Job Title: AIMS-DFG Cooperation Visits Programme in the Mathematical Sciences

Call for cooperation visits to Germany and Africa by researchers in early career phases in the mathematical sciences

With this call, the African Institutes for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) support the initiation of international research collaboration between researchers in early career phases from African countries and researchers at universities in Germany in the mathematical sciences.

Aim of the initiative

The aim of the initiative is to familiarise and connect the wider research communities in the mathematical sciences in Africa and Germany with each other and support their internationalisation. The initiative enables participating researchers to identify joint research interests in the field of mathematical sciences and initiate specific joint project ideas.

Funding mechanism

This call is based on the DFG funding programme “Initiation of International Collaboration”. Under this programme, applicants interested in establishing collaborative scientific relations with partners abroad may apply for funding for trips abroad or guest visits, for example.
For the purpose of this call:

• “Applicants” are researchers in the German research system who apply for funding under the AIMS-DFG Fellowship Programme,
• “Fellows” are researchers whose cooperation visits are funded under the AIMS-DFG Fellowship Programme.

Two different modules are available:

• Trips abroad to one of the five AIMS centres (in Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal or South Africa) undertaken by researchers in the German research system (max. three months)
• Guest visits to Germany undertaken by researchers in early career phases from African countries (max. three months)

The focus of this programme is to facilitate cooperation visits. However, the funding of scientific workshops can be granted in exceptional cases.

The funding remains available for a maximum of 12 months after the approval date: individual collaborative measures must be carried out within this time frame.

Eligibility

Applicants: researchers who have obtained their doctorates and who are working in the German research system may apply. Special rules apply to members of non-university research institutions. For further details, please consult the “Guidelines on the Duty to Cooperate” (DFG form 55.01; see link below).

Applicants from Germany visiting an AIMS centre:

• must be working in the German research system;
• must fulfil the DFG eligibility requirements;
• can apply to visit an AIMS centre themselves;
• must submit a letter of invitation from a host researcher at an AIMS centre.

Fellows from Africa visiting a host institution in Germany:

• can receive funding for their guest visit through an applicant in Germany;
• must have obtained their doctorate, be on track to defend their thesis or show proof of research activity. Candidates must have published at least one scientific article in a peer-reviewed journal listed on Math-SciNet or zbMath, for example;
• require a letter of support from an AIMS centre.

Applicants may apply either to undertake a cooperation visit to an AIMS centre themselves or for a fellow from Africa to visit the applicant’s institution.

For further information on the programme, eligibility and instructions for proposal preparation, please refer to the “Guidelines on Proposals for Grants to Support the Initiation of International Collaboration” (DFG form 1.813; see link below).

Application

Proposals must be submitted in English by 31 October 2023.

Proposals can only be submitted by researchers from Germany. Researchers from African countries act as cooperation partners and can receive DFG funding through their German cooperation partners.

If you are using the DFG’s elan system for the first time, please note that you will need to register before you may use the system. Allow at least one working day for your registration to be processed. If you have not yet registered, please note that you must do so by 17 October 2023 in order to submit a proposal under this call; registration requests received after this time cannot be considered.

Note that you will be asked to select the appropriate call “AIMS-DFG Cooperation Visits Programme 2024” during the proposal process.

The DFG very much welcomes proposals from researchers of all genders and sexual identities, from different ethnic, cultural, religious, ideological or social backgrounds, at different career stages and with disabilities or chronic illness. With regard to the subject-specific focus of this call, the DFG encourages female researchers in particular to submit proposals.

Further Information

General information for German applicants on the “Initiation of International Collaboration” programme: