The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Connecting academic excellence worldwideKnowledge transfer and cooperation at the highest level

Melanie Schmitz:

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Melanie Schmitz:

4c

Historical and Intellectual Roots

Alexander von Humboldt (1769 – 1859): discoverer, universal genius, cosmopolitan and patron of excellent scientific talent

1953: establishment of today’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation international network of academic cooperation and trust more than 22,000 Humboldtians worldwide, including 40 Nobel Prize Winners

Humboldt Foundation Financing

The annual budget is approx. 60 mill. EUR, more than 97% of which is publicly financed

by the Federation. Financing is distributed as follows:

AA: Federal Foreign Office BMZ: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMBF: Federal Ministry of Education and Research

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Excellence worldwideindividual sponsorship for excellent scientists and scholars from all countries and disciplines based on research fellowships and research awards

Autonomy and freedomfree choice of research project and research partners. The Foundation does not stipulate how research proposals should be implemented.

Neutrality and independenceno ideological, commercial, political or denominational ties; the sole selection criterion are academic qualifications

Durability and sustainabilitymaintaining a worldwide network of 22,000 scientists and scholars; sponsorship even after the research visit has come to an end

Sponsorship – individual and personal

sponsorship for foreign and German top-flight academics to collaborate with specialist colleagues

the prestige associated with Humboldt Foundation fellowships and awards

individual and personal mentoring for those sponsored and their families

goals:- an enriching stay in Germany, both academically and privately- to strengthen Germany as a research location

Humboldtians and their families as ambassadors for Germany

“Once a Humboldtian, always a Humboldtian”: maintaining the association for a lifetime

Academic Excellence

sole selection criterion: academic excellence

individual sponsorship for people, not projects

no quotas for countries or subjects

free choice of academic host/collaboration partner in Germany

worldwide excellence network of Humboldtians

Origin of Guest Researchers

2001-2005: a total of 2,508 new research fellows from abroad

Disciplines of Guest Researchers

Arts and Social Sciences 24%, Science 66%, Engineering 10%

Disciplines of Guest Researchers in Canada in 2005

Total:413

Applications from Canada 2001-2005

Total number of applications: 106

Total number of applications granted: 54

Sponsorship Programmes at a Glance

Humboldt Foundation Programmes

Research fellowships and research awards for highly qualified scientists and

scholars from all countries and disciplines

research fellowships

research awards

other sponsorship programmes

other fields of activity

Research Fellowships

for highly qualified junior researchers from abroad

Humboldt Research Fellowship- 6 – 12 months, extension to maximum of 24 months

- doctoral degree, up to the age of 40

- no quotas for countries or subjects

Georg Forster Fellowship- 6 – 12 months, extension to maximum of 24 months

- doctoral degree, up to the age of 45

- developing and threshold countries

- research visits of relevance to development policy, no quotas

Research Fellowships

for highly qualified junior researchers from Germany

Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship

- 6 – 12 months, extension to maximum of 24 months

- doctoral degree, up to the age of 38

- worldwide, all subjects

- Humboldtians as hosts

- usually the host is expected to contribute

Application requirements

doctorate or equivalent degree

academic publications for internationally recognised journals and publishing houses

age limit

agreement by academic host to provide a research position

autonomous research project in agreement with the host

knowledge of German and/or English

Application procedure

applications at any time to the Humboldt Foundation directly

assessment by independent expert reviewers

decision by Humboldt Foundation Selection Committees (3 times per year)

duration of procedure after submission: approx. 3 to 6 months

Sponsorship provisions

language courses or allowance towards language course

fellowship

travel expenses

start-up lump sum*

family allowance

mobility and equipment lump sum for attending conferences, special material etc.

study trip, introductory meeting, annual meeting

intensive and individual mentoring in Germany and abroad by personal contacts at the Humboldt Foundation

life-long network sponsorship by the Humboldt Foundation

(*not applicable to Feodor Lynen Research Fellowships)

Sponsorship – personal, individual, sustainable

experienced staff at the Foundation

direct contact to staff during events

alumni associations in more than 70 countries

network online

sponsorship for academic cooperation with partners in Germany and abroad during an entire academic career

maintaining continuous, life-long contact to all Humboldtians worldwide

actively sponsoring academic contacts amongst Humboldtians worldwide through events at home and abroad; Humboldt Associations

systematic network sponsorship embracing:

- further research visits to Germany

- guest visits by German academics to Humboldtians’ institutes abroad

- long-term research collaboration (institutional partnerships)

An association for a lifetime

Short visits (up to 30 days):

allowances for

- actively participating in international congresses in Germany

- lecture trips or information visits

- short working visits to research institutes in Germany

Resumption of the research fellowship (up to 3 months):

- to continue or complete earlier projects or initiate new ones

Re-invitation (up to 3 months):

- no direct applications; re-invitations may be extended on the recommendation of an academic in Germany or the AvH itself

Network Sponsorship

guest visits by academics from Germany to Humboldtians’ institutes abroad (Sur Place)

research visits by German junior researchers to Humboldtians abroad (Feodor Lynen Programme)

book and equipment donations

long-term research cooperation (Institutional Partnerships, TransCoop Programme)

colloquia abroad, Humboldt Kollegs

Humboldt Associations

Network Sponsorship

Network Sponsorship

Humboldt Network Online

search and find Humboldtians electronically according to:

- name

- country of origin

- institution of higher education/research

- research field

- host institution in Germany

Humboldtians update their own data online

Bibliographia Humboldtiana: Humboldtians feed in their own publications

Research Awards

Humboldt Research Award*

for internationally renowned academics from all disciplines from abroad

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award*

for younger, foreign, top-flight researchers from all disciplines from abroad

Sofja Kovalevskaja Award**

for excellent, cutting-edge junior researchers from all disciplines from abroad to build up their own junior research groups in Germany

(*by nomination/**by application)

Research Awards

Max Planck Research Award*

for outstandingly qualified academics from Germany and abroad on an annually-alternating basis for areas within science and engineering, life sciences and the arts

Thyssen Humboldt Award*

for eminent humanities scholars from abroad Konrad Adenauer Research Award*

for an internationally recognised Canadian humanities scholar Phillip Franz von Siebold Award*

for an eminent Japanese academic

(*by nomination)

Konrad Adenauer Research Award

for Canadian scholars in the humanities and social sciences

Provisions award money of 60.000 EUR, coupled with an invitation for a research visit to

Germany

Nomination The initiative to bestow the Konrad Adenauer Research Award in any given year

must be taken by Canadian universities and/or research institutions

Other Sponsorship Programmes

Federal Chancellor Scholarships

for outstanding prospective leaders from the USA, the Russian Federation and China

TransCoop Programme

for sponsoring transatlantic (USA, Canada) research cooperation with Germany in the arts and social sciences

Hezekiah Wardwell Fellowships

for Spanish musicians and musicologists

TransCoop Programme

Sponsorship provisions

45,000 EUR over a period of three years’ cooperation providing the American and/or Canadian partner can raise matching funds at least equalling the endowment

funding may be used for reciprocal visits, organising/running conferences, material and printing costs and personnel

Applications

Deadlines: 30 April and 31 October

TransCoop Programme

for sponsoring transatlantic (USA, Canada) research cooperation with Germany in

the humanities and social sciences

Application requirements

German, American and Canadian academics from the humanities, social sciences, economics and law

doctorate, academically active

no age limit

autonomous research plan agreed by the research group

Other Fields of Activity

Frontiers of Research Symposia

German Mobility Centre

National Contact Point for Human Resources and Mobility

Welcome Centres (2006-2008)

Five out of twenty-two thousand

Robert Grubbs – 2005 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. 1975 Humboldt Research Fellow. One of the leading American researchers in organometallic chemistry.

László Sólyom – President of Hungary and the powerhouse behind democratic change in his country. Humboldt Research Fellow 1981, 1984 and 1988. Humboldt Research Award Winner 1999.

Tricia Striano – Sofja Kovalevskaja Award Winner. The excellent American junior research psychologist is investigating early-childhood development.

Hamadi Boga – Georg Forster Research Fellow from Kenya. The biologist is investigating flagellating micro-organisms in the intestinal tract of termites.

Erin Taylor – one of ten German Chancellor Scholars, a programme for future leaders. The American political scientist is comparing German and American strategies in the dialogue with the Islamic world.

Contact

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Jean-Paul-Straße 12

53173 Bonn

Germany

Tel: +49 228 833-0

Fax: +49 228 833-199

www.humboldt-foundation.de

info@avh.de