M A X – P L A N C K – G E S E L L S C H A F T

M A X P L A N C K S O C I E T Y

2010 call for nominations

Max Planck Partner Groups

Max Planck Society

&
Department of Science & Technology, India

Deadline 2 September 2010

General

Max Planck Partner Groups have been developed as an instrument for the support of
cooperative research in target areas which are scientifically promising and innovative,
geared to the future and of mutual interest to Max Planck Institutes (MPI) and to the
designated partner institutions in India. Max Planck Partner Groups enable both the MPI
and the Head of the Partner Group to continue a sustained scientific interaction. Heading a
Max Planck Partner Group is a distinction.

The Max Partner Group is initially established for a three-year period allowing the scientist
to build up their own research group in India and to remain in close research interaction
with a MPI. It can be extended for a further two years (maximum period: five years) based
on the outcome of the review and the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Board.

Candidates for Max Planck Partner Groups will be officially and finally designated by the
President of Max Planck Society (MPG) and the Secretary of Department of Science &
Technology (DST).

Qualification

Partner Groups are led by former Indian guest researchers of MPI of proven scientific
excellence, who have returned or are about to return to a high-performance research
institution / university in India and continue their research activities in close co-operation
with their former hosts. The candidate should be an Indian scientist of proven excellence at
Postdoc level and maximum 38 years (i.e. not yet 39 years at the time of application) of
age who has spent minimum 12 months at a MPI. If the candidate is not working at a
research institution / university in India at the time of submitting the nomination, the
candidate is expected find such a position by 1 March 2010.

Funding

MPG will allocate up to 20,000 EURO p.a. for up to 5 years for the Max Planck Partner
Group. Funding provided by MPG will be allocated through the MPI towards the Indian host
institution according to standard MPG rules for Max Planck Partner Groups. Funding
provided by MPG towards the Max Planck Partner Group will be governed by a bilateral
standardized agreement between the MPI and the Indian host institution. The MPI will only
take responsibility for the funding provided by MPG. DST will provide matching funds as per
project approval, according to standard DST rules and under a separate agreement. Funds
should be utilized, as far as possible, for the purpose of creating MPI like facilities at the
respective Indian host institution.
 Application Modalities

The programme for Max Planck Partner Groups is open to all MPI and to all research
institutions / universities in India. Two procedures are applicable to bring forward suitable
candidates: i) Directors of MPI can nominate candidates to MPG. ii) Candidates for the Head
of a Partner Group can apply directly to DST, conditional that they fulfil the criteria as set
forth above.

Documents must be submitted in parallel in duly signed original copies to MPG by Directors
of MPI and to DST by the Indian scientist.

Documents to be submitted

The following documents must be submitted, both by the Director of a MPI nominating a
candidate to MPG and by the Indian scientist for the Head of a Partner Group applying
directly to DST:

1. Detailed letter of reference (laudation) from the Director of MPI where the candidate has
spent minimum 12 months
2. List of publications
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Three independent reviews, at least one of which will come from outside Germany and
India (Note: The actual reviews are to be submitted, not names of potential reviewers).
5. Project description and planned research activities which must also specifically elaborate
on the intended bilateral cooperation with the MPI
6. Description of previous and future research objectives
7. Anticipated significance of the research topic of the Partner Group for the relevant field
of research in India and Germany (added value).
8. Existing ties of the candidate for the Head of Partner Group to Germany other than to
the MPI
9. Details of other grant support
10. Letter of intent by the Director of the Indian host institution in which the acceptance to
host a Partner Group is declared.
11. For candidates who at the time of nomination are not based in India, please state: The
name of the Indian host institution to which the candidate will return and the date by
when candidate will take up this position
12. Two separate macro-budget outlines for DST and MPG budgets for first year of
operations
13. Cover Page (see below)

Documents to be sent to the Max Planck Society:

Send one signed original application to:
Max Planck Society
Mr. Michael Nagel, Division of International Relations , Hofgartenstr. 8,
D-80539 München, Germany

And one electronic copy to:

Mr. Michael Nagel: E-mail: nagel@gv.mpg.de

For any questions regarding the programme you may also contact

Felix Kahle
Representative
Max Planck Society
at German Embassy New Delhi. Tel.: 0091-11-4419 9163;
E-mail: Kahle@gv.mpg.de

Documents to be sent to DST:

Send one signed original and signed application to DST.
Please contact: Mr. RK Sharma, Scienist B, International Division, Department of Science &
Technology, Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110 016 (E-mail:
Sharma_rk@nic.in).

Deadline for submitting Nominations: 2 September 2010

 Nomination
For
The Head of a Max Planck Partner Group
Cover Page

Candidate for the Head of a Partner Group

Name Institution Department Address E-mail

Field of research:

Key words:

Brief summary describing research activities and objectives (max 80 words):

Director of Max Planck Institute:

Name Institute Department Address E-mail

Summary overview of Budget 1st year of operations

Funding provided through the Max Planck Society

MPG DST - Matching
annual budget: € 20,000
Salaries: PhD students € €
Postdoctoral students € €
Equipment: € €
Travel: € €
Other: € €

Date Signature
Format for Budget Outline for 1st year of Operations (in EURO)

EXPENDITURES Approved budget Expenses Balance

Salaries
Personnel (*1)
Scholarships (*2)
Grant support (*3)
Student labour (*4)

Exchange of Scientists
Visiting German Scientists to India (*5)
Visiting Indian Scientists to Germany (*5)

Workshops, Symposia and

other international meetings (*6)

Operations Cost, Materials, Equipment

Office Expenses
Travel Expenses
Books and Publications
Computer time and services
Small appliances
Laboratory supplies, spare parts
Maintenance, installations
Other (specify)

(*1) Attach list with names of staff, function and how employed (full/half time)
(*2) Attach list with names of scientists, home university, place of visit, duration of
stay
(*3) Indicate name of grantee and period of funding
(*4) Specify total no. of man hours
M A X – P L A N C K – G E S E L L S C H A F T

M A X P L A N C K S O C I E T Y

2010 call for nominations

Max Planck-India Fellowships

Max Planck Society

&
Department of Science & Technology, India

Deadline: 2 September 2010

General & Funding

Max Planck-India Fellowships are travel grants by which cooperation between

young Indian scientists and MPI is to be initiated. Fellowship Holders will receive
from MPG a sum of 3,000 EURO p.a. for up to four years. Max Planck-India
Fellowships are matched by the DST with additional funding for travel.

Fellowship Holders are obliged to visit a Max Planck Institute for minimum one
month every year. Travel expenses for this purpose are covered from the
fellowship. The host is committed to covering local expenses. However, if agreed
between MPI and Fellowship Holder, some local expenses may also be covered
from the fellowship itself

Aside from these requirements, the Awardee is free to decide on the use of funds
within the given framework and for all purposes in connection with the ongoing
cooperation with the MPI (e.g. visits to other German research institutions,
participation in international workshops, financing travel of co-workers to the MPI
etc.).

Fellowship Holders should be motivated to extend invitations to their partners

from MPI to their home institutes in India in order to further enhance cooperation.

Qualification

Max Planck-India Fellowships are a distinction for highly qualified and talented
scientists. They are awarded to scientifically outstanding, promising young Indian
scientists not older than 35 years (i.e. not yet 36 years at the time of application).
Candidates must hold a doctors degree and have a proven research record and
profile. For the candidate to have previously visited at an MPI is not a
prerequisite. Candidates for Max Planck-India Fellowships must be affiliated to an
Indian research institution.
Nomination Modalities

The programme “Max Planck-India Fellowship” is open to all Max Planck Institutes
(MPI) and to all research institutions in India. Two procedures are applicable to
bring forward suitable candidates: i) Directors of MPI nominate candidates to
MPG. ii) Candidates for the Fellowship can apply directly to DST, conditional that
they secure the support of the Director of an MPI in form of a written nomination.

Documents must be submitted in parallel in duly signed original copies to MPG by

Directors of MPI and to DST by the Indian scientist.

Documents to be submitted

The following documents are to be submitted, both by the Director of a MPI

nominating a candidate to MPG and by the Indian scientists applying for the Max
Planck India Fellowships with DST:

1. Detailed letter of reference (laudation) from the Director of MPI

2. List of publications
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Project description
5. An outline by the candidate on the intended cooperation with the MPI and a
statement by the candidate that he/she is willing to spend minimum 1 month
p.a. at the MPI
6. Letter of intent from the Director of the Indian research institute / university to
which the candidate is affiliated supporting the nomination and accepting the
conditions as set forth.
7. Cover Page (see below)

Please ensure to send only fully completed nominations containing all documents
under points 1-7 above.

Documents to be sent to the Max Planck Society:

Send one signed original nomination to:
Max Planck Society
Mr. Michael Nagel
Division of International Relations
Hofgartenstr. 8
D-80539 München
Germany

and one electronic copy to:

Mr. Michael Nagel: E-mail: nagel@gv.mpg.de

For any questions regarding the programme you may also contact

Felix Kahle
Representative
Max Planck Society
at German Embassy New Delhi. Tel.: 0091-11-4419 9163;
E-mail: Kahle@gv.mpg.de

Documents to be sent to DST:

Send one signed original application to DST.
Please contact: Mr. RK Sharma, Scientist B, International Division, Department of
Science & Technology, Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110
016 (E-mail: Sharma_rk@nic.in).

Deadline for submitting Nominations: 2 September 2010

 Nomination
For
Max Planck-India Fellowship
Cover Page

Candidate for the Fellowship

Name Institution Department Address E-mail

Field of research:

Key words:

Brief summary describing research activities and objectives (max 80 words):

Director of Max Planck Institute:

Name Institute Department Address E-mail

Date Signature
M A X – P L A N C K – G E S E L L S C H A F T

M A X P L A N C K S O C I E T Y

The Max Planck Society in India

India is a special focus of the Max Planck Society in its international collaborations. This
correlates to the steadily rising number of internationally acknowledged Indian institutes
that are working in scientific fields, in which Max Planck Institutes also look for partners
worldwide. In the year 2009 for example, 604 young visiting scientists at Max Planck
Institutes came from India, an increase of over 80% over the past five years, which
makes India one of the most important partners for international exchange of young
scientists.

At the same time, the number of Indian doctoral students in the last 10 years has gone
up almost 20-fold. Many of them are enrolled in the 55 International Max Planck
Research Schools (IMPRS) which, traditionally, prove to be extremely attractive to Indian
doctoral students. 50 percent of graduate students are foreign nationals and the
programme is run in English. With 120 participants, Indian scientists constitute the
largest group of participants from abroad in these doctoral training programmes.

At present 14 Max Planck Partner Groups are working in India, as many as in no other
country. Partner Groups are led by former Indian guest researchers of Max Planck
Institutes of proven scientific excellence who have returned to their institutions in India
and continue their research activities in close co-operation with their former hosts. The
work of each of the Partner Groups is supported for five years with up to € 100K, allowing
the returnees to build up their own Research Groups in India and to remain in close
research interaction with a Max Planck Institute. Since 2005 the Max Planck Society has
provided € 0,92 Mio to the Partner Groups in India.

Research links are being institutionalized by establishing Max Planck Centers of

excellence in pioneering research fields: In February 2010 the Indo-German Max Planck
Center for Computer Science was inaugurated at IIT Delhi by the President of the Federal
Republic of Germany, the Indian Minister for Science & Technology and the President of
the Max Planck Society. The German Ministry for Science & Education, the Department
for Science and Technology in India and the Max Planck Society are funding the Indo-
German Max Planck Center with EURO 4 Mio over the next five years. Additional
proposals for Indo-German Max Planck Centers are in the pipeline.

In addition, the Max Planck Society with its „Max Planck India Fellowships“ has developed
a new and India-specific programme, with the goal of linking young Indian top
researchers to Max Planck Institutes. This programme has given the 29 young Indian
scientists who have been sponsored to date the opportunity to spend minimum one
month every year at a Max Planck Institute for a period of up to four years.

Kick-off workshops enable scientists from Max Planck Institutes to acquaint themselves
more closely with research conditions in India and to make initial contacts to Indian
scientists. So far 15 such very successful workshops have been conducted.

Furthermore, as many as 44 project co-operations are being pursued by scientists from

Max Planck Institutes jointly with partners in India. And under the „Memorandum of
Understanding“ between the Max Planck Society and the Department of Science &
Technology signed in 2004 co-operation with the Indian Partner Institutes is to be
promoted and intensified.

On October 30, 2007, Federal Chancellor Merkel and the Indian Prime Minister Singh
flagged off the Indo-German science exhibition train, the "Science Express" at Delhi
railway station. This exhibition on wheels, based on the Science Tunnel of the Max Planck
Society, travelled 15,000 kilometres up to the beginning of June and stopped in 57 cities
all over India. The success of the train was overwhelming as shown by the 2.2 Million
visitors who came to see it. It is touring 51 cities in 2009, now under the full
responsibility of the Department of Science & Technology.

Since 2008 the Max Planck Society has appointed a Representative to India who is based
at the German Embassy in New Delhi.

Contact:

Felix Kahle
Max Planck Society
Representative

German Embassy New Delhi

6/50 G Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 10021
India
Tel.: 0091-11-4419 9163
E-mail: Kahle@gv.mpg.de