Yes. You must be a current resident of one of the countries listed as eligible countries. See the information page on our website for the course in your region to find the list of eligible countries. 

The ProGRANT course material is aimed at young PhD holders who wish to gain experience in international grant writing. You can apply if you are a PhD holder or if you have equivalent research experience.

“Equivalent research experience” means that you have a graduate degree or several years of research experience, for example, at a research institute. 

No. European Union, United States and Australian citizens are not eligible for the ProGRANT Courses. 

It is not an official requirement, but those working at a university or in a research institute will have preference over those who are not.

The course fee for the four-stage program is adapted to the respective participating countries.

After the first section (online self-study) the 30 participants with the most promising proposals will be selected and will then be able to take part in section 2 through section 4. The course fee only has to be paid by those selected after the first section. Once you begin the program, you will have to guarantee that the payment is made.

We highly encourage selected participants to request their respective institutions to pay the course fee on their behalf. The knowledge acquired during ProGRANT will benefit not only the participants but also the universities they are affiliated with.

Travel: Travel costs to and from Seminar II will be covered. Travel arrangements will be made for you. Travel costs will only be covered for participants living within the four (4) eligible counties. 

Accommodation: If you require accommodation in the host city, the cost will be covered for and Seminar II.

Meals: The cost of Breakfast, Lunch and coffee breaks will also be covered during the On-Site Seminar periods. 

Participants are expected to pay for travel in your home country (for example, to and from the airport/train station), visa fees (if applicable), health insurance (if applicable), and any other additional costs while in the host city. 

The schedule for the workshop consists of four sections: Online Self-Study, Remote Seminar I, the E-learning Module, and On-Site Seminar II. Participation and attendance in all four (4) sections are required to receive certification. It is not possible to just apply for one of Seminars or just the E-Learning module of the course. 

1. Online Self-Study: 2,5-week online preparation
2. Remote Seminar I: 4-day online course
3. E-Learning: 4-month online module 
4. On-Site Seminar II: 5-day course in the host city

All applications must be submitted via our online application form, which can be found on our website. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.

All applicants must submit the online application form, a CV, Exposé and Letter of Support. Application documents must be submitted in PDF format. PowerPoint, jpeg and other formats will not be accepted. All documents must be up-to-date and applications with missing or incomplete documents will not be reviewed. 

We request that you submit a 2-page exposé (approximately 5.000 characters) outlining your intended research project. This exposé should include the following sections and information:

• Applicant name, disciplinary area of the proposal, and title of the project (approximately 100 characters)
• Introduction of scientific background: Please introduce your research idea: Based on pertinent literature, please briefly demonstrate that there is a research gap and a need for this gap to be filled.
• Aim of the project: Please state the aim of your intended research.
• Approach: Briefly describe the procedure- e.g. the methods you are going to apply in order to achieve the aim of your project.
• Relevance: Briefly state the expected results, explain the relevance your project might have for scientific and, if applicable, non-scientific stakeholders.

In case you already know, please indicate the funding agency you want to apply to.

Please provide a brief 1-page resumé of your academic career.

We ask that you submit a 1-page Letter of Support from the University you are affiliated with. Your home institution should provide information about your relationship to, and functions at the University, and express support in you participating in the DIES ProGRANT course. In case you have been selected for the course, please present another letter of support from your superiors, which will guarantee your full-time participation.

Application documents should be submitted in English or in the official course language. Course languages vary depending on the region. 

If you have already started the online application but are unable to complete it, you have the option to save your application online for 7 days. Only one (1) application per applicant may be submitted. Please be aware that once the application deadline has passed, you will not be able to retrieve your saved application. 

For the first section, up to 100 applicants will be selected. At the end of the section, all participants have to submit a three-page proposal. A selection of 30 participants will be made according to the quality of the uploaded proposals. The 30 most successful participants will move from section 2 through section 4.

Please note that the funding and administrative agencies of this Workshop are NOT responsible for assisting participants with visa documents, fees, or complications. The administrative agency of the ProGRANT Workshop will provide ‘Letters of Participation’ for accepted participants which may be necessary for international travel. Any other visa questions or concerns must be taken to the local Embassy or Foreigners Office. 

A stable internet connection and a personal computer/laptop are required for Remote Seminar I. Bringing a personal laptop to On-Site Seminar II is also required.

Email us at proposalwritingverw.uni-koeln.de