The Free University of Berlin is a premier public research university in Berlin, Germany. The university is one of eleven elite German research universities in the German Universities Excellence Initiative. It is consistently ranked among Germany’s top ten universities overall. According to the British Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022, the FU Berlin ranks 83rd globally and seventh in Germany.
The Free University of Berlin was founded in 1948 in West Berlin and has risen exponentially as a centre for research in science and social sciences. The university has produced distinguished scholars and its alumni include many scientists, philosophers and politicians, amongst them 5 Nobel Prize winners and 15 Leibniz laureates.
The department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy is an excellent opportunity for international students in the form of the “Rising Star Fellowship”. The department seeks to attract exceptional doctoral candidates from abroad to forge new connections and to further interdisciplinary research. The Rising Star fellows take part in the research activities of their host-research groups, absorbed into existing research networks (CRCs, BBIB, research training groups, etc.) and publish their results.
Funding Details
The fellowship is valued at 2,500 € per month for two years. Additional benefits for the Rising Star fellows are:
- Monthly mobility allowance of 100 € for conferences, research trips, etc., no application necessary. (No other travel or conference support will be provided.)
- Allowances for accompanying family members (monthly allowance of 276 € for spouses; 204 € for each child, provided there is no entitlement to child benefit).
- In the case of single-parents accompanied by children (400 € per month for the first child and 100 € per month for each additional child).
- A one-off subsidy of 800 € towards research costs
Where applicable: a contribution towards health insurance amounting to 70 € per month/
Eligibility
- Applications will be accepted preferably from international researchers who have completed their doctorate within the last four years. Successful applicants may apply for a grant from one of the groups.
- Applicants whose research projects span two research groups from two different institutes within the department, BCP might have a higher chance of success in the case of equal qualification.
How to apply
Applications will be addressed to the dean of the Department BCP and sent as one pdf file to the following e-mail address: graduate- center@bcp.fu-berlin.de
The following documents must be submitted online:
Cover letter (one-page maximum)
CV with a list of publications
Project outline with specific plans as to the cooperation with research groups at Freie Universität Berlin of 2 to max. 4 pages
Reference letters from two research groups within the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy of FU Berlin
A copy of the doctoral certificate (if available).
For further details on the Rising Star Fellowship, click here.
