Goal and Application

Goal

The doctoral scholarships of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) offer a high degree of flexibility in shaping individual paths toward a doctorate. They allow valuable freedom in the choice of topic and supervision as well as a large time budget for scientific work on the dissertation project. In addition, the Marianne-Plehn-Program provides all doctoral fellows of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation with the option to combine their scholarship with a part-time position of 25% in the field of research and teaching at a Bavarian university. Such institutional involvement offers the opportunity to gain important academic teaching and administrative experience within a clearly defined scope, and also opens up access to the national social security systems.

The Marianne-Plehn-Program offers funding for this additional position in Grade 13 of the Collective Wage Agreement for the Civil Service, applicable at Länder-level (TV-L E 13), at a Bavarian University as well as an accompanying excellence program. As a new funding line, it is part of the Elite Network of Bavaria. The German Academic Scholarship Foundation is responsible for the selection process and the implementation of the program. The program is named after the biologist Marianne Plehn, who was the first woman to receive the rank of professor at a Bavarian university. 

Within the framework of the new program, doctoral fellows of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation who are pursuing or intend to pursue a doctorate at a Bavarian university can themselves acquire their own 25%-employment and use it to settle at a Bavarian university of their choice, whether state, ecclesiastical, or state-recognized. This model combines the advantages of scholarship and employment, independent of any available funds for such a position on the part of the individual university or the department or chair in question. The Free State of Bavaria plans to fully expand the new program with around 100 part-time employments of 25% for combination with scholarships of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

The accompanying excellence program, carried out in cooperation with Bavarian scientific institutions, promotes networking among the fellows within Bavaria and offers further qualification opportunities for their current and future tasks and challenges (e.g. interdisciplinary competencies, didactic skills, sharpening one's own research profile, planning a possible postdoc phase). Furthermore, the academic support of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation as well as the offers and activities within the interdisciplinary excellence program of the Elite Network of Bavaria are open to the doctoral candidates.

Application requirements and time of application

An application for the Marianne-Plehn-Program can be submitted at the same time as or after an application for the doctoral scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, at the latest twelve months after beginning the doctoral scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. Acceptance into a doctoral scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation is a prerequisite for admission into the Marianne-Plehn-Program. The applicant's doctoral studies must be carried out at a Bavarian university. The position applied for is freely eligible and transferrable within Bavaria. It can, but does not have to, be located at the chair or department/faculty of the supervisor of the doctorate. The position must be taken up within six months after funding has been approved for the Marianne-Plehn-Program; it can begin at the start of the doctoral scholarship at the earliest.

The duration of the quarter position financed by funds of the Free State of Bavaria is based on the expected duration of the doctoral scholarship.

For a successful application we expect

  • the documented willingness of a department/chair at a Bavarian university to host the 25% employment proposed by the applicant
  • taking on teaching tasks (such as supervising internships and theses) as part of the planned position
  • a clearly recognizable added value of the proposed 25% employment with regard to the dissertation project and the qualification of the doctoral candidate compared to the existing conditions
  • in case of an existing employment at the same department/chair, please hand in a statement which outlines the difference between the new tasks and the previous ones; refinancing of projects is not possible
  • the integration of the 25% employment into a scientifically stimulating environment

Funding by the Marianne-Plehn-Program excludes other forms of funding in addition to the doctoral scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation; this applies in particular to doctoral fellowships of other institutions, additional positions within or outside of research and teaching, and an increase of the Marianne-Plehn-Program's 25% employment.

Application

If you are applying for a doctoral grant from the Studienstiftung and for admission (in)to the Marianne-Plehn-Program at the same time, please send both applications in one mailing. Please send all necessary documents by mail to the following address:

Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Marianne-Plehn-Programm / Kirsten Petersen
Promotionsförderung
Ahrstraße 41
53175 Bonn

Documents for the application for the Marianne-Plehn-Program:

1. Completed application form (PDF, 0.2 MB)

2. From the applicant (1 page max.): 

  • Description of the tasks related to the position
  • Description of the benefits for the doctoral thesis and further scientific qualification that can be expected from the employment and the extent to which this represents added value compared to the existing conditions / opportunities (e.g. compared to the current position situation, the previously possible integration into areas of activity at the chair, access to resources, etc.)
  • Justification of the choice of scientific environment (chair, institute, university, cooperations and networks, etc.) to which the position is to be linked

3. Curriculum vitae in tabular form of max. 2 pages and abstract of the doctoral project of max. 300 words. 

4. From the professor (professorship or junior professorship, post-doctoral lecturing qualification or junior research group leader) to whom the position is to be attached (1 page max.):

  • Completed questionaire (PDF, 0,1 MB)
  • Brief description of the duties of the employment
  • Justification of why the scientific environment is particularly suitable for the establishment of the employment
  • Explanation how the dissertation project and the qualification of the applicant will benefit from the combination of the scholarship with the employment and how this represents an added value compared to the existing conditions/ opportunities (e.g. compared to the current position situation, the previously possible integration into areas of activity at the chair, access to resources, or similar) 

5. Confirmation of the university’s willingness to host the proposed 25% employment (PDF, 0.2 MB)

Selection procedure

After a successful decision on admission to the doctoral scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, a separate selection committee consisting of university professors from different subject groups decides four times a year on admission (in)to the Marianne-Plehn-Program. A decision can usually be expected within four to six months after application. In individual cases, the procedure may take a shorter or longer time.

Should you have any questions regarding the application, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Anne-Sophie Käsbauer at the German Academic Scholarship Foundation:

Phone: +49 228 82096 298, e-mail: mpp@studienstiftung.de 

Should you have any questions regarding your part-time employment of 25%, please contact Ms Frauke Preißinger at the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts:

Phone: +49 89 2186 2068, e-mail: Frauke.Preissinger@stmwk.bayern.de

Further information and downloads

As of July 2024