The representation of female scientists in the fields of nuclear physics and accelerator science in Germany has increased since the turn of the century from about 12% to about 20% today. Still, the current participation of female scientists in these fields is unsatisfactorily low. The reasons are manifold, ranging from too few female role models for making these fields of science appealing for young academics to a below-average number of applications for PhD positions in the TU Darmstadt excellence programs in these fields, e.g, AccelencE , SFB 1245, ELEMENTS, or Nuclear Photonics, by foreign female scientists.
TU Darmstadt is determined to further improve on this situation.
Therefore we have established the Ira Rischowski-Programme to support foreign female students in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, accelerator science, and nuclear photonics for preparation for a successful career as researchers in these fields at TU Darmstadt. The Ira Rischowski-Programme addresses foreign female scientists who have received a bachelor degree or are close to receiving it, and who have demonstrated well-above average performance in their studies and have the ambition to enter a scientific career in these fields. It offers a stipend for 24 months for corresponding master studies at the Physics Department at TU Darmstadt in order to best prepare them for a future career in one of the afore-mentioned excellence programs.
Excellent female master students will be supported with the Ira Rischowski-Scholarship at the TU Darmstadt. A new round of scholarships starts annually in October for the start of the academic year. The competitive selection process will take about four months and will be announced in summer, in order to leave enough time for visa application procedures. Applications can be submitted at any time, but best before February each year for consideration for start of the scholarship in October of the same year.
Please contact Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Norbert Pietralla for an application if interested.
For your application you should prepare:
- a brief CV,
- a 1-page statement of motivation for a research in the fields of nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, accelerator science, or nuclear photonics,
- the complete transcript of grades in the bachelor studies which demonstrates above-average academic performance, and
- 2 letters of recommendation of academic supervisors from the bachelor studies.
The applications should be sent electronically to the Director of the Institute for Nuclear Physics, Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult, Norbert Pietralla (gd@ikp.tu-…).
More details on the Ira Rischowski scholarship can be found in the program statute (opens in new tab) (in German).
