How to apply for MD fellowships

Applications for MD fellowships from the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF) must be in English and must be written by the applicants themselves. However, we strongly recommend that applicants discuss their draft proposals with their scientific supervisors. Applications must reach the BIF at least three months prior to the planned change of location and start in the host laboratory.

Please submit your application electronically as a single password-protected PDF file (max. size 10 MB) and transmit the password separately. The PDF file must contain all the data and documents listed in 1 through 10 except the letters of recommendations. These can be included in your application or may be submitted directly by your supervisors.

You will facilitate the decision-making process by ordering your application according to the sequence given below.

1. Personal details

  • Family name, first name(s)
  • Title(s)
  • Gender
  • Nationality
  • Date and place of birth
  • Marital status
  • Private address and telephone number(s)
  • Current work address (university, institute, laboratory, supervisor, postal address)
  • Email address(es) for contact.

Please send to

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds
Schusterstr. 46–48
55116 Mainz, Germany
Tel: +49 6131 27 50 80
secretariat@bifonds.de

2. Scientific education

  • University entrance qualification or high school leaving exam, e.g. Abitur, A levels (place, date, marks)
  • University studies (universities, dates, subjects)
  • If applicable: practical training, laboratory stays, holiday courses, clinical traineeships, etc. (places, dates, subjects, methods, supervisors)
  • Intermediate and final examinations (universities, dates, marks)
  • If applicable: MD thesis (title, supervisor, host institution, summary).

3. Honours and awards

  • Fellowships (funding agencies, dates)
  • Prizes (names, dates).

4. Non-scientific activities

  • Military service or community service (dates)
  • Paternity leave (dates)
  • Vocational training (dates, description)
  • Employment (dates, description)
  • Other.

5. Research stay

  • Future host institution (university, institute, laboratory, postal address)
  • Scientific supervisor at the host institution
  • Scientific supervisor at your home university in Germany (name, address)
  • Start and anticipated end dates of your research stay
  • Proposed start date of the MD fellowship
  • Duration requested for the MD fellowship (in months).

6. Research project

Please be aware that the project proposal is the centrepiece for our evaluation and that MD fellowships are coupled to the project applied for.

  • Title of your research project
  • Summary of your research project (~0.5–1 page).

Detailed presentation of your project:

  • Introduction, current status of research, and formulation of problem (~2–3 pages)
  • If applicable: your own groundwork (if you have already generated experimental data for your research project)
  • Objectives, approaches, and methods of investigation (~4 pages). Please be detailed and specific enough that external reviewers, i.e. senior scientists, can evaluate your proposal.
  • Work schedule for the entire project (at least 10 months) showing the duration of all major experimental steps
  • Bibliography.

7. References

Please list up to 5 publications (excluding review articles and manuscripts submitted or in preparation) published within the last 5 years in international, peer-reviewed journals each by:

  • Your scientific supervisor at the host institution
  • Your scientific supervisor in Germany.

Please list: authors, year of publication, title of paper, journal name, volume, and page numbers.

8. Financial circumstances

  • Applications submitted to other funding institutions
  • Current financial support from other organizations.

9. Information source

How did you learn about our MD Fellowship Programme:

  • Personal recommendation (by supervisor/colleague)
  • Articles (where?)
  • Internet (which websites?)
  • Other sources (please name, if applicable).

10. Additional documents

  1. Letter of motivation stating your reasons for choosing the experimental research project and the host laboratory as well as outlining your future plans
  2. Certificates for the first section of the medical examination or equivalent exam (1. Abschnitt der Ärztlichen Prüfung bzw. Äquivalenzprüfung im Modellstudiengang) and subsequent study achievements (photocopies suffice)
  3. Certificate of university entrance qualification (Abiturzeugnis) (photocopy)
  4. From the scientific supervisor at your host institution: a letter of recommendation including your acceptance at the host institute and stating the timing of your stay (please state, if this will be submitted separately)
  5. From the supervisor at your home university: a letter of recommendation (please state, if this will be submitted separately)
  6. From the office of matriculation (Immatrikulationsamt) or the dean of your faculty (Studiendekan): an official certificate confirming that you will interrupt your studies and clinical activities for the duration of the fellowship
  7. Signed data-consent form (download consent form).

Please ensure that the documents listed in 2 through 6 have official letterheads and signatures.