IDEA-League Research Grant
IDEA League
IDEA League is a collaborative network between the four leading European Universities of Science and Technology:
- Delft University of Technology,
- ETH Zürich - Swiss Federal Institue of Technology,
- RWTH Aachen University, and
- ParisTech
For about eight years now, IDEA League has been promoting the collaboration between the universities through joint degree programmes, research initiatives, joint strategy papers, and quality management initiatives. IDEA League collaborative projects are based on the concept of added value by pooling the resources of several outstanding research and educational programmes.
The collaboration between the IDEA League partner universities is constantly being evaluated and enhanced. In sum, the partnership between the universities can be seen as a model of European co-operation in education and research.
The Research Grant
In order to involve IDEA League students in research collaborations at the earliest possible stage, the IDEA League has created a special grant scheme for students that is open to all student levels: bachelor, master, diploma and doctorates.
The grant scheme is to enable students to undertake a research visit to an IDEA League university in order to do research in the context of a final thesis or dissertation. Grantholders do not attend courses and seminars at the host institution.
The IDEA League research grant is awarded on a competitive basis.
Key Research Areas
The grant is intended for student research projects in the area of the IDEA League Networks on
RWTH students interested in the grant scheme should find a project related to one of these IDEA League networks and key research areas. Subsequently they should contact one of the network representatives at RWTH (a list of network representatives is provided on the respective network web page - see links above). This representative will then get in touch with potential supervisors at the respective partner university. In a second step, the student has to apply for the research grant with the RWTH International Office.
Application Documents
- Application form including the Network Representative's signature
- Letter of motivation
- CV/Resume including information on study or research abroad projects undertaken so far
- Research proposal by the supervising professor at the host university, including a description of the applicants research project
- Letter of reference from the supervising professor at RWTH Aachen University
- Transcript of records (from CAMPUS)
Please note that international Master's students in the first or second semester of study are not eligible to apply for the research grant.
In order to offer the opportunity of studying abroad to as many students as possible, students with no previous study-abroad experience will be shown preference.
The Application Process
- In a first step, the applicant decides on the keay research area in which to undertake the research project (energy, environment, health, ICT, mobility); then, a suitable IDEA League partner university is to be selected.
- Subsequently, the applicant is to perform a preparatory online research, via the (potential) host institution's website, to find out about possible research projects or identify they key research area within which the project may be conducted.
- In a next step, the applicant gets in touch with the network representative for the chosen key research area in order to discuss the identified research topics as well as possible contact persons/supervisors at the host institution.
- Then, the network representative gets in touch with the (potential) host institution in order to agree on a potential supervisor.
- Now that a supervisor has been identified, the student submits the application documents for the IDEA League Research Grant to the RWTH International Office.
- After each of the quarterly deadlines, all applications will be passed on the the Rector's Delegate for the IDEA LEague, who decides on the successful candidates.
- Successful candidates will receive the letter of acceptance approx. 2-3 weeks after the deadline.
- The International Office pays the grant to the successful applicant and attends to the formalities with the partner institution. During the research abroad period, grant holders remain enrolled at their home universities.
- Upon return to RWTH Aachen University each student has to provide a brief report (1 page A4) in English including a photograph of themselves in the host lab to their home supervisor and to the International Office of RWTH Aachen University (the report and the photograph may be used for publication in RWTH media). Please use the template on the IDEA League website for this purpose (see the Share your Experience web page).
- Students participating in the grant scheme will be listed on the IDEA web following the visit.
There are quarterly deadlines for applications: 1 February, 1 May, 1 August, and 1 November.