Funding Instrument 2 Type B

NWG - Cooperation Project

Establishment of junior research groups: Cooperation project of two junior scientists from clinic and theoretical institute.

The goal of this instrument is to strengthen research at clinics and promote interactions within the faculty. The NWG - Collaborative Project is oriented towards funding collaborative projects that use complex experimental methods and have a direct clinical connection. The instrument is used to generate data to obtain extramural external funding. The two applicants should publish the data obtained in the project as "shared senior author". Clearly define the roles/responsibilities of both applicants within the collaborative project.

Application & Deadlines

For who?

Natural scientists in the postdoc phase
Medics with a specialist's degree or forthcoming degree
BONFOR-Funded from Instrument 1
Excellent scientists who have moved to the UCB from outside

Exception

Habilitated individuals and scientists with their own extramural third-party funding are no longer eligible for this funding arm.
(Exception: doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships)

Requirements

Required Qualification

Scientists with a doctorate degree¹

One applicant partner must be clinically active, the other should be employed at a theoretical institute.

At least 2 years of postdoctoral experience at time of application submission.
(the date of the doctoral certificate is decisive)

Upper limit years after completed doctorate/postdoc years: generally 4-6 years after doctorate, exceptions are possible and will be reviewed/decided individually. Parental leave will be taken into account.

Parallel funding only possible in the second funding year for BONFOR grantees from funding instrument 1A

¹Note: Above average doctorate

In the case of a doctorate not recognized in Germany (including a professional doctorate acquired abroad), an application may be admitted in justified individual cases. In justified individual cases, an application may be admitted despite the absence of a doctorate if proof of doctorate-equivalent achievements can be provided in the form of a publication as first author in a quality-assured journal and the applicant can clearly demonstrate the share of his or her independent scientific work in this (listing of those results of the publication that were generated by the applicant and confirmation by signature that he or she personally carried out these results).

Award Criteria

Proof:

The scope of the preliminary data and the applicant's publication record should be such that, if the project is successful, an extramural third-party funding application can be submitted in the second funding year at the latest.
At least two original papers with first or last authorship in a peer-reviewed English-language journal recognized in the field, at least one of which must be from the postdoctoral period; requirement applies to both applicants.

Full-time job² at UCB

At the latest from the application deadline until the end of the requested funding period and at least 1 year thereafter.

²Note: Full-time job

In the case of family-related part-time employment, different arrangements can be made. Please contact the BONFOR Coordination Office in advance for clarification.

Grants

Personnel funds
per funding year 100% non-scientific staff or 65% doctoral position ( fixed amount according to the current staffing rates of the DFG) or SHK/ WHK (no postdoc, remuneration and employment scope according to the SHK/WHK guidelines of the University of Bonn); please justify planned type of staff from the project.

Travel and publication costs
Application for funding to cover travel and publication costs is excluded.

Materials
Max. 15,000 € per year (incl. animal costs and computer software, hardware support and technical equipment are excluded).

Core Facility Services
max. 3,000 € per year (exclusively CF established at UCB)

Duration of Funding

It is possible to apply for 12 or 24 months of funding directly, provided that a total funding period of 3 years in both instruments 1 and 2 is not exceeded (i.e. scientists can apply for a maximum of 1 junior research group year following a 2-year instrument 1 funding).

In the case of a 24-month grant approved a priori, no mid-term evaluation is required.

Continuation Funding

If only 12 months of funding were initially requested, a continuation application for a second funding year may be submitted at one of the meeting dates, provided the total funding period is not exceeded.

Combination Possibilities and Follow-up Funding

If the relevant requirements are met:
Total funding period in both instruments (1A or 1B and Instr. 2): max. 3 years

Doctors
Application for a junior research group parallel to a second Gerok year (Instr. 1A).

Natural Scientist
Application for a junior research group following a 12-month 1B grant instead of a 1B continuation year.

Procedure

Step 1

Project Application

Contacting the Coordination office
Consultation by the Team Internal Funding
Getting Access to the BONFOR eApplication system
Submission of the project application via the BONFOR eApplication system.

Step 2

Appraisal & Decision

One internal and one external expert opinion, commission consultation

Step 3

Project Execution

12 or 24 months

Step 4

Evaluation & Project Presentation

Final report to the date of account closure
Documentation of external follow-up financing and publications achieved
Presentation of the research project at the BONFOR symposium

Application & Deadlines

Submission of the project application in English including mandatory and additional documents via the BONFOR eApplication system.

BONFOR eApplication

Checklist

Project Application

Please use the following template to describe your project proposal (in English language):

Project proposal 2024 (EN)

Please use the following document for your project proposal:

Project proposal (EN)

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your application:

Mandatory Documents

Project Application in english language (s. template)
One page of summary of the research project
Curriculum vitae and scientific background of both applicants (with exam grades)
Doctoral Certificate
Publication List
Original papers (at least 2 according to the abovementioned award criteria and published by the application deadline)
Declaration on the current duration of the employment contract¹) (specialist contract) and job approval by the clinic/institute management (text template)
Signed guidelines for the use of BONFOR funds
Declaration Bonfor-applicant

¹ If total employment period (= requested funding period plus 1 year of continued employment) is incompletely covered by employment contract: Application for job extension by the clinic/institute management for the remaining period, if necessary subject to BONFOR funding approval: see UKB Intranet: Business Unit 1 - Recruiting - Application for implementation of a personnel measure.

When Applying for Doctoral Student Funding

Approval by the head of the institution for a doctoral position of at least 3 years (fallback in case of negative interim evaluation)
Supervision agreement of a university teacher for the doctoral student

When Applying for Partial Funding of Your Own Position

Ensuring appropriate time off for the research project
Funding commitment from the institution's management for the remaining job share

Additional Documents

Cooperation agreement(s)
Votum of the Ethics commission
Animal Testing Permit
Further Documentation

Commitment Statements

Workplace Agreement
of the responsible working group management for the requested BONFOR funding period
Employment Contract
or legally binding continued employment for the requested funding period as well as at least 1 year after the end of the funding period (if necessary, an extension of the employment contract can be applied for at GB1 subject to the BONFOR funding approval; please clarify details with the BONFOR office in due time and before submitting the BONFOR application).
Fallback-Option bei Doktorandenfinanzierung
BONFOR funds can only be applied for and approved for doctoral funding if the institutions give the doctoral candidate a legally binding commitment to a minimum 3-year contract period for their doctoral position (fallback in case of negative interim evaluation).
Fallback Option for Doctoral Funding
Since, as a rule, the head of the junior research group does not yet have the doctoral degree, the application must be accompanied by a corresponding confirmation of supervision by a university teacher.

Deadlines

Grant applications may be submitted at any time, but must be submitted via the BONFOR eApplication system no later than the application deadline for the respective meeting date.

Application Deadlines