President’s Welcome Award attracts international talent to Erlangen as a place for cutting-edge research
Bright sparks from across the globe to boost pioneering research at FAU in the field of medicine and artificial intelligence
As the new winter semester gets under way in October, the first winners of the President’s Welcome Award are also starting out at FAU. Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the chosen doctoral candidates from the fields of medicine and artificial intelligence are not only able to live rent-free for a year and enjoy other advantages, but can also benefit from valuable advice and suggestions from their mentor, FAU President Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger.
With the help of inspired young doctoral candidates with a thirst for knowledge, FAU hopes to drive forward research in medicine and artificial intelligence and to become one of the leading players in this field. With this aim in mind, the University issued a call for applications for the President’s Welcome Award in the summer, a new mentoring programme in which award winners will have the opportunity to benefit from personal advice from the President of the University, Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger. He comments, ‘The applications we received for the award were very impressive. I am very proud indeed to act as a mentor for such highly motivated talents.’
By being given the possibility to live rent-free for their first year in Germany in the apartment block The Brucklyn run by the Jost group, the young researchers can focus entirely on their scientific projects. FAU also pays their semester fees for the first two semesters. The generous package is possible thanks to DFG funding for the project amounting to 25,000 euros. FAU had already applied for the funding in 2019, but then the pandemic intervened and meant that the President’s Welcome Award programme could not be launched in 2020 as originally planned.
Now, however, the project has finally got off the ground and the researchers are gradually settling in to their new positions. Julia Yip from Brazil is taking part in the programme. ‘I am very honoured to have been given this opportunity. I am very pleased to be able to work here, where science, innovation and advancements in medical engineering are so highly regarded.’
By recording their experiences in a Vlog, the award winners are sharing their journey to discover ‘life and research in Germany’ with us, whilst at the same time spreading the word throughout the world that Erlangen-Nuremberg region is a location for cutting-edge research. The vlog will go live after the participants have received training in scientific communication.
Further information
Jennifer Utley
Communications and Press
Phone: +49 9131 85 70201