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Guidelines for Scholarship Holders in Berlin


last update: February 2003

Conditions for admission

To be admitted to the program any student has to meet the following requirements:

  1. Speedy completion of university studies with a degree in mathematics, computer science, or a related area equivalent to the German university diploma (e.g. M.S.) with grades significantly above average
  2. For an admission as a doctorand -- presentation of a planned Ph.D. project with special scientific value
  3. Willingness to actively cooperate in the graduate program
  4. Doctorands/Postdoctorands should not be older than 28/35 years.

Granting of scholarships under the graduate program

Scholarships granted within the framework of the graduate program establish no work contract and are no remuneration in terms of § 14 SGB IV (German Social Security Law).

In case a scholarship is awarded, the applicant will receive a letter of notification that contains the following information:

These guidelines are enclosed in the letter offering a scholarship and have to be accepted by signature at the time when the scholarship is accepted.

Obligations of the student

When accepting the scholarship, the student agrees to

The student also agrees to immediately inform the faculty members of the program whenever Further, the student agrees that

Allowances

Note that for all allowances an application to the coordinator of the program is necessary.

More details can be obtained from the guidelines of the German Research Foundation (DFG) or from the coordinator of the program.

The monthly scholarship and allowances are transferred to the student's bank account on the first day of each month.

Supervision in the program

Each student has his/her individual supervisor who is already assigned when the scholarship is granted and whose research area is related to the intended Ph.D.thesis.

The supervisor is the student's immediate contact person; he/she will be responsible for managing requests to the graduate program such as invitations of scientific guests. Should the student wish to modify the topic of the thesis or duration of his/her project, he/she has to agree thereon with his/her supervisor.

The student's supervisor at the partner university during the extended stay as a guest (see Study Schedule) is assigned in advance.

Absence

Each absence from the graduate program has to be reported to the supervisor and to the coordinator.

For insurance reasons it is necessary to inform the coordinator about vacation times, participation in external events, illness, etc.

Vacation has to be approved by the supervisor in advance.

When the student falls ill he/she has to inform the coordinator as soon as possible. He/she has to file an illness certificate within 3 days of the beginning of his/her illness. Although the students are enrolled at a university, they are treated in the same way as scientific staff, i.e. they have the same obligations with respect to workhours, vacation, and illness.

Faculty of the program

The graduate program is represented through an elected speaker who is the students' second contact person besides the supervisor.

Faculty meetings are held and recorded if required, usually two or three times a year. If there is something urgent the students may ask the speaker to convene a meeting.

Information

At the beginning of each semester,

Study Program

The students have the possibility to acquire knowledge in each of the four fields combinatorics, geometry, optimization, and algorithms and computation. A long-term stay (preferably 6-12 months) usually during the second year at a partner university of the graduate program or an internationally renowned research group for this special purpose is intended.

In order to offer the possibility of comprehensive further education, in the framework of the Berlin program, a lecture and a colloquium will take place once a week during semesters, as well as special schools and workshops during the year, where all participants can regularly meet. Special advanced block courses running over several weeks are organized at least once a year in all four basic research areas. Each Ph.D. student is required to attend at least one block course, lecture or seminar in each basic research area during the whole grant period. A workshop taking place once a year and assembling all participating students and faculty of the program and its partner institutions gives a record of the scientific results achieved.

The large number of seminars carried out under the program as well as vivid contacts with internationally renowned scientists encourage communication among the students and guests.

During each semester, each student has to attend all lectures and colloquia organized within the framework of the graduate program as well as one regular research oriented course offered by one of the participating universities. The coordinator has to be informed about the student's choice within the first two weeks of the semester.

Work area

  1. Work place
    The universities and institutions supporting the graduate program provide work places for the students within their premises. The necessary technical equipment will be made available and all corresponding facilities can be used. Each student will have his own telephone enabling him to phone internally and within the city of Berlin, long distance calls need special permission. Private calls have to be paid for according to the common practice of each institution.

  2. Library
    The students will have the status of scientific staff allowing them to borrow books from libraries of their departments (at FU: without time limit). At the beginning of each semester the names of these students are given to the libraries.

  3. Computer account
    All students get their own computer accounts which are valid for the time of their Ph.D. projects.

  4. Consumable materials
    Consumable and office materials can be obtained via the supervisors' offices.

  5. Literature
    Literature required for the research work has to be borrowed from the specialized libraries or purchased by the student himself. Upon application, standard literature that is frequently needed may be purchased by the student himself for the library of the graduate program and the costs thereof reimbursed (invoice and bill of delivery addressed to the graduate program).

Duty to report

The report to be submitted to the DFG by March 31 every year on the progress of the graduate program as well as the web pages of the program shall contain contributions from the students as follows:

The students have to file their contributions by the end of each semester. Once they have agreed thereon with their supervisors, they shall send their contributions to the coordinator.

Invitation of guest scientists, visit of external events

When guest scientists are invited the relevance of their research areas for the Ph.D. projects of the students are to be considered. Students may propose an invitation via the responsible supervisor. Written proposals covering the following information have to be made:

It is highly appreciated that students submit lectures at conferences and workshops. They are allowed leave from the program in order to participate.
They shall also have the opportunity to take part in conferences, seminars, and workshops relevant to their areas of research. Any travel has to be confirmed by the supervisor and applied for in writing.

Travel expenses

The travel expenses of students invited to give a lecture or students whose papers have been accepted for presentation may be reimbursed by the graduate program. They may also apply for an allowance if schools, workshops, and block courses of the partner university are attended. Applications for travel expenses have to be sent to the coordinator before the travel starts and have to be supported by the supervisor. Applications shall contain the following information:

The graduate program can reimburse: Daily allowance will not be paid. Lecturers of the graduate program will not be compensated for travel expenses out of program funds.

Students who are guests of a partner university will receive allowances to their travel and subsistence expenses.

Status

Doctorands of the program are students enrolled in one of the three universities of Berlin. Each semester, they have to enroll or re-register according to the rules of the respective university. They benefit from the usual reductions for students.

There are no further payments by the graduate program in excess of the scholarship, for example, contributions to social security or health insurances. The program recommends that all scholarship holders, for their own benefit, make contracts of health, accident, liability, and life insurances on their own. Upon enrollment students have to prove that they are members of registered health insurances and paid the contributions and fees due. The payment of contributions to private or statutory pension insurance funds is voluntary.

Insurance protection

During the period of education at the participating universities and institutions, enrolled students are insured against accidents by the legal accident insurance as far as there is a temporal, local, or internal connection of the accident with the graduate program. Accidents of this type have to be reported immediately to the program coordinator so that insurance coverage may take effect. This accident insurance is implemented by Eigenunfallversicherung (EUV).

There is no other insurance protection provided for, in particular, no health insurance (see Status).

Extension of the scholarship

Scholarships for the Ph.D. students are granted for a period of two years. If, during the fourth semester, the Ph.D. thesis has made progress such that the completion thereof is ensured within one further year, the student may apply for extending his/her scholarship grant by one year. The written application together with a detailed description of the status of the Ph.D. thesis has to be submitted to the speaker about three months before the scholarship ends. The supervisor briefly comments in writing on this application. Postdoctorand scholarships are granted for one year with a possible extension for another year.

Postdoctorands

The preceding guidelines analogously apply to postdoctorands unless explicitly stated for Ph.D. students. In particular, postdoctorands cannot enroll as students of one of the universities.

Postdoctorands are expected, besides scientifically working for their further professional qualification, to actively support the work of the graduate program and to be contact persons for the students. Teaching is desirable.

Each postdoctorand is assigned to the working group of faculty member of the program, when the decision to grant a scholarship is made. The scientific area of the group should be related to the postdoctorand's research field.

Associate members

There is the possibility of associating:

as extraordinary members of the graduate program. They will not receive a scholarship.

They are provided with work places including computer access as well as travel allowances (with the same rates being applicable as for the scholarship holders). Their names are placed on the mailing list and they receive the same information as the students in the program. They are expected to attend the block seminars and the Monday-lectures and to give lectures in the colloquium. They have to file reports in the same way as the students of the program (see above) and to render contributions to the annual report to be submitted to the DFG, wherein they are presented. They may receive a certificate confirming participation in the graduate program.

Summary


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