1Source: https://www.tum.de/en/research/postdocs/research-opportunities-week/1
Research Opportunities Week
- Image: Astrid Eckert
Once a year the Technical University of Munich (TUM) selects 50 young scientists from all over the world and invites them to the Research Opportunities Week in Munich. During this week, the participants have the opportunity to visit different research facilities at TUM, to meet Professors of their disciplines, to inform themselves about possible postdoc funding opportunities in Germany and to create a scientific network. The Postdoc Mobility Travel Grant funds the stay in full. After the ROW, participants get the exclusive chance to apply for the attractive TUM University Foundation Fellowship (TUFF) and to spend a year as a postdoc at TUM.
Deadlines
- 9. Research Opportunities Week:
April 16 to 20, 2018 - Application period:
September 1 to October 31, 2017 - Online application (Activation Date: September 1, 2017)
Application Requirements
You may apply for a fully financed travel grant if you:
- have completed a PhD within the last 3 years (counting from the month of the Research Opportunities Week) at an institution other than TUM (i.e. if you have done your PhD at TUM, you are not eligible to apply) or have submitted your PhD thesis at an institution other than TUM (for your application you will need a certificate proving this) or are going to submit your PhD thesis within the next 12 months (for your application you will need a statement from your supervisor confirming this)
- have completed a PhD in one of the research fields listed on TUM Departments, TUM Clusters of Excellence, TUM Integrative Research Centers, or TUM International School of Science and Engineering
- are not currently living in Germany (applicants of German nationality or those who have previously lived in Germany are still welcome to apply, given that they are applying from abroad)
Your application has to include:
- Letter of Motivation (max. 1 page)
Please describe your motivation for getting to know TUM. Please keep in mind that your letter of motivation is essential for the evaluation of your application. You are therefore asked to describe your professional aims as precisely as possible as well as your reasons for a postdoc at TUM. Additionally, please be sure to mention the professor(s) at TUM with whom you are interested to work with.
- Curriculum Vitae
- Track Record
Provide a list of publications or papers in progress. Please highlight the most important three papers with an asterisk. You may add awards, conference contributions (presentations, speeches, courses, poster sessions, workshops), patents, etc. to your track record.
- Copy of your best paper
Provide a copy of your best article, conference paper, or something similar in full length. If you hand in only an abstract or provide us a link where we can download the paper, we unfortunately cannot accept it. Please make sure to provide only one paper, while others are listed in your track record.
- PhD Certificate/Proof of PhD Submission/Statement from supervisor (that PhD will be completed within the next 12 months)
- Reference/Letter of Support
Please provide a letter of reference from your current supervisor or a former supervisor. We only accept letters of support, which are originally written on the official letter paper of your supervisor and which include the date and signature (a digital copy of this official letter is sufficient).
- Letter of support from a TUM professor (this portion of the application is optional)
If you have already been in contact with a TUM professor who would be interested in hosting you, you can add a letter of support from him/her (originally written on the official letter paper with date and signature – a digital copy of this official letter is sufficient). The letter is intended to demonstrate a relationship, which has already been established and should be from someone who has a well-grounded insight into your research experience. Please refrain from approaching them on your own.
- Name, Chair and Email adress of 1 to 3 TUM professors you would like to meet during the ROW
Additionally, you will be asked to list at least one TUM professor whom you would like to meet in order to discuss a potential project. Please note that if you do not provide the name of one TUM professor at least, your application will not be considered. You can use the following websites to help you find professors who fit your research profile: TUM Faculties, TUM Cluster of Excellence, TUM Integrative Research Centers, TUM International School of Science and Engineering, or TUM Professors. Please note that you do not need to inform the TUM professorsthat you are listing them in your application.
Selection Criteria and Selection Process:
- Selection criteria
Selection criteria are the quality of your Letter of Motivation, your scientific qualification and background and the Letter of Support of your supervisor
- Selection process
The selection process is organized by TUM ForTe. Applications will be reviewed by an independent scientific board.
Via the Research Opportunities Week (ROW) to the TUM University Foundation Fellowship (TUFF)
The Research Opportunities Week is the first part of a two-step-program, which promotes international young academics at TUM. The ROW is organized and carried out by TUM ForTe. The opportunity to apply for the one year TUM University Foundation Fellowship is exclusively offered to the ROW-participants. Mandatory requirement for the application is to find a host professor at TUM. Successful TUFF-applicants receive a one-year funding by TUM and are integrated into a TUM institution of their research field. As a result, the TUM gives the TUFF-fellows the freedom to work on their research profiles and to create a nucleus for new and interdisciplinary research projects in collaboration with TUM professors.