The DAAD Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience (PRIME)

Deadline : August 30, 2024

Apply for the DAAD Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience (PRIME) for postgraduate researchers at German Universities in Germany. This program was launched in 2014 by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with the major aim of supporting the international mobility of postdoctoral researchers.

PRIME is open to both Germans citizens and foreign nationals, no matter whether they are currently living in Germany or abroad. Applicants must have completed and already hold a PhD or will have completed their PhD by the start of their PRIME fellowship.

The Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience (PRIME) is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the European Union. Funding is offered for a period of up to 18 months, for which 12 months have to be spent at a non-German University abroad and 6 months under the re-integration phase at a German university.

Applicants must therefore choose and apply to host University in Germany where they plan to spend the 6 months of their re-integration, after which they will also have to select a University abroad where they plan to conduct their 12 months research under this mobility programme

Benefits

Once selected for the program, you will be eligible fir the following benefits

1. The program Funding will be provided through an 18-month temporary job position at the selected German university.
2. You should expect a salary range of € 4,000 – € 5,000 per month with an additional sum worth € 1,200 – € 2,000 per month as an expatriate allowance during the 12 months of your research stay abroad
3. Fellows selected will also receive a lump sum travel allowance for travel to their host University abroad.
4. DAAD will provide the respective universities with a grant agreement to cover the costs for the regular salary and an additional monthly expatriate allowance for the research stay abroad.
5. An additional lump sum travel allowance in accordance with DAAD rates for the selected candidate and, if applicable, accompanying spouse or partner and children will be paid directly by DAAD.

Eligibility

Applicants must fulfill the following requirements in order to be considered for the program

• The programme is open to both German and Non-German nationals regardless of their country of origin or residence
• Non-German applicants living abroad are expected to state their intention to continue their research careers in Germany upon completion of the return phase.
• Applicants must have completed their PhD before starting the fellowship.
• To be considered for funding, applicants living abroad are expected to state their intention to continue their research careers in Germany upon completion of the return phase
• Candidates must comply with the programme’s mobility rule:
  • They are free to choose any country (except Germany) as destination for their research stay abroad. However they have not resided or carried out their main activity such as work or studies in that country for more than 12 months in total during the three years by the deadline of application.
  • Time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention is not taken into account.
  • If the research stay abroad is to be undertaken in a country other than an EU member state (MS) or an associated country (AC), the applicant must either be a national/resident citizen of an EU MS or AC, or have been continuously active in research for five years’ full-time equivalent in a MS or AC, immediately prior to the time of recruitment. If this condition is not met, the applicant will be deemed ineligible
• Applicants must accept that the research stay abroad and the return phase to Germany are both mandatory parts of the programme

Application

The application procedure will involve two major elements as described below

1. Applicants must identify a host University in Germany where they plan to spend the 6 months of re-integration upon completion of their mobility abroad. PRIME has provided a list of potential Universities in Germany that nominated a contact person for the PRIME programme.
   • After successfully applying to the German host university, they must confirm in writing that the you will be employed for the entire funding period
2. Applicants must also identify a foreign host institution selected according to the scientific preferences/needs of the research project. This may be a university, a non-university research institute, or an industrial research entity.
   • The selected institution must must be willing to support the postdoc in the implementation of her/his research project for a period the 12 months of the mobility. They must therefore issue you an invitation letter stating the terms and the support to be provided

Applications must be submitted online using the portal provided. The following documents have to be submitted via the application portal:

• Your fully completed application form.
• Submit a Curriculum vitae with no chronological gaps and in tabular form in accordance with EU standards. (Check out here how to create a Europass CV)
• Short summary of your proposed research project with a clearly recognizable working title and an indication of keywords.
• Submit a detailed and independently prepared research proposal upon which both the German and foreign host institutions have agreed on.
• Certificates, Diplomas and academic degrees for your previous studies along with transcripts of records.

• Include an invitation letter from the German host (Template to be downloaded from website)
• A binding declaration from the German host university providing a temporary position for the funding period (Template to be downloaded from website)
• Include an invitation letter from the foreign host.
• Submit a publication list categorized according to publications in peer-reviewed journals, books,
• and conference proceedings, and indicating the type of publication
• Include a list of the most important publications and reasons for their selection
• Submit a short summary of the doctoral thesis
• Download, complete and sign the ethics issues checklist (Template to be downloaded from website)
• Proof of language proficiency for the mobility period abroad: For postdoctoral research the working language is assumed to be English
• Submit a certificate for the knowledge of German if applicable
• Downloads and complete a checklist of the application documents
• Request a confidential letter of recommendation from a university professor and the corresponding recommendation form

To apply, Click here

For more information, visit the official website here