Max Planck Prince of Asturias Award Mobility Programme

March 26, 2014

On October 25, 2013, the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft received the Prince of Asturias Award in recognition of its international cooperation. The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft is doubling the €50,000 prize money from its own funds and is establishing a grant programme to fund research residencies for outstanding doctoral students and postdocs from Spain at a Max Planck Institute.

Closing date for the nomination is 31 May 2014.

Qualifications

Excellent doctoral students and postdocs in Spain, who are not older than 30 or 35 years of age, respectively, can apply for a research residency at a Max Planck Institute under this programme. The research residency can last up to two times four weeks for a doctoral student and up to two times eight weeks for a postdoc starting September 1, 2014 through December 31, 2016.

In order for a research residency to be worthwhile for doctoral students, they should have at least started the second year of their doctorate by the time of the first research residency at the Max Planck Institute. The successful junior scientists will be involved in an ongoing project at the Max Planck Institute thus creating added value for their scientific education.

Funding

To fund the guest residency, the Spanish cooperation partner (university, research facility) receives project funds of a maximum of € 5,008 (doctoral students) or of a maximum of € 8,112 (postdocs) ad personam from which the following costs for the research residency of the selected candidates can be met:

  • Travel costs pursuant to the German Federal Travel Expenses Act (Bundesreisekostengesetz) (flight, accommodation, per diem)
  • Consumables

Nomination procedure and conditions

The Max Planck Prince of Asturias Award Mobility Programme for Spanish junior scientists is open to all Max Planck Institutes and all Spanish junior scientists who have a contract with a Spanish University or research institute.  Excellent doctoral students and postdocs with a proven track record at Spanish research institutions can apply to a Max Planck Institute of their choice as part of this scholarship programme. Only Scientific Members of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (Max Planck Directors) are entitled to make nominations for the programme in case of a successful application of a Spanish junior scientist. The President of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft decides on the approval of the grants on the basis of an external evaluation.

Nomination documents

The nomination by the Max Planck Director is to be made to the President of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. The following documents must be submitted for nomination by a Max Planck Director:

  1. Cover sheet (see enclosure)
  2. Letter of recommendation by the person making the nomination
  3. Publication list
  4. Curriculum vitae
  5. Project description
  6. Candidate’s description of the project to be carried out and confirmation from the candidate that he/she is willing to spend at least four or eight weeks at a MPI two times.
  7. Letter of intent from the sending research facility in Spain to which the candidate is affiliated with confirmation that the nomination is supported.
  8. Proposals for six referees - two from the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (not from the hosting MPI), two from Spain and two from abroad excluding Spain.

Nomination documents will only be accepted in electronic form and in full (points 1 to 8). Late submission of documents is not possible.

Application and nomination scheme:

  1. Application of a Spanish doctoral student/Postdoc to a Max Planck Institute
  2. In case of successful application, nomination of the candidate through the Director of the respective Max Planck Institute and joint submission of the above mentioned documents to the President of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft by the candidate and the Max Planck Institute
  3. Evaluation
  4. Selection of the successful candidates by the President of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

 

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