation is an essential precondition for successful work in this area. Germany has made considerable endeavors in fostering new research approaches. Outstanding examples will be presented to the participants of the tour.  The tour will provide an overview of cutting-edge research at German universities and non-university research institutions, as well as graduate education at the interface of various disciplines. Comprehensive information on funding opportunities for cooperation in education and research will also be provided.

The Program

In order to provide an optimum basis for the initiation of joint projects, the program will focus on issues related to biodiversity and climate change. However, due to the broad range of institutions involved, we expect the tour to be valuable to participants with more general interests as well.

Presently, visits to the following institutions are planned (tbc):  Universities

Research Institutions

  • Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena  (http://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/)
  • The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ (http://www.ufz.de)
  • German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research – iDiv (Institute in construction)

(http://www.idiv-biodiversity.de/)

The Program starts on Sunday, 25 November at 5pm in Jena.

The DAAD is responsible for the organization and implementation of the tour.  All program-related costs in Germany (accommodation, travel, most meals) will be borne by the DAAD. International travel will be at the participants’ expense.

Who May Apply?

There are two types of applicants:

Research Application: Applicants are typically experienced scientists with a research profile in the topic of the science tour and with a strong interest in international cooperation. They must have held a PhD/doctorate for at least two years and be affiliated with a non-German university/research institute

Application for Administrators: Applicants are policy makers in national agencies and other experts in the fields of science and higher education.

All applicants should be in a position to initiate and to manage major projects in cutting-edge research or educational cooperation. They should not have recently participated in another informational trip to Germany. German language skills are not essential, as the program will be conducted in English.

Your Application

To apply and for more information, please visit the website www.research-in-germany.de/sciencetour2012 and send us your CV, a list of publications, and a letter of motivation (one page).

The application deadline is 15 September, 2012.

Next Steps:

15 September:             Application Deadline

15-30 September:        Applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee

1-5 October:                Applicants receive their letters of acceptance or refusal

Sunday, 25 November, 5pm:     Start of the Science Tour Program

About “Research in Germany”

The “Science Tour” is part of the initiative to “Promote Innovation and Research in Germany”, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Under the brand “Research in Germany – Land of Ideas”, various activities are being organized in order to strengthen and expand R&D collaboration between Germany and international partners. The topic Biodiversity and Climate Change was chosen on the occasion of the BMBF Science Year 2012 – Project EARTH: Our Future.

 

 

 

 

 

 




Funding for Study Abroad in Germany

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Mark your calendar! DAAD North America staff will present programs and funding for internships in Germany. All academic disciplines are eligible and DAAD offers grants for summer, semester and year-long stays in Germany. You don’t need to speak German to be eligible.

DAAD webinars are targeted at faculty and administrators in the U.S. and Canada who advise on study and research abroad, as well as students and scholars in Canada and the U.S. interested in applying for DAAD funding themselves.  You must register for the webinars below in advance (all times are EST).

DAAD Grants for Graduate Students - Wed. October 19, 2pm
DAAD Chat on Studying Computer Science in Germany.  You may submit and discuss your questions in English or German. Chat will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 19th at 9:45pm EDT.

DAAD Funding Programs (all) – Wed. October 26, 12:30pm

Internships in Germany – Wed. November 2, 2pm

Undergraduate Grants for Germany – Wed. November 9, 12:30pm

 




Funding Study Abroad: Upcoming Webinars

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funding study abroadFunding is so often an issue – in life and in study abroad.  The good news is that there IS funding out there for study, research, internships and professional development.  The challenge is that many students (and faculty/administrators) find out about it too late to apply.

There are two organizations that are incredibly generous with their funding – and they will be offering webinars that you MUST put on your calendar.

1) NSEP Boren Awards

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. We focus on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. national security (broadly defined), and underrepresented in study abroad.  Note that students must be US citizens at the time of application. Click here for the list of their free webinars through January 2011.  These scholarships and fellowships are administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in New York City.

2) DAAD:  German Academic Exchange Service

I have written about DAAD several times on Melibee Global;  I was funded by them to visit Germany in 2009 and it was a wonderful opportunity.  This is a unique organization in that it also funds faculty and administrative staff travel also.  Their 2010 webinar dates are not listed on their own website yet – but here is the information:

DAAD Funding Opportunities for Study and Research in Germany
Covering funding for summer, semester, year-long and short-term study,
research and internships in Germany. All academic disciplines are eligible.
(General overview of DAAD funding)
Wednesday, September 22
12:00 – 1:15 pm EST
Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/299585570

DAAD Funding Opportunities for Graduate Students, Post-Docs and Faculty
Covering funding for graduate students, post-docs and faculty to conduct
short and long-term study, research and internships in Germany. All academic
disciplines are eligible.
Tuesday, September 28
2:00 – 3:15 pm EST
Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/793616370

DAAD Application Walk-Through
Addressing common questions about the application process, from the study
proposal to letters of invitation and everything in between.
Monday, October 4
2:00–3:00 pm EST
Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/687205523

DAAD Funding Opportunities for Study and Research in Germany
Covering funding for summer, semester, year-long and short-term study,
research and internships in Germany. All academic disciplines are eligible.
[General overview of DAAD funding]
Wednesday, October 13
2:00 – 3:15 pm EST
Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/678872035




DAAD: Chemistry Research and Higher Education Visit to Germany

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DAAD recently announced this exciting opportunity for educators and scientists to visit Germany in December 2010. Having traveled with DAAD before, I cannot recommend the experience enough! They are well organized, very connected and extremely generous with their funding.  Did I mention they’re also a great group of people?  Please read the following information from DAAD and note that the FIRM application deadline is October 6, 2010. 

“In December 2010, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will sponsor an informational visit on current developments in chemistry research and higher education in Germany. The tour is for North American faculty, scientists and administrators and will take place from December 5th to December 11th, 2010. The main focal points are environmentally-friendly synthesis, production and recycling processes with a special focus on catalysis, new polymers and nanomaterials. Participants will visit various institutions to learn about cutting-edge research and its application. There will be visits to renowned universities and research institutions, including Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, RWTH Aachen, Heidelberg University, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, and Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Chemistry) as well as BASF, the world’s leading chemical company. With this tour DAAD offers scientists and administrators an opportunity to learn about the present situation in chemistry research and higher education in Germany. We hope to enable them to identify common interests and starting points for cooperation in these areas as well as possible funding opportunities. The program will be in English. All program-related costs in Germany (accommodations, travel, most meals) will be borne by the DAAD. Intercontinental travel is at the participants’ expense. Applicants must be US or Canadian citizens or residents, have a special interest in Germany and transatlantic cooperation, and a relevant professional position. They should not have recently participated in another information trip to Germany. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY October 6, 2010. For further information, please go to: www.daad.org/page/sciencetour/ or contact Uta Gaedeke in New York at 212-758-3223 x:209 or via e-mail at gaedeke@daad.org.”




DAAD accepting applications for “Germany Today”

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I was fortunate to be a participant in DAAD‘s Germany Today program in June 2009. It was an outstanding professional development opportunity. DAAD did an excellent job at balancing the lectures/presentations with venturing out into the historic cities; one of the highlights was a tour of the Aachen cathedral. If you are accepted, plan to spend extra time in Berlin – it was my favorite stop along the way and I needed weeks there, not days!

This year’s program will focus on The Bologna Reforms. Applications are due by March 5, 2010.  See details below:

Bologna Turns Ten:  Transatlantic Student Mobility in the German and European Higher Education Context
Bonn – Brussels – Berlin
June 12 – 19, 2010

Since 1979, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has sponsored an annual information visit on current developments in Germany and Europe for high-level North American policy experts and decision makers. This year’s program will focus on the latest efforts and developments in internationalizing higher education in Germany and Europe, and on how your students can benefit from it.

North American participants in this program are typically senior administrators at leading universities in the U.S. and Canada (such as vice-presidents for international affairs or heads of international offices), policy makers in federal and state/provincial governments or associations, and other experts in the higher education field.

The program will be in English. All program-related costs in Europe (accommodation, domestic travel, most meals) will be covered by DAAD. (The program will end on Friday, June 18, in Berlin but accommodation through Saturday morning will be covered by DAAD, as well). Intercontinental travel is at the participant’s expense.

Please visit www.daad.org/?p=germanytoday for further information.




Grants for Study and Research in Germany – Funding for a Sustainable Short Course Abroad

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This past June, I had the honor of participating in the Germany Today Program, sponsored by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst – The German Academic Exchange Service.)  I was part of a delegation of faculty and administrators from various universities in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The DAAD generously provided a comprehensive program with very little direct cost to participants.  The program started in Bonn, traveled to Brussels and ended in Berlin.  Each day we met with DAAD’s local staff, researchers, university faculty and administrators, grants organizations and DAAD funded students and scholars.  There was a strong emphasis on the Bologna Process and current policy discussions in the member countries. Dialogue was particularly meaningful because we had nearly a week to continue our discussions with colleagues over lunch, dinner and bus journeys. We were able to not only reflect on our experiences during the week, but to also learn about trends and best practices on their campuses and in their home countries.  The added bonus of this program was networking within the structure of a very strong training experience.

I was able to bring DAAD to my campus at WCSU this past October for the International Education Conference.  Jane Fu, from DAAD (based in NYC), gave an excellent presentation about the wide range of funding opportunities for undergraduates, graduates, PhD candidates and Post Docs, and Faculty/Researchers. DAAD is an incredibly well organized and generous organization.  Funding is available for German language study, internships, research, short term lectureship, and even group study.

As I prepare for my pre-conference workshop presentation, “Fundamentals of Short Term Education Abroad Programming”, I am reminded of the importance of program start-up funding. Short term programs, while increasingly popular, often run at a financial loss in year one.  In my opinion, this is something that should be anticipated and is perhaps necessary in the first year in to develop an audience for a sustainable program.  Once a successful cohort returns from a short course abroad, they inadvertently serve as your course’s marketing team.  Their positive experiences move like wildfire across social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and the chances of recruiting in year two are significantly heightened.

Through my recent trip to Germany I was quickly able to discern that it is a particularly viable destination for short courses in business, sciences and social sciences/humanities.  DAAD offers financial support for academic information visits to Germany that are organized by faculty members for groups of students.  The group should consist  of 10 – 15 students plus one faculty and the trip abroad should last between 7 and 12 days.   DAAD offers approximately 6,720 Euros to subsidize room and board.  For institutions that struggle with a lack of seed money for program development, this particular funding represents an excellent opportunity to decrease direct costs to students.

For more information and application deadlines, visit www.daad.org/?p=groupvisits. Based on my experience in Germany this past summer with the DAAD, you will not be disappointed.