Max Planck Partner Groups are led by outstanding early career researchers of MPI who have returned or are about to return to a high-performance research institution / university in their home country. In this special call, the Max Planck Society exceptionally offers Partner Group Leader positions both to:
- Ukrainian researchers who lead a research group in Ukraine or are about to start a research group there and to
- Ukrainian researchers who have left their home country due to the war or prior to the war
and have taken up a position in a third country. Should these researchers return to Ukraine at any time during or after the war they will be eligible to take the Partner Group with them to an Ukrainian university or research institution.
Max Planck Partner Groups enable collaboration in research areas that are innovative, scientifically promising, geared to the future and of mutual interest both to the Max Planck Institute (MPI) and to the partner institution in Ukraine or in the present country of employment of the Partner Group Leader. A Partner Group is set up for a duration of five years and provides a high-level and visible framework to the Partner Group Leader aiming at strengthening collaboration, building up a research group as well as international networking.
Heading a Max Planck Partner Group is a distinction. The President of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft formally appoints candidates upon recommendation/nomination by one of its Scientific Members (i.e. Directors).
The program for Max Planck Partner Groups is open to all MPI with the exception of the IPP.
Qualification and Nomination: Nominations for Partner Groups by the Directors of Max Planck Institutes are addressed to the President of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. Candidates should be scientists of proven excellence at postdoc/young faculty level who have spent minimum 12 months at an MPI. Nominees should have obtained their doctorate no longer than seven years ago (for a doctorate in medicine: no longer than nine years). Ukrainian candidates who are not working at a research institution/university in a third country or their home country at the time of nomination, are expected to find such a position within 6 months of the official approval of the Partner Group.
Funding and contractual arrangements: Partner Groups are governed by a bilateral agreement between the MPI and the host institution abroad. Partner Groups are funded with an amount of €20k p.a. plus any applicable value added tax (VAT) accrued in Germany. Funds can, for example, be used to cover the costs for travel expenses, workshops, PhD students and postdocs, as well as smaller equipment. Possible overhead costs incurred by the host institution cannot be covered.
NOMINATION MODALITIES: Only Directors of a Max Planck Institute are eligible to nominate a candidate; therefore, as a first step candidates need to contact a Director of a suitable Max Planck Institute. The nomination documents are to be sent electronically (only) to the following corresponding contact: Ms. Friederike Nolte (friederike.nolte@gv.mpg.de). For any questions please also contact Ms Friederike Nolte via e-mail or phone: 089-21081271.