DAAD: RISE summer placement programme

RISE is a new funding scheme that promotes Research Internships in Science and Engineering in Germany.

RISE 2009
Good research relies on cooperation, and international teamwork is becoming increasingly important. This means that scientists and engineers with international experience are increasingly sought after in both business and academia. The number of truly exciting programs abroad for undergraduates in the sciences and engineering is still far too small. That is why DAAD (the German Academic Exchange Service) set out to create unique opportunities for students from the United States, Canada and new! Great Britain interested in gaining serious research experience in Germany.

Unique opportunities for gaining research experience in Germany
RISE – Research Internships in Science and Engineering – gives students in the fields of biology,
chemistry, engineering, earth sciences, and physics the chance to spend a summer working with German PhD students on serious research projects. The PhD students help integrate the undergraduate directly into the lab work and serve as personal and professional mentors. All participants receive a scholarship to help cover living expenses, and the partner universities and research institutions provide housing assistance.

The program benefits everyone involved
North American and British undergraduate students in science and engineering get a glimpse of advanced research work while gaining desirable practical experience in their field. They learn about Germany from the inside while meeting new people and taking their first steps with the German
language – or practicing their existing language abilities. Long-lasting friendships are born from these intensive work environments that are balanced with fun evenings or weekends out with colleagues.

PhD students in Germany receive much-needed assistance with their research projects. They profit both professionally and personally from contact with the RISE students, by increasing their knowledge of the culture, lifestyle, and higher education systems in North America and Great Britain. The project also offers PhD students an excellent opportunity to gain subject-specific English language knowledge.

Learning from each other
Beyond being the matchmaker for undergraduate research assistants and PhD students, DAAD also invites all fellows to a three-day event during the summer where they have an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences while exploring a historic city and a modern German multinational corporation.

Program support
RISE North America is supported with a generous grant from the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology. Large industry organizations in Canada, Germany, and the U.S. also support the program. Sponsors including the German Chemical Industry Fund (FCI) help build ties to industry and finance additional fellowships. We thank all our supporters for their generous support.

Interested? Want to learn more? 
Check out our website at www.daad.de/rise or contact us directly at rise@daad.de.

Application timeframe?
German PhD students: from October 1 to November 30, 2008.
Undergraduate Students: from December 8, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

www.daad.de/rise/en