The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds - Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowships

Benefit

A scholarship is a form of financial support that enables you to carry out research. You will receive a monthly stipend (a living allowance) of around 3,000 EUR, plus a materials allowance to pursue a PhD in the field of basic biomedical research. The exact amount of the scholarship depends on the cost of living at your place of work: approximately 2,400 EUR per month in Germany, 2,450 EUR in Austria, 2,900 EUR in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, 3,500 EUR in Switzerland and 3,800 EUR in the USA. The funding runs for 2 years and may be extended once by up to 1.5 years, bringing the total duration to a maximum of 3.5 years. In addition to the funding, you will receive travel allowances for conferences and methodology courses, a family allowance (up to 500 EUR per month per child under 12, as well as 200 EUR per month for a low-income spouse), regular seminars, including a 5-day communication training course, and access to a global network of current and former scholarship holders. The scholarship is administered by the Boehringer Ingelheim Fund, a foundation for basic medical research based in Mainz.

Eligibility

• Field: Your project is an experimental, basic biomedical research project that investigates the functioning of human biology. The following are not eligible for funding: applied biotechnology or pharmaceutical development, clinical trials, purely botanical or bacteriological work, as well as teaching modules or laboratory rotation periods.
• Degree: Before commencing your PhD, you must hold a BSc, MSc, a Diplom or an equivalent qualification. Doctors, vets and pharmacists must have passed their state examinations. You may apply even before your degree certificate has been issued, provided you can submit it within four months.
• Timing: You must submit your application right at the start of your PhD, no later than 6 months after the project begins. Your first higher education qualification must not have been obtained more than 8 years (96 months) prior to the cut-off date. Exceptions may be made in cases of child-rearing, prolonged illness or vocational training undertaken prior to your degree studies.
• Nationality and where you go: Europeans are eligible for funding worldwide. Non-Europeans are only eligible for funding for a PhD completed in Europe. In this context, ‘Europe’ is defined geographically and includes the United Kingdom, Turkey, Israel and several former Soviet states. Europeans must have completed their secondary or higher education in Europe.
• Placement: You have already been assigned a supervisor and a host institution. You do not need to be officially enrolled on a PhD programme.
• Other work: You must not undertake any regular employment during the scholarship. Light work is permitted for up to 5 hours per week.

How to apply

Applications are submitted via the online portal, which opens approximately one month before each application deadline. There are three application deadlines each year: 1 February, 1 June and 1 October, all at midnight Central European Time, and these deadlines are strictly enforced. You must write the application yourself in English. It comprises a project proposal using the prescribed template, as well as two letters of recommendation. The selection process takes place in two stages: a shortlist is drawn up approximately six weeks later, followed by an external review and an interview before the final decision is made.

How realistic are your chances?

Competition for this award is very fierce. The foundation assesses your track record, the academic quality of your project and the reputation of your host laboratory. A compelling, original research proposal in a leading laboratory is therefore just as important as good grades. If you clearly fit within the narrow research focus and can present an ambitious, well-justified project, you have a genuine chance of success. Consider the proposal to be the decisive factor.