The Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Trust offers financial support to promote female phd-students with children in experimental and natural sciences research. The goal is to raise the number of women in German top research positions.

The selected women receive money, which is to be used to lower the amount of time they spent on household tasks.

Monthly sums (usually between 200€ and 400€) help with costs of additional childcare services, household help or financing of a dishwasher or other electrical and technical household aids.

Phd-students and post-doc students of experimental natural sciences or medicine can apply. The support is first restricted to one year, but can be extended upon request to last another year.

Please mind the application deadlines published on the trust’s website!

For the sponsored women a yearly meeting is organised in which all have to take part and introduce their research work. It is also a place of exchange and networking of all participants.

Requirements:

• Above average degree, respectively Ph.D-degree
• Time out of scientific work due to child care for no more than 5 years (or a time out due to a at least 5 year-long qualifying employment outside university)

Funding can be obtained for a re-entry into research or the completion of a research project. The research must take place at a Rhineland-palatine university and must end with a PhD-degree or a professorial position.

To apply, please contact the equality office of our university with a detailed description of the following bullet points:

• Your scientific career so far
• Description of the intended research project
• Details on the above described requirements
• CV in table form (if applicable including marital status, number of children birth dates of children)
• If applicable, copies of your children’s birth certificates
• Copies of employment references and examination certificates, respectively proof of self-employment
• 2 expert opinions on the status of your research composed by  your professorial tutor (including a statement by him / her concerning your expected degree)

The scholarship is awarded for one year.

Conditions:

• The awardee should, in workload and time, work equal to a fulltime job or, respectively, apply for a part time research scholarship (funding period will double).
• After one year the scholarship can, in justified cases, be extended for another half year. In cases of personal hardship, a funding to complete the project for up to 6 month is possible.
• The awardee and her professorial tutor must provide a half-yearly report on the research progress.

The scholarship amounts to:

• 1.000 € for PhD-student
• 1.300 € to qualify for a professorial position

For dependent children the following additional sums can be provided:

• 150 € for one child
• 200 € for two children
• 250 € for three children

• 300 € for four and more children