New Horizons Fellowship for Engineering Scholars from the Global South

Outline

Each year, Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI) in Germany awards a “New Horizons” fellowship to a scholar from a country of the Global South. The goal of the program for both the scholar and HSBI is to broaden their horizons through international exchange and to build a sustainable international partnership between the universities.

What is funded

The fellowship is endowed with a total of €15,000 and the research stay lasts between four and six months. The scholar and the host will jointly determine the start date and the duration of the residency. In 2024, the New Horizons fellow will be hosted by Prof. Dr. Dr. hab. Andrea Ehrmann at HSBI’s Faculty of Engineering and Mathematics. The earliest starting date for the stay is 1 May 2024; a later starting date in 2024 is also possible.

Eligibility

Eligible are female PhD students, post docs or professors in the field of engineering and natural sciences who live / work in a country of the Global South. The fellow will be integrated into the MTex³ working group. Therefore, applicants should identify with one or more of the following research topics of the working group, which are:

• 3D printing (especially FDM, ideally in combination with textiles)
• electrospinning
• vertical farming, active living walls, substrates for the growth of microalgae and mosses
• atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM)
• magneto-optical investigations of nanostructured and other ferromagnetic samples

In addition, since the fellowship is financed by HSBI’s Central Gender and Diversity Officer, the fellow will deal with the topic of gender equality during their stay. In Germany, the proportion of female students enrolled in engineering programs is rather low. A possible research question could therefore be why this is a problem in Germany and how other countries with more balanced gender proportions have tackled this issue.

How to apply

The application deadline for the 2024 scholarship is 30 September 2023 and the scholarship winner will be announced in October 2023. The application must be submitted via e-mail at welcome@hsbi.de and has to comprise the following documents:

• full curriculum vitae in tabular form (max. 2 pages)
• list of publications (max. 5 pages) (if applicable)
• motivational letter explaining how the scholar and HSBI would benefit from the residency as well es topics of interest regarding the MTex³ working group and gender equality (max.3 pages); please also include your preferred starting date (1 May 2024 or later) and duration of stay
• university degree certificate(s) indicating final grade(s)
• for PhD students: proof of admission to a doctoral program at the home university
• language certificate(s) (German or English; B2 level in at least one language is required)
• other documents which support the application (employment / internship certificates etc.)

We look forward to receiving your application!

Questions? We are happy to help!

Questions regarding the fellowship program and the application and selection procedure can be directed to Maximilian Köster (welcome@hsbi.de).

Questions regarding the research topics can be directed to Prof. Dr. Dr. hab. Andrea Ehrmann (andrea.ehrmann@hsbi.de).