Philipp Schwartz Initiative
With the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Philipp Schwartz Initiative, funded by the Federal Foreign Office and private foundations, Universität Hamburg is able to grant Phillip Schwartz Fellowships to researchers at risk. The goal of this funding line is to support researchers who face persecution or threats and thus cannot continue with their research in their home countries. Researchers at risk can receive a research scholarship or work contract at Universität Hamburg within the framework of the Philip Schwartz Initiative in order to continue with their research.
Overview
- Target group: researchers at risk with a doctorate or comparable academic title (PhD, CSc)
- Objective: work and career support for researchers at risk
- Prerequisite: proof of risk
- Funding: for the scholarship funding line, roughly EUR 2,670 per month; for the work contract funding line, remuneration based on collective wage agreements for the German states’ public sector; for the hosting institution, a EUR 20,000 lump sum per funded application for purposes of support
- Funding period: 24 months; prior to expiration date, possible for hosting institutions to apply for extensions of up to 12 months
If you are interested in a Philipp Schwartz Fellowship and would like to initiate a research stay at Universität Hamburg, contact us. We will take care of the application process. Researchers cannot submit applications directly.
Application deadline:
- The call is usually made biannually: in June (funding begins in January) and in December (funding begins in July).
- The Department of International Affairs nominates candidates for the Philipp Schwartz Initiative and submits the applications to the Alexander Humboldt Foundation on behalf of Universität Hamburg.
Prerequisites for applicants:
- You must have a doctorate or comparable academic title (PhD, CSc, or equivalent).
- Universität Hamburg offers your discipline.
- You must have sufficient skills in English or German to successfully conduct your research.
- You may not have left your country of origin more than 5 years prior to submitting the application.
- You must submit proof of risk. You can attest to this if you have asylum in an EU country. To acquire proof of your at-risk status from the Scholars at risk (SAR) Network or the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), contact the Department of International Affairs(international-scholars"AT"uni-hamburg.de). When you apply, proof from SAR or CARA of your status as an at-risk academic must not be older than 12 months.
The Department of International Affairs supports researchers when they submit applications, but the University has no influence on application procedures or funding decisions.
According to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the funding decision depends upon the following criteria:
- the researcher’s academic qualifications
- subject compatibility between the researcher and academic supervisor, including compatibility of research project
- concept of accepting institution and its commitment to nominated researcher
- concrete support measures for the nominee on the part of the accepting institution and host
- prospects for the period after the scholarship runs out
Source: Philipp Schwartz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Funded researchers receive a scholarship of roughly EUR 2,670 per month; researchers employed by Universität Hamburg via the funding line are remunerated in accordance with the collective wage agreement for the German states’ public sector. The hosting institution also receives a EUR 20,000 lump sum per funded application to support the researcher.
Invoicing and report:
- The Department of International Affairs coordinates funding payments to the researchers and supports them in wrapping up their projects financially.
- The Department of International Affairs submits progress reports and proofs of use to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
- After half of the funding period, researchers must submit a progress report to the Department of International Affairs.
Uses for lump sum (including):
- participation in career development measures and activities
- German courses
- purchasing of research materials
- intercultural training
- travel costs for interviews in Germany (for interviews abroad, each case must be reviewed individually)
- participation in academic conferences at home and abroad (conference fees, travel and accommodation costs)
- publication costs (language editing, costs of researcher’s own publications, etc.).
