Based on the agreement with The World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in De-veloping Countries (TWAS), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Founda-tion) draws the attention of researchers at German research institutions to the possibility of inviting early-career researchers of all disciplines from sub-Saharan African countries to spend three months at their institution in Germany for the purpose of research and cooperation.

The DFG pays the host institution a monthly lump sum of €2,350 to cover the guest’s maintenance costs and visa expenses. In addition, the guest’s flight and rail costs to and from the institution are re-imbursed up to an amount of €1,350. The host institution can receive up to €700 per month in funding to cover direct project costs such as material and laboratory costs.

The requirements for proposal submission on the part of the visiting researchers are as follows:

• They must be from a sub-Saharan African country
• They must be engaged in research activity at a university or research institution in a sub-Saharan African country
• They must not have obtained their doctorate before the year 2018. Visiting female researchers with children must have obtained their doctorate no earlier than two years earlier per child (maxi-mum six years in total).
• They must not be currently engaged in any activity in Germany or ongoing research with the host institution.
• The DFG funding instrument Initiation of International Collaboration is available for repeat stays, especially with the aim of developing joint research projects (see link under “Further In-formation”)

Proposals must be submitted to TWAS by visiting researchers by no later than 6 September 2023. The proposal must also include an official invitation issued by the host institution that specifies the research topic of the cooperation (not a project proposal) and contains information on the infrastruc-ture that will be made available to the guest.

Prior to extending the invitation, hosts are asked to ensure that scientific cooperation with the guest offers sufficient potential. In the case of approval, the host institution is to support the visiting re-searcher in organising their stay, for example in booking flights and finding accommodation.

The DFG explicitly welcomes proposal submissions by researchers of all genders and sexual identities, from different ethnic, cultural, religious, ideological and social backgrounds, at different career stages, types of higher education institution and research institution, as well as by researchers with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

Further information

Link to the TWAS-DFG Cooperation Visits Programme and all proposal documents required by the TWAS:

• https://twas.org/opportunity/twas-dfg-cooperation-visits-programme

Link to the DFG funding instrument Initiation of International Collaboration:

• www.dfg.de/bilateral_cooperation

Link to the Information sheet for the host institution in Germany

• www.dfg.de/download/pdf/dfg_im_profil/internationales/afrika/ twas_information_sheet_host_institution_en.pdf

You can view and access the DFG’s data protection notice on research funding at:

• www.dfg.de/en/service/privacy_policy

If necessary, please also forward this information to those individuals whose data will be processed by the DFG due to their involvement in your project.

Contact at the DFG, International Affairs:

• twas-dfg-programme@dfg.de