Argelander Grant Starter-Kit (A) “Stepping Stone”

Early-career researchers who have completed their doctorate within the last three years (the date of the oral examination applies) and who wish to transfer from a university or research institution to the University of Bonn are eligible to apply.¹

Applicants should aim for an academic career and prepare a proposal for third-party funding during the funding period, which, in case of approval, will enable subsequent employment and the realisation of their project at the University of Bonn.

Postdocs who already employed at the University of Bonn are not eligible to apply, but may submit an application under the funding line “Starter Kit - Research Funds“.  

Female postdocs are explicitly encouraged to apply under this funding line.

^{1) The previous employment must not have been at the University of Bonn and must continue at least until the application deadline.}  

• Personnel funds for partial financing of the own position to the extent of 50% (TV-L 13) for 24 months. Matching funding to the same extent must be provided by the receiving institution (institute/department/working group) for the entire funding period applied for.

Initially, 14 months are granted. An extension for another 10 months is possible. A pre-requisite for an extension is the submission of a third-party funding proposal (e.g. DFG, ERC Starting Grant, BMBF) within the first 12 months as well as a positive interim evaluation.^[1]

• Disposables/material funds of up to €10,000 to support research activities and the third-party funding application during the first funding period and up to €7,500 during the second funding period. The funds must not be used for basic equipment (laptops etc.).

Support through personnel funds ends as soon as follow-up employment is available.^[3] 

The funding also includes an accompanying consultation program in preparation of an academic career and third-party funding proposal. The program offers:

• Workshop on writing third-party funding proposals (participation is strongly recommended)
• Application coaching, consisting of three modules (participation in at least one module is mandatory)
• Optional individual coaching 

^[1] Applicants with child(ren) up to 12 years of age or family members in need of care may apply for personnel funds for an additional 6 months at the time of application. Please explain your specific situation in your application.

^[2] The interim evaluation takes place on the basis of the submitted application for third-party funding and a short interim report. If not apparent from the application for third-party funding, the interim report should indicate the extent to which the milestones defined in the project application have or have not been achieved. An extension of the funding is only possible in those cases in which a third party-funded follow-up employment is not given.

^[3] The Bonn Graduate Centre must be informed immediately.

Depending on requirements, up to 10,000 € for the first and up to 7,500 € for the second funding period (excluding personnel costs for the own position) may be awarded to cover:

• Student Assistants (SHK) oder Graduate Student Assistants (WHF) - further information on the employment of assistants and a basis for calculation can be found here.
• Material costs/disposables
• Travel expenses
• Further material costs 

Please note that funds requested to cover core support (Grundausstattung) common in the respective research area will not be approved. 

Applications will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary selection committee consisting of representatives from all faculties involved, chaired by Prof. Dr. Ilona Grunwald, Vice Rector for Research and Career Development.

Applications must be submitted electronically to the Bonn Graduate Centre (BGZ) using the application form linked on this page.

The application should include

• Letter of motivation including the bullet points listed in the template provided (1-2 pages):
  
  • Career goals and career development plan for the time during and after the Argelander Starter-Kit Grant, including achievements to date,
  • Relevance of the proposed research project for the third-party funding application
  • Reason for choosing the funding organization and the funding measure as well as relevance of the third-party funding application for the academic career of the applicant. 
• Financial plan for the planned expenditure of the requested funds for disposables/material resources separately for the first and second funding period (14 months + X), including time schedule and justification of the volume with regard to the planned third-party funding application and the research project (max. 1 page).
• Tabular overview of milestones (to be referred to in the interim report), separated for the first and second funding period.
• Scientific outline of your research project (max. 3 pages, incl. figures and excl. references) with the bullet points listed below, using the template provided:
  • Scientific and societal relevance,
  • Research question/hypothesis,
  • Methodology and work plan (separately for the first and second funding period),
  • Open science strategy

Please note that the project outline should be comprehensible to reviewers without expertise in your field.

• Academic CV, including publications.^[1] 
• Letter of invitation from a professor at the University of Bonn, including confirmation of working place and basic equipment.
• Confirmation from the receiving institution (institute/department/working group) of matching funding (50% position, TV-L 13) for the entire funding period requested, as well as confirmation that no other funding is available.

Please notice the above mentioned earliest possible funding start date.

^[1] Family responsibilities, parental leave, illness etc., will of course be taken into account. Likewise, up to 12 months can be recognized for pandemic-related delays or interruptions in previous research projects.  Please explain any delays or interruptions in your application. If the oral exam has not been taken yet, please include proof of when the exam is scheduled. Start of funding is only possible afterwards.

I completed my doctorate at the University of Bonn. Can I submit an application?

You can submit an application for the Starter-Kit A funding line if you took up a research position at another university or research institution after completing your doctorate at the University of Bonn. However, if you did not pursue a career in research after completing your doctorate—for example, because you worked in a non-research field or were looking for work—you are unfortunately not eligible to apply.

I am not currently employed at a research institution. Can I still apply?

Starter Kit A is intended for researchers who wish to transfer to the University of Bonn from a university or research institution. This requires that you are still employed at the institution you wish to transfer from when the application deadline expires. If your current or most recent employment was not at a scientific institution, you are unfortunately not eligible to apply. 

How do I obtain a letter of invitation and confirmation of matching funding?

Contact the relevant department (e.g., institute, chair, or working group) that matches the topic of your planned research project. Clarify whether your project can be accepted and whether matching funding can be provided. If the decision is positive, you will receive a letter of invitation from the relevant department and written confirmation of matching funding.
 

I do not have a confirmation of matching funding, or only have a confirmation of a smaller amount. Can I still apply?

No, applications are only possible with a binding commitment for full matching funding. The matching funding must cover 50% of the personnel costs of your planned employment. Unfortunately, a lower contribution cannot be considered, and applications without a corresponding commitment will be rejected on formal grounds.

What is meant by interim evaluation?

An interim evaluation is carried out after the first 12 months of funding. This is based on an interim report in a template provided for this purpose and proof of a third-party funding application submitted by you. If the evaluation is positive, your project can move on to the second funding phase.

What is meant by the first and second funding phases?

Funding is divided into two phases. First funding phase (months 1–14): In this phase, you implement the milestones formulated in the application and submit a third-party funding application. On this basis, an interim evaluation is carried out after 12 months. Months 13 and 14 are used to evaluate and decide on the continuation of the project. The progress made during these two months is not included in the interim evaluation. Second funding phase (months 15–24): If the interim evaluation is positive, your project will receive funding for a further ten months.