Conditions for a PhD Fellowship

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds must be notified if an application is submitted to any other institution sponsoring research. Should an applicant take up an award from any other institution prior to the Foundation's decision, the application to the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds is considered withdrawn and the Foundation must be notified without delay.
Please note that only written notification of the fellowship award is legally binding, and that the decisions of the Foundation are incontestable.

On accepting the PhD fellowship, the grant-holder agrees to the following conditions:
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds does not intervene in the work of fellows, who, in turn, are obliged to make proper use of the allocated funds. Each fellow must devote his/her whole energy to his/her particular PhD project. In the laboratory, fellows should be assigned only to tasks directly connected to their PhD projects. If a fellow changes the topic of the PhD project or the laboratory, he/she must inform the Foundation without delay.

Every fellow is required to supply the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds with reprints of any publication prepared with the Foundation's assistance. Furthermore, fellows must present a final report for publication in B.I.F. FUTURA, the Foundation’s scientific journal, no later than 2 months after the PhD examination (defence).

The fellowship expires if not taken up within 6 months.

The fellowship is intended to cover the living expenses of the recipient. A Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds stipend may therefore not be held while receiving a regular personal income from any other institution or research institute. Any labour or other contracts yielding a regular income must be cancelled upon accepting the stipend. However, fellowships from other institutions to cover exclusively tuition fees may be accepted.

The basic monthly stipend amounts to 1,550 euros. In the United Kingdom, the USA and Denmark, a further 300 euros, in Switzerland, a further 500 euros, is added due to the higher costs of living. In most countries all fellows are paid an additional 150 euros per month to cover minor project-related costs (books, travelling expenses, etc.) and to cover premiums for personal insurance. A spouse allowance and/or child care allowance may be added; fellows can apply for 14 weeks paid maternity leave. For example, the stipend for an unmarried fellow working in Germany amounts to 1,700 euros, in the USA to 2,000 euros and in Switzerland to 2,200 euros. The stipend is transferred to the fellow's personal bank account by the middle of each month.

Tuition, bench fees and overheads are not reimbursed by the Foundation.

Fellowships awarded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds do not constitute any form of employment. In the Federal Republic of Germany and in countries which have signed a double-taxation agreement with Germany, fellowships are exempt from tax. A grant is not considered to be remuneration in terms of Article 14 of the German Social Law IV and is therefore not liable to social insurance. Provision of laws governing formation of capital, saving premiums and residential building premiums do not apply.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds does not provide any kind of insurance for its grant-holders. They must provide insurance cover for themselves and their families against any possible costs and consequences incurred by illness, accident, personal liability, etc. In the event of illness, the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds continues payments for 2 months, after which time assistance would cease. Upon recovery, the fellowship may be extended by the period of absence due to the illness.

The initially awarded stipend sum is based on the information provided in the application. The fellowship holder is obliged to inform the Foundation about any changes in his/her personal or financial circumstances (change of marital status, income of spouse, etc.) so that the Foundation can adjust the size of the stipend. If the project is successfully completed before the fellowship expires, payment will be discontinued.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds reserves the right to reclaim any surplus payment or money paid in error. Furthermore, the Foundation may cancel the grant and demand repayment if the fellowship was obtained under false pretences, if it is not used for its intended purpose, if the obligation to submit the final report is not fulfilled, or for any other sound reason.