Support making RiG more international!
Click here to start the surveySupport making "Research in Germany" more international! Your expertise and commitment are the key to the further development of promoting the German research landscape. We invite you to take part in our online survey and share your valuable experiences and opinions. Duration: 7-10 min.
Please start the survey at the end of your visit.
"Meet Your Future You" - Germany's research funding landscape
Our upcoming third episode of the series will focus on Germany’s research funding landscape.
Multiple international researchers from diverse disciplines and backgrounds who have gained research experience in Germany will share their insights into their funding experiences. They will discuss the types of funding they received, the challenges they faced, and the positive outcomes of these funding opportunities. Additionally, they will reflect on how funding has supported their research and shaped their careers.
The event
Germany´s research funding landscape
25th February 2025 | 4pm CET - online
Register here!
Episode 3: "Meet Your Future You" - Germany's research funding landscape
As part of the "Meet Your Future You" - series, our third episode will explore funding opportunities for international early-career researchers in Germany. Securing financial support is a key step in pursuing a PhD or Postdoc, and understanding the available options can make all the difference.
In this session, we will provide an overview of major German funding organizations, and well-established scientists will share their funding journeys. These experienced researchers from around the world will offer insights on successfully obtaining funding, navigating scholarship and grant applications, and making the most of financial support for your academic career.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into funding your research in Germany. Register here.
- Germany´s research funding landscape (10min presentation)
Speakers: - Antonia Sikotakopoulou (5-10min presentation)
- Manuel Nii Martey Mensah (5min interview)
- Evi Mariana (5min interview)
- Michel Tavares (5-10min presentation)
- Dr. Marcos Martínez (5min interview)
- Dr. Magdalena Parcheva (5min interview)
- Prof. Oluwatoyin Odeku (5-10min presentation)
- Q&A session (20-30min)
Antonia Sikotakopoulou is a researcher, focusing on sustainable thermal waste treatment and its applications within a circular economy framework.
She is currently employed as a hired researcher at TU Dresden, working on innovative and efficient waste treatment solutions for previously non-utilizable waste.
With a multidisciplinary background in both undergraduate studies and working experience, Antonia is committed to contributing with her research to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach of current waste management systems, while addressing key points of today's challenges.
Through her current research role, Antonia actively collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, driving forward innovative and solution-oriented research while engaging with Germany’s research funding landscape.
Manuel Nii Martey Mensah is a recent recipient of the International Climate Protection Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Transport Geography from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana.
His research interests focus on Sustainable Mobility, particularly in the area of micromobilities. In 2023, he participated in the DAAD Sustainable Mobility Academy at TH Wildau in Germany, where he gained insights into the German transport system and the various research opportunities available, including the AvH Fellowship. Manuel views this fellowship as a stepping stone toward his PhD, which he hopes to pursue in Germany as well.
Evi Mariana holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Leipzig University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the International PhD Program of Agricultural Economics, Bioeconomy, and Sustainable Food Systems (IPPAE) at Justus Liebig University Giessen. Both her master's and Ph.D. studies are funded by the DAAD Scholarship.
During her master's program, she researched smallholders' participation in sustainable agricultural community value chains in Indonesia, which inspired her to pursue a Ph.D. focusing on Indonesian coffee value chains. In addition to a living allowance, DAAD provided travel and research funding, enabling her to conduct fieldworks in Indonesia, where she collected both quantitative and qualitative data for her research.
With over a decade of industry experience in community development programs through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the private sector, Evi integrates practical insights into her academic work. Despite her industry background, she remains deeply passionate about research, appreciating the opportunity to explore complex issues, enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and resilience.
Currently, she works in Sustainability field at a private company in Indonesia, balancing her professional role while finalizing her dissertation.
.png)
Michel Tavares is a Brazilian Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Technische Universität Berlin and the Federal University of Santa Catarina. With over a decade of experience, Michel has worked in both academia and industry, including roles in failure analysis, heavy machinery maintenance, and ultraprecision machining.
His research focuses on modelling and simulating the behaviour of semiconductor materials under ultraprecision cutting for optoelectronics applications. His expertise includes molecular dynamics simulations, machining, and surface analysis.
During his research, Michel was funded by CNPq-Brazil (Scholarship), DAAD (short term scholarship), and by TU Berlin (Anschubfinanzierung).
Marcos Martínez Fernández obtained his BS in Chemistry (2019) from UCM and his MS in Organic Chemistry (2020) through the joint MQO program of UAM, UCM, and USC. He completed his PhD at UCM under the supervision of Prof. José L. Segura, focusing on the design and synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for catalytic applications, with an emphasis on controlling their morphology. Recently, he was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship for postdocs with Prof. Bernd M. Schmidt’s group at the HHU to continue his research on porous materials.
Dr. Magdalena Parcheva is a Bulgarian academic specializing in administration and management, with a focus on entrepreneurship and workplace innovation. She has been awarded several notable research fellowships:
-
DAAD Short-term Research Fellowship: Conducted research at the University of Rostock, Germany, under Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Richter.
-
Roman Herzog Research Fellowship: Granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Hertie Foundation, also at the University of Rostock with Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Richter.
-
Ernst Mach Research Fellowship: Undertook research at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria, supervised by Prof. Dr. Josef Mugler.
Currently, Dr. Parcheva lectures on entrepreneurship and planning and forecasting at the University of Economics – Varna. She has previously led the Social, Economic, and Legal Sciences Research Section at the Technical University of Varna and served as a chief expert at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works in Bulgaria. Her research interests include workplace innovation, digitalization, and public policies.
Oluwatoyin A. Odeku, FAS, is a distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutics, former Director of the Office of International Programmes and former Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Professor Odeku had postdoctoral training at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has served as a Visiting Scientist at various institutions, including the Universities of Bonn, Wuerzburg, Potsdam (Germany), and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana). Her numerous awards include the UNESCO/Israel Co-Sponsored Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship, DAAD Visiting Fellowship, and the 2021 Humboldt Alumni Award. She is also a recipient of the 2024 May and Baker Professional Service Award and the Nature Award for Mentoring in Science (Mid-life Achievement). Her research focuses on biopharmacy, excipient development, herbal formulations, and cosmetics, with over 150 publications. She is a Fellow of multiple prestigious academies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the African Academy of Science, the Nigerian Academy of Pharmacy, and the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists. As the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Ambassador Scientist in Nigeria, she continues to champion mentorship and innovation in academia.