M4 Exploratory Projects
Call for Proposals within the Frame of the University’s Institutional Strategy
Exploratory Projects are projects initiated by individual researchers: Innovative risk-taking projects receive generous support for the financing of resources and enjoy high levels of freedom. They investigate new lines of research and prepare the ground for disciplinary breakthroughs.
Individual researchers, both within and outside the high-profile areas, are provided with the means to pursue issues that do not necessarily fall within the joint research programs of collaborative research units.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY? The program is open to full-time professors of the University of Bremen.
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? An Exploratory Project entails pursuing an innovative and high-risk research issue with a view to exploring new avenues of research or the development of new methods. It is expected that Exploratory Projects result in international publications containing original approaches to hitherto neglected thematic areas in high-ranking scientific journals and publishing houses, in subjects where monographs constitute the norm.
SCOPE OF FUNDING: Exploratory Projects can also be carried out together with a cooperation partner: Such “Shared Professorships” provide an excellent opportunity for recruiting young external researchers for intensive research here in Bremen. The teaching load is shared; the deputy professor can be appointed for up to a year with a 50% teaching load—but on full salary. This measure is suitable for advanced postdocs and returning researchers from abroad.
Each Exploratory Project can be allocated up to 90,000 Euros p. a. over a two-year period. This can be spent flexibly, e.g. on staffing, equipment, financing the stays of visiting international guests, or a sabbatical semester. Upon request the salary for a PhD student can be funded for a third year. Within the scope of a Shared Professorship, in addition to the project costs the additional professor is paid in accordance with a full W2 position and for a period of up to one year.
PROCEDURE: The University‘s Institutional Strategy foresees funding for up to three Exploratory Projects per year. Deadline for the submission of proposals under the 2012/2013 call is 3rd December 2012, 11:59 p.m.
The selection procedure is a competitive one in which the Research Funding Committees draw on external expert opinions. Beside the applicant’s qualification, the innovative and risk character of the proposed project are central selection criteria. The Rectorate takes the final decision on the basis of recommendations submitted by the Research Funding Committee.
Application guideline (German)[DOC] (99 KB)
Declaration (German)[PDF] (415 KB)
