With its BAM junior research groups, BAM enables outstanding junior researchers to establish an independent research group and offers them reliable career prospects.
What we offer
Within the framework of its ‘Menschen – Ideen’ programme, BAM offers in its focus areas junior researchers from all over the world with proven excellence the opportunity to set up their own independent junior research group at BAM and establish themselves in the community.
As the leader of a BAM junior research group, you receive a tenured position at BAM. In addition, BAM provides funding for staff and other costs for five years amounting to EUR 1.1 million. This allows you to establish a competitive research group, usually consisting of 2–3 PhD students and/or postdocs. Depending on the focus of your research group and your career plans, you will conduct research in close cooperation with a university and/or industrial company.
Target group
BAM junior research groups are targeting outstanding junior researchers with international research experience who have received their doctorate in the last two to five years before the short proposal deadline. Parental leave extends the eligibility period by up to two years per child.
BAM junior research groups – 2020 call for proposals
In both 2020 and 2021, BAM advertises two junior research groups within a defined thematic framework.
For the 2020 call for proposals, the following topics have been selected:
- Safety of Batteries (State of Safety (SoS) of batteries for electromobility applications; analysis of electrochemical processes at micro- and nano-scale)
- Green Building Chemistry (bio-based materials; green and low-carbon binders; rheology-modifying agents)
- AI-driven Materials Discovery (accelerating materials discovery with machine learning; relevant for new functional materials, energy materials, or Max-Phases and MXene)
- Molecular Mechanisms of Flame Retardants (multiscale (10-10 to 100): molecular interactions - fire behaviour of materials; interdisciplinary - chemistry, polymer analysis/technology, fire engineering; online analysis, imaging methods; modes of action during pyrolysis and in the flame)
Application process
Junior research groups are selected in a two-stage process. In the first stage, candidates submit short proposals. Selected candidates are invited in a second stage to submit a full proposal and present it to an interdisciplinary selection committee.
The deadline for submissions of short proposals in the 2020 call for proposals is 31 May 2020. Only short proposals submitted via the BAM application portal by the deadline will be considered.
All information on the 2020 call for proposals is contained in the call description, templates for the research outline and the letter of motivation are available here:
Templates for the research outline and letter of motivation (PDF)
Information on BAM’s focus areas is available here.
BAM’s departments and divisions, including contacts, are presented here.
If you have any questions regarding the BAM junior research groups and the 2020 call for proposals, please email juniorresearchgroups@bam.de or contact Mr Gunnar Tan at: +49 (0) 30 8104-1011