Support on the way to a professorhsip

"We read every application" What funding is available for junior researchers' How should an application be worded so that it is successful? How are costs relating to personnel, materials and travel calculated? What needs to be taken into consideration from a legal point of view? Answers to these and other questions are provided by the team working at the SAFIR research support and advice service at the University of Münster. "The core feature of our work is to provide strategic advice on making applications," explains Dr. Christine Schmidt from SAFIR. "We read every application and check to see whether it is coherent and consistent from beginning to end, whether the content matches the particular funding format, and whether the documentation is easy to read and understand." In order to be able to deal with each junior researcher's particular requirements, the team offers individual appointments for anyone seeking advice. Researchers' personal career plans also play a role. During the process of applying for third-party funding, the staff at SAFIR provide numerous tips. The services on offer are rounded off by, among other things, a series of events entitled 'A Compact Guide to Third-Party Funding Competence' which take place every semester. Anyone taking part in the events SAFIR offers also gets to take a look behind the scenes of the appraisal process. "For example, we invite colleagues at Münster University who are members of Review Boards at the German Research Foundation and who appraise applications for funding for research projects. They talk about their work and provide tips which are extremely valuable - especially for people making their first application," says Christine Schmidt. "Building up international networks"