Innovative Teaching and Learning Formats

Prerequisites for applicants:

• The applicant is employed in a professorial capacity by Universität Hamburg and carries out regular teaching duties. Postdoctoral researchers and research associates may apply with the support of a professor.
• The project will be carried out jointly with a teacher from the partner university.
• The ILLF program will be implemented in collaboration with one of the University’s eligible  partners (see the list above).
• At least 6 students from Universität Hamburg and/or 6 students from the partner university will take part in the ILLF program.
• Reciprocal funding from the partner university is welcome but not required.

Aside from enabling participants to further their skills and gain insight into the host country, the program is designed to foster contacts between students and academics from the countries involved. Subsidies for mandatory and/or regular excursions may be granted upon application. The available funding does not cover primarily touristic trips, speaking tours, conference travel, simulated travel, or travel to competitions. Applicants must specify in their application whether their faculty or department will cofund the project or whether the applicant has attempted to secure cofunding. This will help the program management determine the feasibility of the project.

The application must further include:

• an explanation of the project (including its academic design)
• a project schedule
• explanation of the suitability of the individual students
• a list of participants (can be submitted up to 4 weeks prior to the excursion)
• a statement of costs (also listing the students’ own contributions)
• for a collaboration with international partner universities that are no strategic or potential strategic partner universities: a confirmation from the office of the dean that the international partner university is of strategic importance for the faculty
• Maximum number of pages: 10

A decision will be made on the basis of the following selection criteria and considerations, which are designed to identify potential long-term partnerships:

• A clear concept that illustrates in what way the intended destination is suitable or even uniquely suitable for achieving the relevant practical objectives
• Impact of the project on the long-term partnership between Universität Hamburg and the institution in question
• involvement of early-career researchers
• Visibility: What long-term projects will the project produce (documentation, evaluation, utilization of data collected during the excursion, etc.)?
• Planned continuation of the project following joint applications for (partial) third-party funding with the partner institution
• Cofunding from the partner institution
• Established contacts or past projects at/with the partner institution
• Supervisors select participants on the basis of their academic achievements and contributions to planning and preparing the project
• Are the students expected actively to contribute to the program of the project (minor independent research projects, prepared contributions, preliminary contact with people of the partner country etc.)?
• Will the students gain insight into the academic culture and/or scientific community of the country and the relevant discipline, including modern research projects/approaches? International networking with students at the partner institution is desirable.
• Will there be any exchange with groups outside of academia?
• Are aspects of ecological sustainability and sufficiency take into account (e.g., are the duration of the excursion and the flight distance appropriate, and will the carbon emissions of the flight be offset?)
• In case the application is approved, the planned project may only be implemented if it is in line with the latest instructions from the president at Universität Hamburg.
• Collaboration with strategic and potential strategic partner universities. Projects with other international partner universities will not be prioritized.

Export control, academic freedom, and in-depth review procedure

The Department of International Affairs helps Universität Hamburg researchers by minimizing the risk of and providing a sound basis for international cooperation. In 2020, Universität Hamburg’s Executive University Board resolved to establish a review process for international cooperation. The University Administration will review funding applications and cooperation agreements with international partners with regard to the upholding of academic freedom and the requirements of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). If cooperation topics are relevant to further control rights issues, and if the cooperating institution is located in a country that the Academic Freedom Index (AFI) has listed as restricting academic freedom, an in-depth review procedure will be initiated. Both the first and the in-depth review will be conducted within strictly defined parameters.

General criteria

Funding can only be granted if all main application prerequisites (see the ‘Application’ tab) are met and funds are available.

Utilization of funds:

• Travel and accommodation costs for students of Universität Hamburg and 1 accompanying academic (for events taking place at a partner university or externally)
• Travel and accommodation costs for students of the partner university and 1 accompanying scholar from the partner university (for events taking place in Hamburg)
• Partially covered: local excursions, welcome/farewell event, and other organizational expenses (up to 15% of the total funding amount)
• As a general rule, funding cannot be spent for personnel costs (student employees / assistants, tutors, increasing existing positions in the academic staff). Likewise, approved funds can in general not be taken to other universities (e.g. if the employment relationship changes)

Funding amount:

• Accommodation expenses should adhere to guidelines that are comparable to the funding rates of programs of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
• The maximal available funding amount is €10,000 per application.

Claiming expenses (Universität Hamburg academic staff):

• Applicants manage the granted funding in consultation with the Department of International Affairs.
• Funds used to cover the travel costs of Universität Hamburg employees must be claimed as part of the work-related travel expense claim.
• Funds for students are paid out as lump sums.

Detailed report:

• The applicant must submit a detailed project report to the Department of International Affairs no later than 6 weeks after the end of the project.