U Bremen Research Alliance Conferences

Closing date for applications

Applications can be submitted continuously.

Funding Objectives

The Alliance aims to create new collaborative research on topics located at the interfaces of two or more member institutions. The purpose of the research conferences is to promote the visibility of Bremen as a science location, present opportunities for reviewing new ideas and lay the foundations for pursuing new lines of research. The overall goal is to sustainably anchor such new approaches with the support of member institutions or external funding bodies as well as the long-term establishment of stable research cooperation – resulting, among others, in joint publications..

Scope of funding

Each year, up to three U Bremen Research Alliance Conferences can be supported with of up to 10,000 euro. In principle, the costs of personnel and materials are eligible for funding under the respective budgetary provisions. This includes all expenses directly incurred by the conferences (travel and accommodation costs, room rents, catering, fees, advertising costs etc.), whereby personnel costs shall only be eligible as remuneration for temporary auxiliary staff.

It is not possible to finance external partners of members of the Alliance, although the cost of travel and accommodation for such persons may be reimbursed for conference participants under the respective budgetary provisions.

Only conferences that take place in the federal state of Bremen or, in exceptional cases, the regional surroundings are eligible for funding.

Eligibility and Funding Conditions

• Eligible for funding are academics and professors working under a contract of employment at a member institution of the U Bremen Research Alliance.
• At least one applicant must be a professor with a contract of employment at a member institution of the U Bremen Research Alliance.
•  If applicants are employed on a fixedterm basis, their contract should not end earlier than 3 months after the end of the research conference for which funding is requested. Exceptions must be justified separately.
• The funding application submitted to the U Bremen Research Alliance must specify the research topic, the orientation of the research conference and subsequent implementation perspectives according to the scheme defined under E.
• The application is to include a declaration specifying the U Bremen Research Alliance as supporter of the event.
• Applications can only be submitted by member organizations of the Alliance. A member institution applies for the lead and is responsible for managing the funds and providing the U Bremen Research Alliance with proof of how the money is used.

Criteria and Selection

Submitted applications are checked for their eligibility by the U Bremen Research Alliance. The criteria applied are in particular:

• Proposal for a research project involving at least two member institutions of the Alliance.
• Integration of the conference topic into the research strategies of the participating member institutions.
• Scientific excellence / innovation of the research project.
• Responsible involvement of researchers from two or more member institutions of the Alliance.
• Involvement of national and international academics from universities and research institutions.
• Prospects for the implementation of the projects after the conference by the participating member institutions or external funding.
• Participants in the conference should be at least 50% nonmember institutions of the Alliance. An appropriate participation of both sexes (preferably 30% or more female) as well as of early career researchers should be actively promoted.
•  Wherever possible, applicants should include both males as well as females.

Applications are to be addressed to the office of the U Bremen Research Alliance. The funding decision rests with the co-chairpersons of the U Bremen Research Alliance.

Applications should include

0. The conference title used in connection with the trademark U Bremen Research Alliance; e.g. U Bremen Research Alliance Conference on/in….

1. Summary of the conference (at most 2,000 characters including spaces).

2. Description of preliminary work done on the research topic / project (at most 2,000 characters including spaces).

3. Description of research topic / project and expected added value of cooperation (at most 2 pages DIN A4; margins 2.5 cm, Arial 11pt, line spacing 1.15).

4. Description of the U Bremen Research Alliance Conference (at most 2 pages DIN A4; margins 2.5 cm, Arial 11pt, line spacing 1.15).

5. Outlook for planning / following up the research topic / research project after the conference (at most 2,000 characters including spaces).

6. Procedure of addressing and selection of conference participants (at most 2,000 characters including spaces).

7. Involvement of early career researchers (at most 2,000 characters including spaces).

8. Budget details (income/costs: The budget plan should clearly state the items funded by U Bremen Research Alliance as well as self-funding and possible third-party funding.).

9. Overview of the persons within the Alliance or external, who participated in the research idea and the conference.

10. Statement confirming the U Bremen Research Alliance as supporter of the conference.

11. Attachments (résumés of applicants‘ academic careers, including publications and list of acquired third-party funding as well as other attachments considered necessary for providing a deeper understanding of the research project or conference).

Call for Proposals and application form

You can download the Call for Proposals here (de / en).

You can download an application form here (de / en).