Maria Reiche Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Letter of Recommendation of the hosting professorship of the TU Dresden incl. the declaration on setting up of necessary framework conditions for the project realization (provision of the required infrastructure or connection to the respective professorship/research institution) must be filled in and signed by the holder of the professorship.

The required Letter of Reference can be provided by another university professor of your choice. The Letter of Reference does not have to be filled in from a TU Dresden internal professor; more imporant is the reviewer should be able to provide meaningful information about your previous academic career and/or your previous scientific research activities.

If applicable, for the faculty's statement of support for your habilitation, please contact the Dean of the faculty.

In case of an application for a Maria Reiche Postdoctoral Fellowship, membership in the Graduate Academy is not required. Membership must be applied for within two months in case of a positive funding decision.

Membership in the Graduate Academy is free and must be formally applied for. To apply, please log in to Promovendus and complete the online Graduate Academy Membership Application. For more information, please visit our Graduate Academy Membership website.

No, in principle you do not have to apply for a Maria Reiche Starter Kit.
This depends entirely on the activities you are planning to develop and sharpen your own scientific profile. If you are planning a short research stay or participation on conferences, symposia and workshops within Germany and/or abroad, then you may be interested in our funding progrmas for Mobility & Networks .
If you have any questions or uncertainties, please feel free to make an appointment for an individual consultation. We look forward to your inquiry!

Tip: In any case, you should include the planned measures and planned activities in your time and work plan to be submitted.

The description of the planned project with the aim of obtaining third-party funding should not exceed 4 pages and should include the following information:

• Main topic and aims
• Work program for the preparation of an application for a third-party funded project in the intended funding period, including an explanation of the extent how (much)  the planned third-party funded application bis based on the previous scientific work or develops it further
• Time and work plan

• Personal assessment of the competences for processing the proposed work program

• Statement why the research location Dresden and/or the TU Dresden is preferred for the elaboration and preparation measures of a third party funding application.

There are no formal requirements for the description of the planned project, but the following recommendations:

• Paper size: A4
• Font size 10 | preferably Arial
• Cover sheet and bibliography can be submitted in addition to the 4 pages

Subsequent submissions are only possible within the application deadline.
Incomplete and belated applications cannot be considered in the selection process.

The selection of the awardees is made by the specially established selection committee. The Rector of the TU Dresden chairs the selection committee qua office. The members of the selection committee are:
1. the Rector of the TU Dresden
2. the Vice-Rector Research of the TU Dresden
3. the Vice-Rector University Culture of the TU Dresden
4. the Gender Equality Commissioner and Women´s Representative of the TU Dresden
5. three members of the executive committee of the Graduate Academy
6. Members of the Research Advisory Board may be called in by the Prorector Research or the responsible Prorector Research on behalf of the chairperson of the selection committee for the professional assessment of the submitted applications.

Awardees are selected through a two-stage selection process. After the assessment and selection of the handed in application documents, suitable candidates are invited to a personal interview with the selection committee.

The selection criteria are:
1. qualification of the applicant
(academic achievements, publications, prizes/awards, third-party funding)
2. quality and feasibility of the project within the funding period
3. consideration of the life situation
4. completeness and on-time submission of the application documents

Confirmations of receipt will be sent via e-mail approximately one week after the application deadline. Please refrain from telephone inquiries during this time. Thank you for your understanding.

Decisions on awardees will be made in the end of June. Any acceptances or rejections will be sent until mid-July.

No, the grants are not subject to social insurance contribution, because according to § 3 Nr. 44 Income Tax Act (EStG) they are exempt from taxation. Reception of the grant does not constitute a employment relationship and thus does not represent a payment according to § 14 Social Insurance Code (SGB) IV. As a result, the funding is not subject to social insurance contribution. It is the grant holder's sole responsibility to arrange for all her necessary personal and property insurances. Financial assistance in case of illness, or contributions to health insurance cannot be granted.

No, because the grants do not constitute an employment relationship, your health is not insured via the TU Dresden. As it is obligatory to be sufficiently health insured, it is your own responsibility to procure a health insurance and cover its costs. Neither does the grant include an accident or third party liability insurance. We therefore highly recommend you arrange for those insurances as well.

In principle, it is possible to pursue sideline activities and as well as to earn additional income during the funding period if they do not impair the purpose of the scholarship in terms of type and scope.

Before taking up or carrying out sideline activities, written approval must be obtained from the Rector of the TU Dresden  via the Graduate Academy. Sideline activities and additional earnings may not exceed a maximum of 10 hours per week.

An interim report of a maximum of five pages on the status of the work, the completed work packages as well as a precise time schedule must be submitted to the Graduate Academy of the TU Dresden at the latest three months before the end of the first funding year. These documents must be accompanied by an Letter of Recommendation of the supervising professor. The chairperson of the selection committee decides on the basis of the submitted documents about the further funding for the second funding year.

Awardees are obligated to inform the Graduate Academy of the TU Dresden immediately of the submission of the application for third-party funding.

Upon completion of the funding, a final report must be submitted to the Graduate Academy of the TU Dresden within eight weeks. The final report should be about four pages long and include information on the work performed within the Maria Reiche Postdoctoral Fellowship and information on the status of the submission of the application for third-party funding, a copy of the application for third-party funding and, in case of approval or rejection, a copy of the decision.

An interruption of the research project due to illness, pregnancy, special family burdens of the awardee or for another important reason for which the awardee is not responsible is generally possible. Suitable evidence of this must be provided. The interruption must be applied for by the awardee via the Graduate Academy to the chairperson of the selection committee.

The interruption can be applied for up to one year. Funding is suspended during the interruption and is extended by the duration of the remaining funding period when work on the funding purpose is resumed.

In the case of pregnancy, the scholarship will continue to be paid during the periods of protection under the Maternity Protection Act. The interruption due to maternity leave does not count towards the duration of the scholarship.

No, it is not possible to receive a scholarship (short- or long-term) or a mobility grant (short-term research stay abroad) of the Graduate Academy/TU Dresden during parental leave. The payment of any scholarship rests during parental leave. In case of pregnancy, the payment of the scholarship will continue during the maternity protection period according to the Maternity Protection Law and after the end of the parental leave. The interruption during that time will not be charged on the length of the scholarship.