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Nomination for a Georg Forster Research Award
Would you like to nominate an international researcher from a developing or transition country for a research award? If you are a recognised academic at a research institution in Germany, you can submit a nomination for the Georg Forster Research Award. Even Humboldt Foundation award winners working abroad can initiate a nomination. It must, however, be submitted by a colleague working in Germany.
The Georg Forster Research Award honours leading researchers from developing or transition countries (excluding PR China and India, see list of countries, PDF) for their academic achievements to date and is valued at €60,000. We expect to grant two awards funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development every year.
The award winners are also invited to conduct research projects of their own choice at a research institution in Germany with local specialist colleagues. This includes a total stay of six months to a whole year, which can be split into multiple stays of various durations. In addition, further expenditures (such as travel or language courses) are covered in the context of the invitation to stay in Germany for research purposes. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation may provide further funding of up to €10,000 to integrate female junior researchers from the award winners’ home countries.
Please refer to our website or the Georg Forster Research Award programme information to find out exactly what is required for a nomination.
How to submit a nomination
Your personal statement is essential for the nomination process and serves as an important basis for selection. Please state your motivation for the nomination as coherently as possible, outlining in detail the academic significance of the nominee’s achievements to date, as well their significance in achieving sustainable development objectives. You should also specify any future outstanding research expected from the nominee, including that relating to work on the development of research-based solutions to the specific challenges that developing and transition countries face. In addition, please clarify your expectations for any potential collaboration with the nominee. You are not required, however, to provide a detailed presentation of any potential joint project.
When compiling your nomination, please refer to the information in the online nomination form. This form can be saved at any point to be completed later. Please elaborate on all the points listed in the form, following the suggested orderif possible. We will confirm receipt of your nomination as soon as the documents reach us. Your information will, of course, be treated as strictly confidential.
What we need from you
As soon as we have received your nomination with all the required documents, we will begin the external review process. You must upload the following documents in the online nomination form (please also take note of the hints regarding the content of these documents):
- your personal statement
(laudation, scientific appraisal; two to five pages) - information on an invitation to Germany
(two pages max) - list of three to five of the nominee’s key publications
(two pages max, including comments) - nominee’s list of publications of the last ten years
In addition:
- an expert review from a renowned researcher working in Germany
- an expert review from a renowned researcher working abroad
Both of these references must be uploaded by the reviewer him/herself. Please take note of the instructions on the response form.
Further information
Self-nominations are not possible, nor may you nominate close relatives or your marital/registered partner.
To ensure that the award winner’s research and lecture tours run smoothly, we kindly ask you to prepare for the stay and arrange the necessary infrastructure (e.g. library access, material resources, workspace) in good time and to provide personal support for your guest (e.g. help with finding accommodation or childcare).
In submitting this nomination and integrating the nominee into your working group, you undertake to
- abide by the Principles of Scientific Ethics
- comply with the Rules of Good Scientific Practice
- observe the regulations relating to the prevention of arms-relevant technology transfer
- stay alert to the danger of illegal or undesired knowledge transfer.