Programme

Call for Leaders of Junior Research Groups

Information concerning the application procedure for Junior Research Group Leaders at the eight new Centres for Innovation Competence (German: Zentren für Innovationskompetenz, ZIK)

Objectives of the Centres for Innovation Competence programme

The German Ministry of Education and Research designed the programme "Centres for Innovation Competence: creating excellence – securing talent" to promote the development of research centres that demonstrate flexibility and high performance at international level, so-called Centres for Innovation Competence, at select locations in the New German Länder. At the end of April 2008, a jury of experts selected eight new Centres for Innovation Competence on the basis of the strategic concepts they had presented. These centres are now being set up.

Within the scope of this start-up phase, the German Ministry of Education and Research will finance two groups of young scientists per Centre for Innovation Competence over a period of five years. Therefore, we are now looking for young scientists as Junior Research Group Leaders who want to realise their self-developed interdisciplinary research projects with their own team working on their own initiative at these locations. The objective is to implement creative ideas and strengthen the international reputation of these centres.

Job specification

The applicant can be from Germany or abroad, should have a good or very good degree, a doctorate or lecture qualification and, as a general rule, be no older than 35 years of age. Applicants who have been living in Germany for the last two years should be able to demonstrate at least two years of experience in a scientific profession abroad.

The Junior Research Group Leaders will be responsible for four to six young scientists, depending on the Centre for Innovation Competence. In addition, the budget allows for one half-time position for managerial duties and for student assistants. The Junior Research Groups will receive financing for five years.

Each Junior Research Group may further apply for up to four project-related research trips within Germany or abroad during the course of the project, each lasting up to six months.

Application documents

Applicants for the position of Junior Research Group Leader must submit their application by 5 September 2008, unbound and in font size 12, by post to both the respective Centre for Innovation Competence and the Project Management Organisation Jülich. The applications may be written in English or German. We recommend that applicants familiarise themselves with the strategic concept of the selected Centre for Innovation Competence.

The application should include:

  • A personal section (max. 5 pages), i.e.:
    • Scientific career in brief (CV from school leaver's qualifications to date)
    • Date of birth and nationality
    • Current employment and information on own projects to date
    • List of significant publications and, if applicable, patents
    • References
    • Letter of Motivation
  • A suitable project sketch (max. 10 pages) including:
    • Name of the relevant Centre for Innovation Competence
    • Topic and overall scientific objective of the planned research project, which must lie within the specialised field characterising the Centre for Innovation Competence and match its strategy 
    • Research methods to be applied and scientific significance of the planned research project
    • Description of innovative approaches and work schedule
    • Agenda for resource planning (amongst other things, set-up of the team the applicant intends to lead; does the applicant intend to bring along own young scientists?)
    • Prospects for long-term possibilities of economic exploitation
    • Schedule and milestone plan
    • Prospects of success

Applications in German should be supplemented with a half-page summary of the project sketch in English.  

Application procedure

The application procedure comprises two stages. Initially, the received application documents (incl. project sketches) will undergo preselection by the relevant Centre for Innovation Competence, the Project Management Organisation Jülich and the German Ministry of Education and Research. The best ones will be invited to a presentation in English or German before an external jury in Berlin in autumn. 

Assessment criteria

Assessment criteria above all are

  • Scientific originality, but also feasibility of the project
  • Qualification and competence profile of the applicant
  • Project compatibility with the profile of the Centre for Innovation Competence
  • Penetration of relevant scientific disciplines and innovation potential

Please send the application to the relevant Centre for Innovation Competence and the Project Management Organisation Jülich:

Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Projektträger Jülich, Bereich TRI
Außenstelle Berlin
Zimmerstr. 26–27
10969 Berlin
Germany

The recruitment ad can be downloaded in the box at the top right of this page. You can find further information on the eight Centres for Innovation Competence here:

Documents

Contact Persons

  • Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    • Referat 114 "Regionale Innovationsinitiativen; Neue Länder"
    • Hannoversche Str. 28-30
    • D-10115 Berlin
    • Telephone: +49 30 18 57 - 5273
    • Fax: +49 30 18 57 - 85273
    • E-Mail Address: Gudrun.Kurek@bmbf.bund.de
    • Homepage: http://www.unternehmen-region.de/en/index.php

  • Project Management Organisation PtJ

    • Fördermanagement Unternehmen Region
    • Zimmerstr. 26-27
    • D-10969 Berlin
    • Telephone: +49 30 2 01 99 - 4 38
    • Fax: +49 30 2 01 99 - 4 00
    • E-Mail Address: zik@unternehmen-region.de
    • Homepage: http://www.fz-juelich.de/ptj