Within the framework of their strategic partnership, Peking University (PKU) and Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) have established a Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Annually, two Joint Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded to highly qualified, early career postdoctoral researchers.

The call is open for applications from the following fields:

• Area Studies

• Data Science & Mathematics

Each fellowship is awarded for 24 months, starting November 1, 2018. It consists of two phases:

Phase 1: 12 months of research at FUB (November 2018 to October 2019)

Phase 2: 12 months of research at PKU (November 2019 to October 2020)

The Fellowship applicants must identify and secure the endorsement of two tenured faculty members, one at each university, who will serve as hosts. They will conduct their research projects under the joint supervision of these two experienced researchers.

Funding:

For the stay at FUB:

During their stay in Berlin, the Joint Postdoctoral Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of 1,853 Euro and a one-time relocation allowance of 2,000 Euro. They are eligible for a monthly child allowance if travelling to Berlin with dependent children. All Fellows will furthermore have access to the Researcher Development Program of the Dahlem Research School.

For the stay at PKU:

During their stay at PKU, Joint Postdoctoral Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of 15,000 RMB. They can receive an additional 3,500 RMB per month for self-organized accommodation or choose to live in a PKU postdoc flat. The Fellows are furthermore eligible to apply for travel funding. They will have access to China’s Postdoctoral Funds or other national research funds upon registration at the Office of National Postdoctoral Affairs Management Committee.

Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria:

The fellowship is open to highly qualified researchers of all nationalities who received their PhD no more than three years prior to the deadline of this call. Candidates who acquired their PhD prior to this date may also apply if there was an eligible lapse in their research activity (i.e. family responsibilities). The program is open to both internal and external candidates. Researchers holding a tenure or tenure-track faculty position are not eligible to apply.

Selection is based on the academic excellence of the applicant, the quality of the proposed research project, compelling demonstration of the anticipated synergy of a joint Postdoc, and the commitment of the respective hosts at both universities. The excellent research proposal should include information on how the project will benefit from the research environments of both institutions.

Requirements and Opportunities:

• Successful applicants must provide a 10-page report on their research and experience in the Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship after completion of the two-year program.

• Fellows are encouraged to publish together with their hosts at PKU and FUB.

• During their year at PKU, Fellows will have the opportunity to teach at the School for Mathematics / Foreign Languages, respectively.

Applications must include:

• Research proposal and time plan (max. 10 pages including all references/tables etc.)

• Curriculum Vitae with a list of principal publications (max. 4 pages)

• Two letters of recommendation (including one from the applicant’s doctoral supervisor); the letters can be sent to the coordinators directly if the referees prefer.

• Two explicit endorsement letters from the potential hosts at FUB and PKU, including detailed information on the added value for the research project, the benefits stemming from their joint supervision, and a clear statement of commitment regarding the physical and intellectual research environment that the hosts will provide to the fellow.

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Application Deadline: February 22, 2018

Applications submitted after this date will not be considered. The results will be announced at the end of May 2018.

Submission:

The complete application should be saved as one file in pdf format. Please submit it simultaneously by email to:

Mr. Fan Deshang, Postdoctoral Affairs Office, Peking University boguanban@pku.edu.cn

Ms. Judith Winkler, Center for International Cooperation, Freie Universität Berlin judith.winkler@fu-berlin.de

More Information:

1.  Please direct all further inquiries to the coordinators of the program stated above.

2. Postdoctoral Fellows may choose to register at the Office of China’s National Postdoctoral Affairs Management Committee to have access to China’s postdoctoral funds and other special privileges.

3. Postdoctoral Fellows will have to sign an agreement with PKU to initiate the visa application procedure before conducting their postdoctoral research at PKU.