University of Bonn SDG Fellowship Program for African Students 2023

Through this fellowship program, tenured faculty (in the rank of professor) at the University of Bonn can invite international postdoctoral fellows for a joint research project on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations in its Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

The scientists should research and teach together with a professor from the University of Bonn for one or two semesters. The funding is for a period of at least 3 and not more than 12 months.

About University of Bonn

We are one of eleven German Universities of Excellence, the only university with six Clusters of Excellence and more Nobel Prize winners and Fields Medalists have emerged from our University in the past decades than from any other German university. For 200 years, our University has been shaped by outstanding personalities from a wide range of subjects. We are known for research-led study programs, the international flair of Bonn as German's city of the United Nations and as part of a dynamic science region in the heart of the liveable Rhineland. With around 35,000 students, 6,000 doctoral... read more

University of Bonn SDG Fellowship Program

Aim and Benefits of University of Bonn SDG Fellowship Program

The funding can cover the following:

• A travel allowance (depending on country of origin)
• A scholarship of €3,000 per month (additional funds for family members: up to €300 for a spouse and €250 per child)
• A research expense allowance of up to €500 per month.

Insurance benefits are not included in the scholarship.

Requirements for University of Bonn SDG Fellowship Program Qualification

• Post-doctoral researchers (with foreign citizenship) invited by a professor of the University of Bonn for a joint research project.
• The fellow should have a long-term affiliation (research or teach) at a university or research institute in the above-mentioned regions beyond her/his fellowship and demonstrate proven expertise in an area of research from the thematic spectrum of the SDGs.

Interview date, Process and Venue for University of Bonn SDG Fellowship Program

Selection Criteria

Project proposals are evaluated in two categories:

• Academic Quality and Mutual Benefit (50%): quality of the research project to be worked on during the stay in Bonn; work on a topic that contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations in its Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development; relevance of the research topic to developments in the region of origin; fellow’s contribution to academic life in Bonn (e.g. via public lectures, seminars or colloquiums); fellow’s integration into the host institute (place of work, integration into existing teaching and research activities).
• Strategic Relevance and Potential for Future Cooperation (50%): Intensity of the existing cooperation; plans for long-term research relationships between the fellow and the host institute in Bonn; connection to Bonn’s research profile; how the research will be shared with broader academic communities.

In case two proposal score the same, the category “Academic Quality and Mutual Benefit” will be given priority.

Documents Required for Application

• Online form
• Project description (PDF of max. 8 pages), consisting of:
  • An outline of the research project to be worked on during the fellow’s stay in Bonn; please write your proposal for a multidisciplinary audience
  • Reasons for the fellow’s invitation and a description of his or her contribution to research and teaching at the University of Bonn, an outline of the activities through which the fellow will enrich university life at the University of Bonn during his or her stay there
  • An overview of the collaboration between the applicant and the fellow so far
  • An outline of the integration of the fellow into the host institute (place of work, participation in teaching and research activities)
  • An outline of follow-on value: (a) plan for the outcome of the stay, (b) plan for growing the collaboration in the future.
• Fellow’s CV (PDF)
• A financing plan (please use the following Excel file, download here)

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details,visit University of Bonn website