GrACe | Graduate Centre

Duration: 6 months
Timing: usually within 1 year of graduation
Budget: 1,000 €/month (plus childcare bonus if applicable)

You can apply for the career bridge Master - Doctorate if you are in the final phase of studying on a course which would entitle you to continue with doctoral studies at the time of the application or if you have already finished your studies. Your grades and study performance must be above average.

The career bridge Master - Doctorate should be used to establish your idea for a doctorate in order to increase your chances of successfully applying for third-​party funded scholarship programmes, doctoral programmes at Bielefeld University and for doctoral positions.

The career bridge Master - Doctorate should also be used by the corresponding supervisors to facilitate the reassessment of the qualification of the doctoral student. In addition, the career bridge Master - Doctorate enables supervisors to provide incentives for qualified - in particular female - students with a Master degree to commence their doctoral studies.

To apply for a Master’s–PhD Bridge Scholarship, you will need a reference. This can be provided by your current supervisor in your Master’s programme, or by another person with a PhD who has supervised or taught you during your studies and is familiar with your academic performance.

Important information for your application

Sample application form

Directives (legal document, therefore only available in German - we provide most of the information contained here in the document "Important information for your application". In case of any further questions, let us know.) 

Duration: 6 months
Timing: 6 months before the end of your PhD (submission or defence)
Budget: 1,250 €/month (plus childcare bonus if applicable)

You can apply for a Doctorate Completion Scholarship if you are a doctorate student at Bielefeld University and the temporary financial support of your doctoral project comes to an end, and if you have no other options for financial support. You must demonstrate that you have, thus far, carried out your doctoral project promptly, have almost completed it and that it can be expected to be completed within the funding period of 6 months required by the Bielefeld Young Researchers' Fund.

The doctorate completion scholarship is awarded for a period of up to 6 months with a monthly scholarship of EUR 1,250. The scholarship can be increased by the faculty/working unit to a maximum amount of EUR 1,750.

For your application to the Bielefeld Young Researchers Fund, Doctorate Completion Scholarship you are required to have a reference. This can be provided by your supervisor, or by another person with a PhD who has co-supervised or advised you during your PhD and is well acquainted with your academic performance.

Important Information for your application 

Sample application form

Directives (legal document, therefore only available in German - we provide most of the information contained here in the document "Important information for your application". In case of any further questions, let us know.)

 

Duration: funds are available for 12 months
Timing: within 5 years of finishing your doctorate, plus time for care responsibilities and certain exceptional circumstances
Budget: up to 5,000 €

The measure Research subsidies and promotion of mobility is intended to fund research subsidies and promotion of mobility for postdocs. The travel funds can be used for research trips (for example in order to visit archives) and for short research trips to an international guest institute. 

Important Information for your application

Sample application form

Directives (legal document, therefore only available in German - we provide most of the information contained here in the document "Important information for your application". In case of any further questions, let us know.)

 

Duration: funds are available for 12 months
Timing: within 5 years of finishing your doctorate, plus time for care responsibilities and certain exceptional circumstances
Budget: up to 15,000 € 

This measure is intended to facilitate the preparation for third-​party funded applications by young academics. Postdocs can apply for financial support in order to facilitate the entry into third-​party funded research.

This could be to cover costs such as assistants, preliminary study materials or travel expenses for visiting cooperation partners or conferences. The applicants must specify the content of the intended application for third-​party funds, where and when it must be submitted and how the applied measures of the Bielefeld Young Researchers' Fund will contribute to a successful application.

Important information for your application  

Sample application form

Directives (legal document, therefore only available in German - we provide most of the information contained here in the document "Important information for your application". In case of any further questions, let us know.)

 

Duration: up to 12 months
Timing: within 5 years of finishing your doctorate, plus time for care responsibilities and certain exceptional circumstances
Budget: 2,000 €/month (living allowance) plus childcare bonus if applicable and up to 2,000 € for research expenses (once)  

The Career Bridge aims at supporting Early Career Researchers up to five years after their doctorate (longer in case of parental care work and some exceptional circumstances). The scholarship consists of 2,000 € for expenses (one-off) and a monthly living allowance of 2,000 € for 12 months. It it thus aimed at researchers who do not have a working contract/scholarship. The living allowance can be increased by the faculty/working unit by a maximum of 500 €/month. 

The aim of the Career Bridge is to allow Early Career Researchers to prepare their next career step in academia, for example by drafting a third-party funding application that will subsequently enable them to fund their own work.

In addition to the financial support, applicants are offered a comprehensive advisory service with the aim of preparing the application for third-​party funded research and they can take part in PEP-​seminars on applying for third-​party funds as well as a Peer Review Group in order to increase the quality of the application and therefore the probability of receiving funding.

The Career Bridge Doctorate - Postdoc can be used for recruiting outstanding young researchers. Therefore, external young scientists who have a prospective position at Bielefeld University or who want to apply for third-​party funded research for a project which will be carried out at Bielefeld University may also apply for the career bridge Doctorate – Postdoc.

If your dissertation has been submitted but the official procedure has not yet been opened because the committee has not yet met, a short letter from the faculty administration stating that the dissertation has been submitted is sufficient. Later the confirmation of the opening of the procedure must be submitted immediately.

Important information for your application

Sample application form

Directives (legal document, therefore only available in German - we provide most of the information contained here in the document "Important information for your application". In case of any further questions, let us know.)