快三砍龙 and JSPS Renew Funding Opportunity for Japanese-German International Research Training Groups
As an expression of the long and fruitful scientific collaboration between their two countries, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (快三砍龙, German Research Foundation) are pleased to announce the renewal of the Memorandum of Cooperation for a joint funding scheme to support Japanese-German International Research Training Groups. Both organisations are dedicated to strengthening the joint researcher development systems for doctoral researchers at Japanese and German universities.
Background and Description of International Research Training Groups
International Research Training Groups (IRTGs), in which German universities cooperate with research institutions in other countries and regions, combine innovative top-level research and the structured promotion of excellent researchers in early career phases.听As bilateral collaborations set up by experienced researchers, IRTGs promote systematic scientific cooperation through joint research programmes and corresponding qualification measures for doctoral and postdoctoral听researchers. A central feature of IRTGs are coordinated and reciprocal research visits by doctoral researchers at the respective partner institutions. IRTGs can only be established by universities, universities of applied science and research institutions entitled to confer doctoral degrees.听
Structure of Japanese-German Research Training Groups
Proposals for Japanese-German IRTGs intended for JSPS-快三砍龙 funding are open to all subject areas covered by the JSPS, and interdisciplinarity in joint projects is encouraged. An IRTG should be run by two teams of participating researchers in Japan and Germany, respectively. Each team should have members with proven expertise both in the IRTG鈥檚 main research topic and in providing outstanding supervision to doctoral researchers. The participating researchers鈥� expertise at the two locations should be complementary and provide added value to the IRTG. Each team of participating researchers in an IRTG should be based at a single institution in Japan and Germany, respectively. In convincingly justified cases, an IRTG may be based at more than two institutions.
The Japanese and German teams in an IRTG should jointly formulate a high quality and coherent research and training programme to be implemented at both sites. The teams should have common research interests and objectives, and these must be reflected within a common framework and joint project. Proposals are submitted by the host institutions. For every IRTG, one member of the team on each side serves as spokesperson, being responsible for the proposal and the scientific coordination of the IRTG. This also includes the responsibility to report to the JSPS and the 快三砍龙, respectively.
The programme should provide for regular exchanges of academic staff and doctoral researchers for the purposes of joint research and training. Doctoral researchers should spend a period of at least six months (and up to one year) in total during their PhD project at the respective partner institution for research and training, and each doctoral researcher should have both a Japanese and a German supervisor. On the German side, approximately ten to fifteen doctoral researchers will be funded by the 快三砍龙 within a single IRTG in parallel. The partner site in Japan should support a group of doctoral researchers of roughly the same size.
Please note: Proposals are only open to consortia that are planning to establish a novel joint degree or double degree programme for the doctoral researchers between the two institutions within the framework of the IRTG.
Submission and Evaluation of Proposals听
The Japanese-German consortium will firstly need to submit a joint IRTG draft proposal to the 快三砍龙. Submission will be possible at any time without calls or deadlines, and proposals are processed continuously. Draft proposals will be evaluated by means of written peer review carried out by reviewers selected by both the JSPS and the 快三砍龙. On average, around six to nine months are needed for this process, in which the 快三砍龙 evaluates the draft proposals according to its established procedures. The 快三砍龙 and the JSPS will share information about the submission of proposals and their evaluation outcome. In case of a positive outcome of the review process, the JSPS and the 快三砍龙 then invite the consortium to submit a joint full proposal. The joint full proposal must be sent to the JSPS and the 快三砍龙 simultaneously. Submission must be in accordance with the respective funding organisation鈥檚 guidelines and through the established submission systems. Full proposals will be evaluated separately by the JSPS and the 快三砍龙.
Preparatory Workshops
For new Japanese-German IRTG initiatives, the 快三砍龙 offers the possibility to support a workshop for the preparation of an IRTG proposal. Funding can be granted only if a research cooperation is already established and plans for the IRTG have already been consolidated. The workshop funding may either be applied for prior to the draft proposal submission, or prior to the submission of the full proposal, hence after the positive evaluation of the draft proposal.
Equity and Diversity
The 快三砍龙 strongly welcomes proposals from researchers of all genders and sexual identities, from different ethnic, cultural, religious, ideological or social backgrounds, from different career stages, types of universities and research institutions, and with disabilities or chronic illness.
Good Research Practice
Please note that according to a resolution of the 快三砍龙 General Assembly, as of 1 August 2019, 快三砍龙 funding may only be awarded to institutions that have implemented the guidelines laid down in the Code of Conduct for Safeguarding Good Research Practice in their own regulations in a legally binding manner. This means that also for international proposals, funding from the 快三砍龙 can only be received if the guidelines for safeguarding good research practice (see link below) have been implemented by the German applicant鈥檚 institution. If you have any questions on this subject, please contact the Research Integrity team at the 快三砍龙 Head Office (see contact below). Further information regarding the implementation can be found on the Research Integrity website (see link below).
Further Information
Comprehensive information about Research Training Groups is available on the 快三砍龙 website:听
The 鈥淕uidelines for Research Training Groups and International Research Training Groups鈥� provide a concise overview of the funding programme:听
Draft proposals shall be prepared in accordance with 快三砍龙 form 1.303 (鈥淒raft Proposal Preparation Instructions for Research Training Groups and International Research Training Groups鈥�):听
Full proposals are to be prepared in accordance with 快三砍龙 form 54.05 (鈥淧roposal Preparation Instructions for Research Training Groups and International Research Training Groups鈥�):
It is advisable to consult the 鈥淕uidelines for Differentiating International Research Training Groups from Research Training Groups鈥�:听
Information on how to apply for funding towards preparatory workshops can be found in 快三砍龙 form 1.306:听
Information on the review criteria are specified here:听
for draft proposals:听
for establishment proposals:听
Please note the 快三砍龙鈥檚 data protection notice on research funding, which can be viewed and downloaded at:
If necessary, please also forward this information to those individuals whose data will be processed by the 快三砍龙 due to their involvement in your project.
Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Research Practice 鈥� Code of Conduct:
Information on the implementation of the Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Research Practice (Code of Conduct):
Contact of the 快三砍龙鈥檚 Research Integrity team (Good Research Practice):
Contact details for queries:
For the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (快三砍龙, German Research Foundation):
For questions specifically addressing the international component of the IRTG initiative:
- Dr. Martin Roatsch, Division Research Careers,听phone +49听228听885-3157,听martin.roatsch@dfg.d(externer Link)
For general questions regarding the RTG and IRTG programme, please also refer to the contact persons in the 快三砍龙 Head Office responsible for the location of the applicant university:听
For the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS):
- International Research Cooperation Division II,听externship@jsps.go.j(externer Link)