Co-Funding for Research Stays - Outgoing Doctoral Researchers

The program supports doctoral researchers when conducting a research stay at a university or research institute abroad. The program promotes the individual qualification of doctoral researchers and should not be used for the sole purpose of carrying out project work. The purpose of the program is to 1) foster international research exchange and offer doctoral researchers the opportunity to get to know other research cultures, 2) provide doctoral researchers early on with important opportunities to build their own networks necessary for a successful academic career, and 3) give doctoral researchers the opportunity to interact on a more continuous basis with researchers outside the University of Konstanz and receive valuable and in-depth feedback on their doctoral research project.

Doctoral researchers are especially encouraged to conduct a research stay at one of the partner institutions of the Cluster (see here for a list of partner institutions) or at institutions collaborating with their respective Cluster project. Research stays in Germany are not part of this funding program.

In order to support you with planning your stay abroad, we provide a checklist in the Intranet ("General Information"). You can also find it if you log in (above right) on this website. Outgoing doctoral researchers will also get helpful information for the administrative planning of their research stay abroad by the University of Konstanz’s Outgoing Centre.

Available funding

Co-funding is available for a duration of two to five months per selected doctoral researcher during the academic year 2023/24 and for the winter semester of 2024. The Cluster aims to make the period of the research stay appropriate also for parents with children. Hence, the stay can be divided into two phases, if necessary. The minimum stay per phase is four weeks. Extension of the stay via other funding opportunities is possible; double financing is not.

Funding is available to cover additional costs of the stay abroad while the employment contract/stipend of the doctoral researcher continues. Funding for travel and accommodation expenses may be granted up to a maximum amount of 4.000 EUR per doctoral researcher, depending on the duration of the stay and the costs incurred. Doctoral researchers can only once receive funding from this program during their doctoral studies. The program cannot be used as an extension/prolongation of the existing contract.

In case doctoral researchers are accompanied by their children, an additional flat rate is paid, as well as travel and accommodation expenses.

Note that the program aims to support a research stay abroad, not participation in a graduate program at another university. Enrolment fees cannot be covered.

Eligibility criteria

Doctoral researchers affiliated with the Cluster “The Politics of Inequality” (Affiliated Members in accordance with Cluster Bylaws and Complementary Regulations). Doctoral researchers need to be at least in their second year of doctoral studies when conducting their research stay abroad.

When applying for funding, doctoral researchers need to meet the following prerequisites:

  1. The supervisor of the applicant has to support the research stay abroad
  2. The host institution provides the doctoral researcher with access to IT services and library infrastructure and offers a workspace. The host integrates the visiting doctoral researcher into her/his/their working group.

Application Process and Dealine

Applicants are requested to provide the following documents

  • Letter of motivation explaining the project the applicant wants to work on during the research stay and detailing how the project and the applicant’s career would benefit from the research stay and the collaboration with the host
  • Updated CV
  • Confirmation of the host that she/he/they will integrate the applicant into her/his/their working group
  • Confirmation of the supervisor that she/he/they supports the research stay
  • Calculation of the expected costs of the research stay (travel and accommodation costs)
  • Current overview of study achievements (doctoral program)

The Selection Committee will review applications regularly. The deadline for applications for conducting a research stay abroad is the 15th of November, 2023. Please submit your application via via e-mail.

Additional information

Questions can be directed to the Cluster’s Managing Office via e-mail.

The University of Konstanz is committed to ensuring an environment that provides equal opportunities and promotes diversity as well as a good balance between university and family life. As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to increase the number of women working in the field advertised (https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/equalopportunities/equal-opportunity/). Persons with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply. They will be given preference if appropriately qualified (contact + 49 7531 88–4016).