The Max Weber Foundation invites applications for up to four fellowships for its own employees in the area of research management. The Practitioner Programme serves the purpose of career-related further training through job shadowing in other organizations. Tandem partners have the opportunity to complete a job-shadowing placement at one of the foundation’s institutes abroad or at the foundation’s central office.

The Practitioner Programme:
• enables a four-week job-shadowing placement in a research organization or an institution in the field of science and culture education and, if applicable, a reciprocal visit of a tandem partner;
• offers insights into the daily work at the respective institution and should lead to both the exchange of best-practice models and the further development of the workplace;
• enables the initiation and implementation of cooperation projects and the development and expansion of networks at home and abroad;
• serves individual further qualifications.

MWS Practitioner Programme

Eligibility to apply

All employees from the areas of research management, public relations, library, digital humanities, editorial offices, IT and administration are eligible to apply. The call for applications is targeted equally at seconded and local employees. A multi-year employment contract is a prerequisite. Scholarship holders and interns are excluded from the program.

Application

The application deadline is July 31, 2024. The application should be addressed to the Selection Committee (Spokespersons of the Assembly of Directors, Executive Director, Staff Representatives, Equal Opportunity Officer). The application must include the following documents:
• Letter of motivation with substantive justification of the application and description of the intended activity at the host institution as well as an explanation of how the experience gained during the funding period can be used at the applicant's own location; if applicable, information about the tandem partner should be provided;
• Statement of the home institution;
• Commitment of support from the host institution.
By submitting the application, the employee commits to composing a report on their experience for the foundation’s magazine and/or a blog format at the end of their residency.

Cooperation partner/Host institution

The cooperation partner with whom a stay within the framework of the Practitioner Programme is to take place must be an institution that is relevant to the applicant's own field of work and at which the above-mentioned goals of the program can be meaningfully implemented. Possible host institutions are, for example, the DAAD, the DFG (with their respective offices abroad), the DAIs, the BMBF and the AA (Berlin as well as foreign representations), the Merian Centres, the DLR, Deutsche Welle, German or foreign universities, etc. In addition, further host institutions are also possible subject to approval. Contact with the specific host institution must be made by the applicant prior to application and documented by written endorsement.
If an employee of the host institution is interested, an application to one of the foundation’s institutes abroad or to the foundation’s central office is possible (tandem exchange).

Selection criteria are:
• connection between the project stay and the applicant’s own workplace and career plans;
• contribution to networking (e.g. by initiating cooperation projects, joint projects);
• contribution to improving management processes by discussing best-practice models
In addition to further personal qualification, the Practitioner Programme also aims to promote the formation of professional networks and to take different functional groups into account.

The fellows continue to receive their salary from their own institution. If a change of location is planned, they will receive reimbursement of proven travel expenses (max. 2 T€) as well as proven additional expenses for accommodation at the destination (max. 2 T€ per month). Local employees also receive daily lump sums to cover increased costs in accordance with the German Federal Travel Expense Act [Bundesreisekostengesetz, BRKG].
Accommodation at the intended place of deployment is to be organised by the fellows themselves. Administrative tasks related to the programme are processed by the foundation’s sending institutes, which can claim the costs at the central office in the course of their annual financial statement. The grantees undertake to select the means of transportation within the bounds of reasonableness according to sustainability criteria.
In the case of a tandem exchange, the institutes/central office will provide external persons with a workplace upon agreement. Further services (travel expenses, accommodation, continued payment of salary, etc.) cannot be covered.

The funding period is a maximum of four weeks. The fellowships can be taken up from October 2024 and until the end of the following year at the latest. In justified cases, exceptions are possible. The beginning and end of the stay will be agreed upon between the home and the host institution.

Contact person at the central office: Dr Johanna Beamish (beamish@maxweberstiftung.de)

Please send applications with the required documents (letter of motivation, statement from your own institution, confirmation of support from the host institution) via our application portal by July 31, 2024. The selection committee is expected to meet in summer 2024.