Conditions – travel grants

Researchers can be awarded more than one Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) travel grant, however, only one grant is awarded during any 12-month period.

The travel grant expires if not taken up within six months of notification.

A travel grant can be awarded only if the host institute covers all research-related costs and – in case of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers – if the home institution continues to pay the applicant’s salary.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds does not intervene in the work of its grant holders who, in turn, are obligated to make proper use of the allocated funds and to adhere to the rules of good scientific practice according to what is delineated for scientists in the “Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice” of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation).

If a grant holder changes the subject, length, or location of the planned training or is unable to perform the training, he/she must inform the BIF immediately. The BIF can then adjust the grant accordingly.

The awarded grant sum is based on the information provided in the application. The grant holder is obligated to inform the BIF about any changes in his/her financial circumstances so that the BIF can adjust the size of the grant.

Every grant holder must submit:

• A final report on the scientific and personal benefits of the training, signed by the awardee, about two months after returning home. The scientific part (about 3–4 pages) should comprise aim, performed experiments, and results (if applicable).
• Reprints of any publication prepared with the BIF's assistance. Funding by the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds must be mentioned in the acknowledgement section of the publication. Please note that the BIF should be referred to in the acknowledgements as “Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds”, not as “Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation”. The latter is a different non-profit charity.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds does not provide any kind of insurance for its grant holders. They must insure themselves against any possible costs and consequences caused by illness, accident, personal liability, etc.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds must be notified if an application is submitted to any other research-sponsoring institution. Should an applicant take up a grant from another institution, the BIF must also be notified immediately. Please note that only written notification is legally binding and that the decisions of the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds are incontestable.

A Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds travel grant may not be held while receiving a grant from another funding organization. For courses, supplementary funding from the institution organizing the course might be acceptable.

Travel grants of the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds do not constitute any form of employment. In Germany (EStG § 3 No. 44), and in countries that maintain a double-taxation agreement with Germany, travel grants are exempt from tax. A travel grant is not considered to be remuneration as defined by Article 14 of the German Social Law IV and is therefore not liable to social insurance. Provision of laws governing formation of capital, saving premiums, and residential building premiums do not apply.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds reserves the right to adjust the grant, e.g. due to currency fluctuations, and to reclaim any surplus payment or money paid in error. The BIF also reserves the right to retract or adjust the size of the grant for any sound reason. The latter includes budgetary constraints. Furthermore, the BIF may cancel the travel grant and demand repayment, if the financial support was obtained under false pretences or not used for the intended purpose, if the obligation to submit the final report is not fulfilled, or for any other sound reason.

Please note that the decisions of the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds are incontestable.