Application guidelines
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) - in cooperation with science organizations in North America and Germany— is pleased to invite undergraduate students from the US, Canada and the UK in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering to apply for a summer research internship in Germany. RISE summer placements take place with research groups at universities and top research institutions across Germany. The RISE interns are matched with a doctoral student whom they assist and who will also serve as their mentor. This program is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology as part of the European Recovery Program (ERP).
1. Program Mission
RISE placements provide students the opportunity to live and work in an international context, to strengthen their practical and theoretical skills, and to improve their (or begin learning!) German. Last but not least, the research internship should be a source of mutual cultural enrichment for both the interns and their hosts.
2. Requirements
To apply for a RISE placement for summer 2010 you must:
- be currently enrolled at a university/college in the United States, Canada or the UK as a full-time student in the field of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences or engineering (or a closely related field),
- be an undergraduate who will have completed at least 2 years of a degree program by the time of the placement (graduates and graduate students from US or Canada should refer to RISE pro),
- prove that you will be registered as an undergraduate at your university/college for the academic year 2010/2011 (i.e., that you will still have undergraduate status upon your return to your home university).
German language skills are not required for most positions but would be helpful to manage everyday life outside of the laboratory. The working language will generally be English.
3. Terms of Award
DAAD will provide a monthly scholarship of Euro 650 for a period of 6 weeks to 3 months (pro-rated depending on length of stay) between the middle of May and August 2010. DAAD will also provide health insurance and accident and personal/private liability insurance. The host institution will assist the intern in finding reasonably-priced housing for the duration of the internship. The scholarship will not cover international travel costs.
4. Accompanying Activities
DAAD will organize a three-day meeting of RISE scholars in Heidelberg to offer an opportunity for discussion and networking and to meet representatives from major German companies. Site visits at one or more sponsoring companies are also planned.
5. Application Guidelines
If you are interested in participating, the first step for you is to register online between December 7, 2009 and January 31, 2010. Registration will enable you to access the internship offers submitted by PhD students in Germany. You may apply for up to three projects. To complete your application, you will need to handle in the following documents online:
- your completed application form
- full curriculum vitae/résumé
- up-to-date (unofficial) university/college transcript(s)
(an official transcript will be mandatory as soon as a scholarship is awarded) - as a supplement to this transcript, a list of courses you will have completed by the time the internship begins
- a letter of reference from a senior academic in your field of study
- a cover letter in which you state your motivation to apply for this particular project (projects)
All applications have to be submitted by January 31, 2010 online!
You will be notified at the beginning of March 2010 whether your application has been successful. Please note that we encourage participating PhD students to contact applicants by phone of email in order to discuss the application.
6. Contact:
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Michaela Gottschling
Section 316
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
Telephone: (0228) 882- 567 (from 8 a.m – 1.30 p.m.)
Fax: (0228) 882-9-567
Email: rise@daad.de
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Corina Bejan
Section 316
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
Telephone: (0228) 882- 425 (from 9 a.m – 4.30 p.m.)
Fax: (0228) 882-9-425
Email: rise@daad.de