Travel grants FAQs / Guidelines for applying

When should I apply?

Application deadlines are March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of every year. You must submit a complete application by the relevant deadline in order to be considered for funding. Please note that this also applies even if the deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday.

Please consider the following application deadlines and travel dates when submitting your application:

What should I consider when writing my application?

Your application will be reviewed by evaluators from both within and outside your field of research. It is therefore important to present your project in a way that can be understood by experts who are not familiar with your field. The description of your research should be understandable without the need to consult additional supporting literature.

What do I need to consider when filling out the application form?

Please fill out the application form electronically; Do not complete it by hand. To ensure that the electronic forms work with all versions of Adobe software, we strongly recommend that you first download the blank application form, save it on your computer, then fill it in and save it again.

Please use an Apple or Windows operating system to complete the forms. The forms are not compatible with Linux.

Please use only the space provided in the fields on the application forms.. The evaluators will not be able to read any text that goes beyond the existing field limits.

Please do not change the formatting of the fields on the application form.

Please send the application documents as separate attachments in your email. You do not need to merge the different documents into one PDF-file.

Why do doctoral researchers with employment contracts at Heidelberg University* have to submit additional documents?

If you have an employment contract as a wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft (HiWi) or a Mitarbeiter:in nach TV-L at Heidelberg University, the Reisekostenstelle of the personnel department will be involved in the reimbursement of your travel expenses. This is the case even if your trip is not taking place within the context of your employment. Because of this, you need to submit the “Antrag auf Genehmigung einer Dienstreise” along with your application. For this specific case, your “Dienststelle/place of work ” is the Graduate Academy. It is essential that you read through the important information about filling out the “Antrag auf Genehmigung einer Dienstreise” before filling out this documents (see: Application procedure and forms).

Please note: You are an employee of Heidelberg University if you have an employment contract as a wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft or as a Mitarbeiter:in nach TV-L with the university, regardless of how many hours per month you work.

* You have an employment contract as  "wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft" (HiWi) or as a "Mitarbeiter:in nach TV-L" with Heidelberg University (not with the University Hospital - Universitätsklinikum) and have an 8-digit LBV personnel number.

Please note: Employees of the University Hospital - Universitätsklinikum have a 5-digit personnel number. These persons are not employed by Heidelberg University and do not need to submit a "Antrag auf Genehmigung einer Dienstreise".

Do I need to submit any additional documents (e.g. publication lists, CV, etc.)?

The application procedure and required application documents are described in detail (see: Application procedure and forms). Additional documents not listed on the website, such as publication lists, literature lists or CVs, will not be sent to the evaluators.

I do not know exactly how much the trip will cost. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?

If you do not yet know your exact expenses, enter your best estimate on the application form. Please be aware that if you receive a travel grant, the amount awarded in the grant will be based on these expenses and the maximum grant amount. It will not be possible to claim more than the amount you enter on the application form.

Please provide a brief justification for the indicated costs. If, for example, you are applying solely for funding to cover transportation expenses, please explain how the remaining costs (e.g. accommodation) will be financed. Listing additional funding sources will not be viewed as a disadvantage for your appliction - on the contrary, it may be considered as an advantage.

What is meant by "external funding" and why am I asked about it?

“External funding” refers to funds that you have received from an external funding organization (e.g. DAAD, Begabtenförderungswerke, other funding organizations) for your planned trip. The fact that you have been awarded external funding can be of advantage to you in the evaluation process. For example, the receipt of an external grant or fellowship will be treated as award or distinction on your part.

If you will receive a partial reimbursement of your travel expenses through your employment at the university or at an external institution, please provide details of this reimbursement in the section for external funding.

If you will receive or have received any external funding as described here (to cover your registration fees, transport or accommodations), the external funding amount will be offset against the amount approved for this travel grant and/or against the actual expenses you incur on your trip. If this external funding is provided through your employment at the University or with an external employer, please contact the Graduate Academy as early as possible to discuss the procedure for the payment of your travel grant.

Who can issue the evaluation form for my application?

The evaluation form for your application must be completed by your doctoral supervisor and submitted to the Graduate Academy. Please note that the evaluation is confidential and must be sent by your supervisor directly to the Graduate Academy: ga-docs@uni-heidelberg

Please note that the application deadlines also apply to the receipt of the evaluation form.

If it is not possible for your first supervisor to complete the evaluation form for you (e.g. due to illness, parental leave, etc.), you may ask another professor in your field who is familiar with your project to evaluate your application and complete the form for you.

What do I have to do to have the travel grant paid out?

After your trip but no later than one month after the end of your trip, please submit the documents listed in the section Payment procedure and forms to the Graduate Academy in order to receive your grant. You can submit the documents by post or drop them off in person.

Please note that doctoral researchers with an employment contract at Heidelberg University* have to submit different documents from doctoral researchers who do not have an employment contract at the university. 

* You have an employment contract as a wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft (HiWi) or as a Mitarbeiter:in nach TV-L with Heidelberg University (not with the University Hospital - Universitätsklinikum) and you have an 8 digit LBV personnel number.

If you will receive or have received any external funding as described here (to cover your registration fees, transport or accommodations), the external funding amount will be offset against the amount approved for this travel grant and/or against the actual expenses you incur on your trip. If this external funding is provided through your employment at the University or with an external employer, please contact the Graduate Academy as early as possible to discuss the procedures for the payment of your travel grant.

When will I receive my travel grant?

If you are awarded a travel grant, your approved expenses (based on the information you provide in the application and the maximum grant amounts) will be reimbursed only after you have completed your trip and submitted the necessary documents to the Graduate Academy. Please note that the documents required for the payment of the travel grant need to be submitted no later than one month after the end of your trip.

Can I apply for an advance payment on my travel expenses?

Yes. If your trip will cost 200 Euro or more, you can apply for an advance payment on your expenses (see Payment procedure and forms). If you are awarded the grant, the advance payment in the amount of 80% of the total grant amount will be paid out. The remainder of the expenses up to a maximum of 20% of the total award will be paid out after completion of the trip and submission of the necessary documents.

Please note:

• The advance payment is conditional and can be revoked by the Graduate Academy. If you do not submit the necessary documents within one month after completion of the trip to the Graduate Academy or the trip does not take place, you must repay the advance payment immediately and within one month of the end of the (planned) trip.
• If your actual travel expenses turn out to be less than your advance payment, you must repay the difference to the Graduate Academy.

What happens to my travel grant if I cannot go on my planned trip?

The travel grant is not transferable to another person or to a different event. Therefore, if you are unable to travel as planned, you will automatically forfeit the amount awarded. For this reason, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance, which is not covered by the travel grant.

What happens if my research visit has to be postponed?

It is possible to postpone a research visit; however, in this case you must contact the Graduate Academy (ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de) as soon as possible in order to notify us of the new dates. The travel grant will apply to the postponed trip if the purpose and destination of it remains unchanged.

I would like to combine my Summer/Winter school, conference or research trip with another trip. What do I need to consider?

If the actual travel dates differ from the approved travel period (1 day before and 1 day after the conference, summer/winter school or the dates of your research trip that you specified on the travel authorization form) you must submit at least three comparative quotes for the approved travel period. Comparative quotes are also necessary in the following cases: different departure or arrival location than your home or place of work, additional private travel, shared travel costs. Comparative quotes must be obtained at the same time as the actual booking and must use the same airline. Please inform the Graduate Academy as early as possible about any travel plans that deviate from the norm. In such cases, we cannot guarantee in advance that a reimbursement will be possible.