Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows. Additional benefits in the Georg Forster Research Fellowship Programme (HERMES)

Transcription

1 Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows Additional benefits in the Georg Forster Research Fellowship Programme (HERMES)

2 Contents page GENERAL INFORMATION I. The following sections replace the corresponding sections of the Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows (as of: March 2017) 3 A.3. Additional benefits 3 A Flat-rate child allowance 3 A Maternity protection and parenthood: Parental support 3 A Maternity leave: Extension of the fellowship 3 A Parenthood: Extension or interruption of the research fellowship respectively 3 A Subsidy towards childcare costs 4 II. THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS CONTAIN NEW FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS OFFERED BY THE GEORG FORSTER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME (HERMES) 5 1. Purpose-based subsidy towards a pension plan 5 2. Bridging grant 6 2 (Georg Forster Research Fellowship Programme (HERMES)) (as of: March 2017)

3 General information The Georg Forster Research Fellowship Programme (HERMES) is co-funded by the Marie Curie measure Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes (COFUND) of the European Union. The following additional benefits can be provided with funds from the European Union: Flatrate child allowance, subsidy towards childcare costs, purpose-based subsidy towards a pension plan, and bridging grant. Accordingly, the sections Flat-rate child allowance (A ) and Maternity protection and parenthood: parental support (A ), which replace the corresponding sections of the Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows (as of: March 2017), describe these enhanced benefits. The sections Purpose-based subsidy towards a pension plan (1.) and Bridging grant (2.) contain newly introduced fellowship benefits. The additional benefits provided with funds from the European Union can be granted on written application while the Georg Forster Research Fellowship Programme (HERMES) is available; these additional benefits will be discontinued when the programme ends on 30 June Please note that further to the information in section A.4. of the Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows, co-funding by the European Union (EU) as part of the 7th Framework Programme must also be appropriately acknowledged. Furthermore the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation would like to be informed about the registration of patents. Besides, the Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows (as amended) apply

4 I. The following sections replace the corresponding sections of the Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows (as of: March 2017) A.3. Additional benefits A Flat-rate child allowance If children (section 2 par.1 clauses 1 and 2 of the Federal Child Benefit Act, "BKGG") under the age of 18 accompany a research fellow to Germany for a period of at least 3 months (without interruption), application may be made for a flat-rate monthly child allowance amounting to 400 EUR a month for the first child and 100 EUR a month for each additional child. If the children do not require a visa for Germany a certified copy of the birth certificate(s) must be sent to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation together with the application. The application form and further information are available on the Foundation's website at: A Maternity protection and parenthood: Parental support The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation offers research fellows a number of options to support them in raising children, which are described in detail below. A Maternity leave: Extension of the fellowship If a baby is born to a research fellow during the sponsorship period, the mother may submit a written application to extend the period granted for sponsorship by up to 3 months, in line with statutory maternity rights. It is also possible to extend the sponsorship period if the research fellowship comes to an end during statutory maternity leave (usually 6 weeks prior to and 8 weeks after birth). A medical certificate confirming the pregnancy and stating the expected date of birth as well as the written approval of the academic host are required to process this application. A certified copy of the birth certificate must be submitted after the child is born. The application form is available on the Foundation's website at: A Parenthood: Extension or interruption of the research fellowship respectively - Application in writing may be made to extend a research fellowship by up to 12 months if at least one child under the age of 12 when the fellowship begins (for research stays that are divided up into blocks: when the block begins) accompanies the research fellow to Germany during the - 3 -

5 sponsorship period. This also applies if the first child is born during the sponsorship period. In the event of a pregnancy during the sponsorship period, the research fellow is entitled to an extension if an entitlement to maternity protection according to the German Maternity Protection Act as amended on 20 June 2002 would begin during the sponsorship period. The application form is available on the website of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. For further children for whose birth the research fellow would be entitled to maternity protection during the sponsorship period, research fellows have the option of extending the sponsorship period by a further 3 months (corresponding to statutory maternity leave) (cf. A ). If the research fellowship was granted for a sponsorship period of less than 12 months, the extension period may generally not exceed the granted sponsorship period. The academic host s confirmation of research facilities is required for an extension of the research fellowship to be granted. - A research fellow may submit a written application (no specific form required) to interrupt the research fellowship for up to 18 months if a baby is due to be born or if the research fellow (male or female) is responsible for caring for a child under the age of 12 during the sponsorship period. A written statement from the academic host must be submitted confirming that the object of the fellowship is not endangered. A Subsidy towards childcare costs Alternatively to requesting parental support in the form of an extension of the research fellowship, written application may be made for a subsidy towards childcare costs. This subsidy may amount to at most the corresponding monthly research fellowship amount (excluding mobility allowance and subsidy towards the cost of medical and liability insurance) per month of extension not requested. Exchanging the up to twelve possible extension months for a subsidy towards childcare costs can be handled flexibly; for example, an extension of the research fellowship by 5 months can be combined with a subsidy towards childcare costs corresponding to the monthly fellowship amount (excluding mobility allowance and subsidy towards the cost of medical and liability insurance) for 7 months. The application form is available on the Foundation's website at: Childcare costs must be demonstrated by submitting original invoices and copies of proofs of payment. Reimbursable costs include: - 4 -

6 Costs for kindergarten, daycare centre, crèche, children s home and nursery places, or costs of childminders; Fees for international schools at the fellowship location; Employing people, insofar as they care for a child; Babysitters and au-pairs; Homework supervision for the child. Not reimbursable are: Costs for teaching materials and coaching; Costs for teaching of special skills (e.g. music lessons, computer courses) or for Sports, other leisure pursuits or memberships in clubs; Allowance for food. Expenses for family members (e.g. grandparents, siblings) cannot be reimbursed. After making a first-time application using the Family Allowances application form, applications for subsidies towards childcare costs may be made at any time and insofar as the maximum subsidy is not exceeded as frequently as necessary during the sponsorship period using the form Subsidy towards childcare costs. Originals of the invoices and copies of proofs of payment must be submitted to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation together with the form. If individual invoices or proofs of payment can only be submitted after the end of the sponsorship period, the application for a childcare subsidy must be made before the end of the sponsorship period and the documents submitted as soon as possible thereafter. II. The following sections contain new fellowship benefits offered by the Georg Forster Research Fellowship Programme (HERMES) 1. Purpose-based subsidy towards a pension plan Upon application, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation may grant a dedicated pension plan subsidy for pensions in Germany and abroad of up to 200 per month, provided that the research fellow contributes an identical monthly premium. Funding is provided for private or professional pension - 5 -

7 schemes, pension funds, life insurance policies, occupational disability insurance policies and nursing care insurance policies. It is possible to apply for this subsidy both for policies concluded prior to the sponsorship and for newly-concluded contracts. Fellows are not entitled to payment of the subsidy if they are absent from their German host institution for more than 14 days (consecutively or in total; for partial stays of experienced researchers of less than six months duration: 5 days) during the sponsorship period. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation reserves the right to reduce or cease the subsidy payments in such cases. Any conference and research trips, archive and library stays etc. in Germany or abroad relating to the implementation of the proposed research are excluded. Research fellows must notify the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation immediately if their pension plan contributions change or the pension plan is cancelled before the end of the research fellowship. The application form and further information is available on the Foundation s website at: A copy of the existing or intended pension plan or insurance policy must be submitted with the application. The monthly premium paid by the fellow must be apparent from this document. If this document cannot be issued in either English or German, a certified translation must be provided. 2. Bridging grant To enable fellows to continue their research begun in Germany and their cooperation with German colleagues, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation sponsors the return and reintegration of alumni into the scientific and academic structures of their home countries. To this end, the Foundation offers financial support in the form of return fellowships (see C.2.1. of the Guidelines and Information for Research Fellows ). In the event that alumni are unable to find appropriate employment immediately following their fellowship and have to remain in Germany for some time for personal or professional reasons, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation may on application provide a bridging grant of 1,500 EUR monthly for a maximum of six months to cover transitional periods of unemployment if the fellow has received uninterrupted funding through a research fellowship for at least twelve months and remains in Germany after completing the fellowship. Alumni whose research fellowship lasts twenty-four months and who remain in Germany can apply for a bridging grant for up to - 6 -

8 twelve months. Bridging grants can only be awarded for the period immediately following the research fellowship. Recipients of bridging grants are required to inform the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of any additional earnings (salary, income from freelance work or employment in Germany, German or foreign fellowships). The Foundation reserves the right to deduct any such secondary income from the bridging grant. The grant ends as soon as alumni find a position or alternative source of funding (including payments from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit) in Germany, whereof the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation must immediately be informed. Alumni are not eligible for a bridging grant if they leave Germany for more than 14 days (consecutively or in total) during the period in which they are in receipt of this grant. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation reserves the right to reduce or cease payment in such cases. Trips to job interviews abroad are excluded. In the final month of their bridging grant, alumni must be in Germany until at least the 15 th of the month. Alumni who depart earlier are not eligible for the bridging grant for that month. The application can be made 4 months prior to the end of the research fellowship at the earliest and should reach the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 8 weeks before the end of the research fellowship at the latest. The application form and further information is available on the Foundation s website at: