Application

Career Exploration Scholarship (JST)

1. Application process

Requirements for applications/applicants

• Students / Alumni of agricultural sciences or another development-related degree course (e.g. biology, geography, sociology, veterinary medicine, marine biology, forestry, political sciences, law, economics etc.) envisioning a scientific career path;
• Advanced scientific experience (BSc degree or higher);
• Affiliation/ attachment to a German university (going to a CGIAR) or to a national university of an OECD-DAC partner country (going to a German research institution);
• Confirmation from a CGIAR center that a supervisor for the candidate is identified and the research topic is accepted / stating the attachment to a CGIAR research project;
• Confirmation from a University supervisor to support the application and the research topic;
• Very good command of the English language. In some countries, knowledge of other languages (e.g. French, Spanish, Arabic) may be advantageous;     
• High degree of sensitivity towards the culture in the country of assignment; team player; ability to work under pressure; willingness to assume responsibility and to work independently;
• Willingness to engulf in six months of research abroad;

The Applications must include

1. Application form (please click here to download)
2. Letter of Motivation (LoM) max. 1 page
3. CV
4. Outline of the research project concept of about 3 to 4 pages:
   • Including the planned research topic and a time schedule with a month-by-month work plan.
   • The planned research should preferrable be connected to an ATSAF Academy PhD project or to an ongoing CGIAR++ research activity.
   • In case the stay is used as opportunity to collect data to complete the MSc degree, please keep in mind that your time at the CGIAR center or the German research institute is exclusively for research, not for thesis writing.
   • Please include the date of the planned departure or the start of work abroad.
5. Enrolment certificate of the German or national university, if applicable
6. Letter of Confirmation (LoC):
   • For Junior Scientists affiliated to a German university; career exploration stay at CGIAR:
     • LoC from the CGIAR center, confirming:
       • to host and supervise the Junior Scientist at the respective CGIAR center
       • the title and thematic link to the hosting CGIAR research project
       • if applicable, the ATSAF Academy PhD project that the Junior Scientist will contribute to
       • the research focus of the Junior Scientist, and
       • if available: the research focus of the envisaged tandem partner (second Junior Scientist)
   • For Junior Scientists affiliated to a national university of an OECD-DAC partner country, career exploration stay at a German research institution:
     • LoC from the German research institute, confirming:
       • to host and supervise the Junior Scientist at the German research institute, and
     • LoC from the CGIAR center, stating:
       • the title and thematic link to the hosting CGIAR research project
       • if applicable, the ATSAF Academy PhD project that the Junior Scientist will contribute to
       • the research focus of the Junior Scientist (can also be included in the LoC from the German research institution), and
       • if available: the research focus of the envisaged tandem partner (second Junior Scientist, can also be included in the LoC from the German university).
7. Letter of supervision Confirmation (LoSC):
   • For Junior Scientists affiliated to a German university; career exploration stay at CGIAR:
     • LoSC from the German university supervisor, stating that she/he will supervise the research concept.
   • For Junior Scientists affiliated to a national university of an OECD-DAC partner country, career exploration stay at a German research institution:
     • LoSC from the national university supervisor, stating that she/he will supervise the research concept.
8. Letter of Recommendation (LoR) from a university lecturer or the German or national university supervisor, respectively. If the LoR is from the German or national university supervisor, respectively, it may be included in the Letter of supervision Confirmation.

Please note that the application for the JST program can be submitted as follows:

• by the complete Tandem-Team, including the application of the student enrolled at the German university and the application of the student enrolled at the university of a partner country
  • OR
• independently of each other: one single partner of the Tandem may apply for the JST program independently of the other Tandem partner.

2. After acceptance

Once you have been accepted, the scholarship contract, that will be concluded with ATSAF e.V., ATSAF Academy will provide a lump sum for travel and cost of living. For the duration of the stay abroad, you must conclude an international health insurance incl. medically necessary home transport and an international liability insurance before you go. After your stay abroad it is mandatory to submit a final report about your stay and to fill out an evaluation form that will be provided by ATSAF Academy..

Contract

The scholarship is intended to contribute to expenditures during the career exploration stay and will be 5.000€ for students enrolled at a German university and going to a CGIAR, and 7.000€ for students of national universities of OECD-DAC partner countries going to a German research institution.

The scholarship will be paid out in two payments. Payment 1 (4.500€ / 6.500€) will be transferred to your account at the beginning and payment 2 (500€ / 500€) will be transferred to you at the end of you stay, once you have sent us a report about your stay.

Following are conditions that must be met before you receive the first payment:

1. Scholarship contract:We will send you the scholarship contract, which you have to fill in all the missing information (your bank details, etc.) and send it back to us.
2. Confirmation of
   • Healths insurance, and
   • Liability insurance for the entire stay abroad

The Letter of Agreement (LoA)

• After acceptance, ATSAF e.V. will provide the Letter of Agreement to be signed by all involved parties.
  • For Junior Scientists affiliated to a German university; career exploration stay at CGIAR:The LoA between ATSAF e.V. and the research center has to be signed by the representative of the center and the Junior Scientist and the signed scanned copy sent back to us. We will send the LoA to your supervisor at the center with the request of letting it be signed from the responsible person.
  • For Junior Scientists affiliated to a national university of an OECD-DAC partner country, career exploration stay at a German research institution:The LoA between ATSAF e.V. and German research institution has to be signed by the representative of the German research institutionand the Juniro Scientist and the signed scanned copy sent back to us. We will send the LoA to your supervisor at the German research institution with the request of letting it be signed from the responsible person.

Because of security issues, there are a number of countries which cannot be traveled to, please consult the country recommendations of the German Foreign Office for advice. The first information about this can be found on the website of the German Foreign Office: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-und-sicherheitshinweise. Be aware, that the list is regularly updated, and countries might be added according to changing security situations. In case you are in doubt about your target country, please contact us in time.

Please note, that you are responsible for organizing your own visa. Your visa must respond to the entry regulations of the research center or the German research institution. The research center or the German research institution are responsible to assist in visa issues. Please contact your supervisor as soon as possible for the necessary invitation or other required documents.

Please be aware that ATSAF Academy is providing scholarships and is not responsible for the establishment of the research cooperation, the content of the envisaged research project and any logistical support (e.g. accommodation, flight, etc.) during the career exploration scholarship. We are, however, always eager to help if possible.

If you have any questions or need help with the application procedure, please contact Beatrice Breuer or Sabine Baumgartner (jst@atsaf.de).