Financial support for PhD candidates
The Minds, Media, Machines Integrated Graduate School (MMMIGS) supports doctoral candidates and supervisors associated with the interdisciplinary high-profile area Minds, Media, Machines at the University of Bremen. As one support measure for PhD candidates, MMMIGS offers grants to fund research, training, and networking activities that directly benefit the PhD project of the candidate (MMMIGS PhD Grants). Ideally, the planned activity also has a positive impact on the high-profile area, the graduate school, and possibly the doctoral program of which the applicant is a member.
Eligibility
Doctoral candidates are eligible to apply for a MMMIGS PhD Grant if they are members of a doctoral program in the MMMIGS network or if their supervisor is a member of the high-profile area Minds, Media, Machines. Please check your eligibility before applying and mention the doctoral program and / or supervisor in the application. In case of doubt, please contact MMMIGS coordinator Lena Wollschläger.
Conditions
Funding may be requested for research, training, and networking activities that directly benefit the PhD project of the applicant and ideally also have a positive impact on the high-profile area Minds, Media, Machines, the integrated graduate school, and possibly the doctoral program of which the applicant is a member. The expected benefit and impact need to be explained in the application (see guideline below).
Please refer to the list of fundable activities for examples. For additional activities or in case of doubt, candidates should contact MMMIGS coordinator Lena Wollschläger to check whether the planned activity is covered by this call. Generally, only activities for which no alternative funding (e.g. through the working group or the doctoral program) is available can be funded.
Proposals can be submitted anytime, however, it is advised to contact MMMIGS coordinator Lena Wollschläger beforehand to check whether the planned activity can be funded and enough funds are available.
The doctoral candidate has to provide a written report including a short summary and some pictures for use on the MMMIGS website and social media accounts, no later than four weeks after completing the funded activity. In case of publications resulting from the funded activity, funding through the MMMIGS PhD Grant has to be explicitly acknowledged.
Fundable activities
- Attending a conference / workshop / summer school to present one’s research, expand one’s network or learn a relevant method, theory or skill (travel + subsistence, participation fee)
- Visiting a national or international research group (research stay) to collaborate on a research project or learn a relevant method, theory or skill (travel + subsistence)
- Inviting a guest researcher, for example an external supervisor, for a stay in Bremen (travel + subsistence)
- Organizing and hosting an event aimed at expanding one’s network or increasing one’s visibility, for example a workshop, science slam or podcast (organizational expenses, student assistants, equipment, consumables, possibly travel + subsistence for participants, …)
- Conducting a study (small equipment, special software, consumables, student assistants, compensation for participants, …)
- Scientific communication and science communication (proofreading service, publication expenses, equipment, consumables, student assistants, …)
- Family support (childcare during events, additional travel expenses, …)
- Individual coaching, for example during preparation of a grant application
- Additional activities on request
Procedure
Confirm with your supervisor that you are eligible to apply for a MMMIGS PhD Grant and that they endorse your application. Prepare the following documents and submit them by email to mmmigs@uni-bremen.de with your supervisor in CC:
- Application according to the guideline
- Current academic CV (including publications, if applicable)
Ask your supervisor to confirm your application by answering to your submission with a short informal statement to the same email address.
Proposals will be reviewed by the MMMIGS coordinator and spokespersons on a rolling base. Applicants will be informed about the decision within two weeks after the submission is complete.
In case of limited availability of funds, preference is given to proposals of PhD candidates who have not benefitted from a MMMIGS Grant before.
Downloads
Application guideline
<elements in angle brackets are explanatory and should be removed>
Name of applicant:
Affiliation: <if University of Bremen, also include faculty / institute>
PhD program:
Supervisor:
Working title of PhD thesis:
Type of planned activity: <e.g., summer school>
Time frame: [YYYY-MM-DD] — [YYYY-MM-DD]
Requested funds (EUR):
1 Summary
<provide a short summary of the planned activity and its benefits for your PhD project>
2 Description
<describe the planned activity including all necessary prerequisites and the envisaged time frame for carrying it out>
3 Expected Impact
<describe how the planned activity will benefit your PhD project and, if applicable, shortly outline the impact on your PhD program, the high-profile area Minds, Media, Machines and the Integrated Graduate School>
4 Financial Plan
<provide a list of the requested cost items in tabular form and briefly justify each item>
5 References
<if applicable >
6 Statement
I hereby confirm that my supervisor is informed about and approves this application and that I do not have other resources available or requested for the planned activity. I am aware that I have to submit a written report no later than four weeks after completing the funded activity and that funding through the MMMIGS PhD Grant has to be explicitly acknowledged should publications result from the activity.
<date, signature of applicant>
