Hector RCD Award
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Eligi­bil­ity5
Your Appli­ca­tion5
Appli­ca­tion Process5

Eligi­bil­ity

Am I still eligi­ble if I do not hold a W1 assis­tant profes­sor­ship nor a junior research group leader position at the moment? 

One of the require­ments for the appli­ca­tion is that you are either a W1 assis­tant profes­sor (with or without Tenure Track) or a junior research group leader in the natural or engineer­ing sciences, medicine or psychol­ogy. Unfor­tu­nately, there are no exceptions.

Please find more infor­ma­tion here.

I know that you must have a junior research group like Emmy-Noether Programme (DFG), ERC Start­ing Grant (EU), Federal Ministry of Educa­tion and Research (BMBF) junior research group, Helmholtz Nachwuchs­gruppe (HGF), Max-Planck Research Group (MPG) or Sofja Kovalevskaja Award (AvH). Can I still apply if I am affil­i­ated with a differ­ent program?

The list of awards/research groups eligi­ble is not exhaus­tive but is intended to serve as an example of what kind of positions are compa­ra­ble (scien­tific indepen­dence, own funds outside of own position, ability to super­vise doctoral researchers). In addition, you are also eligi­ble if you hold a W1 (tenure track or no tenure track).

I have already received the formal accep­tance letter and will start my own research group in a few months from now. Would I be eligi­ble to apply for the Hector RCD Award this year even if I have not formally started my position as a junior research group leader/W1 profes­sor yet?

Yes, you are eligi­ble to apply. Please make sure that your group will start by March 2026.

I am in the first year of my junior research group. There­fore, my contract is currently limited to the first funding period pending review and interim evalu­a­tion. At the moment, I don't have any written confir­ma­tion yet, but my insti­tute and I are confi­dent that I will receive funding for the second funding period as well. Is this a problem or can I/my insti­tute explain this accordingly?

This is not a problem. We just need written confir­ma­tion that the neces­sary infra­struc­ture will be avail­able to you for the length of the proposed funding period.

I am currently in the appli­ca­tion process for a full profes­sor­ship. May I still apply?

Yes, you may apply as long as you do not yet hold a tenured full profes­sor­ship at the time of the selec­tion meeting (end of January). However, please note that the award is designed to support early-career researchers in leading their own groups and in advanc­ing towards a tenured profes­sor­ship. If you are already in the final phase of negoti­a­tions for such a position, submit­ting an appli­ca­tion may no longer be meaningful.

How do you define an “outstand­ing scientist”? 

An outstand­ing scien­tists is not strictly defined by a “summa cum laude” doctor­ate degree. Excep­tional results can be proven by a variety of ways, e.g., awards and grants, publi­ca­tions, patents, outreach activ­i­ties, teach­ing and supervision.

I am an exper­i­men­tal social psychol­o­gist. Since the Hector Fellow Academy strongly focuses on STEM research, and previ­ous awardees in psychol­ogy appear to be more closely connected to biolog­i­cal approaches (e.g., neuro­science), would appli­cants with a more social-science-oriented research profile also be eligible?

Psychol­o­gists are welcome to apply if they can clearly demon­strate their identity as natural scien­tists and show how their work contributes to the mission of the Hector Fellow Academy. If this applies to your profile, we would be very pleased to receive your application.

Do I already have to be employed at a German univer­sity or insti­tu­tion at the time of application?

Non-perma­nent employ­ment at a German univer­sity or research insti­tu­tion is a prereq­ui­site for the appli­ca­tion. However, if you are still abroad but have already received the formal accep­tance letter and will start your own research group in Germany by March 2025, you may also apply.

Can I re-apply this year or are reappli­ca­tions excluded?

If you fulfil the require­ment, you are very welcome to apply a second time. Unfor­tu­nately, we can not give you individ­ual feedback or advice on your first appli­ca­tion. However, before apply­ing a third time, we recom­mend that you contact us first.

I have completed by doctor­ate on Septem­ber 15, 2018. How do you calcu­late the 7‑year deadline? 

To be eligi­ble you must have completed your doctor­ate less than seven years prior to the appli­ca­tion deadline, i.e. October 30, 2025. There­fore, you would not be eligi­ble. However, exemp­tions may apply.

Which exemp­tions from the 7‑year deadline may apply?

Exemp­tions can be made for time spent e.g., in clini­cal train­ing, military service or parental leaves (please note that differ­ent regula­tions apply to m/f/x appli­cants). Look here for further details.

I have children. Does this affect the 7‑year deadline?

A female appli­cant will automat­i­cally be granted an 18-month exten­sion for each child born before or after the doctoral award. If you can document a longer parental leave, the eligi­bil­ity period will be extended by the documented amount of actual leave taken until the call deadline. Please submit copies of the birth certificates.

Male appli­cants will be granted an exten­sion by the documented time of leave taken until the call deadline for each child born before or after the PhD award.

   

Your Appli­ca­tion

Where can I find any templates on the portal?

You have will access to the templates in the appli­ca­tion portal as soon as you have success­fully regis­tered. The link to the portal is only valid during the official appli­ca­tion period (Septem­ber 1 – October 30). We only provide templates for the support letters by the insti­tute and a template for the exten­sion of the eligi­bil­ity period.

What should I include in my CV? Is there a template?

There is no template avail­able. The CV should not exceed 5 pages and should include: current and previ­ous positions, teach­ing experi­ence, experi­ence in super­vi­sion of students and doctoral researchers since the postdoc phase, acquired third-party funding in k€, an overview of compet­i­tive schol­ar­ships and grants won plus other relevant awards, public engage­ment, and outreach activ­i­ties, patents (if applicable).

Who should write the Letter of Support?

The Letter of Support should be written by the head of the institute.

Does the page count of the disser­ta­tion project proposal also include the relevant liter­a­ture references?

No, the refer­ences do not count towards the page limit.

Is a budget plan also requested (in addition to a timetable and work program)?

No, a budget plan is not required.

Should I provide a detailed list of equip­ment and mater­ial resources needed for the research proposal? If so, where should this be mentioned? 

A detailed list is not necessary.

Is it desir­able or even advan­ta­geous if the doctoral candi­date for the planned doctoral project can already be named? 

No, it is neither an advan­tage nor a disad­van­tage if the doctoral candi­date can already be named.

In which language should I apply? German or English?

You can submit your appli­ca­tion in German or in English.

   

Appli­ca­tion Process

Is there an advan­tage if I submit the appli­ca­tion before the deadline?

Appli­ca­tions must be submit­ted via the appli­ca­tion portal within the appli­ca­tion period. Appli­ca­tions received after the deadline will not be considered.

We highly encour­age you to submit your documents once they are complete. There are no exten­sions if techni­cal issues prevent you from submit­ting the appli­ca­tion on time.

Will I get a confir­ma­tion that you have received my documents?

You will receive an automatic confir­ma­tion right after submis­sion. Please also check your SPAM.