Call for Proposals: 2024/25 Ph. D. Student Symposium on Cognitive Science
Call for Proposals for Financial Support to Organize a “Ph.D. Student Symposium on Cognitive Science” with a thematic focus of the applicant’s choice, to be held between September 2024 and spring 2025
On behalf of the Executive Board: Prof. Dr. Gregor Schöner, Prof. Dr. Martin Butz
The Society for Cognitive Science has set itself the goal of promoting networking among doctoral students in the field of cognitive science in Germany. The primary aim is to provide doctoral students in cognitive science with more opportunities for active exchange, particularly with regard to dialogue across disciplinary boundaries and beyond the limits of specific methodological approaches. By fostering such networking among doctoral candidates in
cognitive science, the Society aims, on the one hand, to strengthen interdisciplinary cognitive science research in Germany and, on the other hand, to expand collaboration among the various cognitive science centers in Germany. Overall, the Society for Cognitive Science hopes this will increase the visibility of cognitive science research in Germany.
The format of the Ph.D. symposium announced here has proven very successful and will therefore be offered in the future for one academic year or semester at a time, during which no conference of the Society for Cognitive Science is taking place—since such conferences already provide opportunities for doctoral students to exchange ideas. Financial support: up to 5,000 euros for the best proposal. The budget may be used for travel expenses, lodging costs, and costs for support staff. Costs for catering or venue rental are not covered. It is expected that a local subsidy will be provided and that the participation fee, if any, will be minimal—no more than 25 euros per participant. Payment will be made based on documented expenses.
General Conditions for the Event:
Duration: at least 2 full days (ideally 2.5 days)
Event Dates: second half of 2024 to first half of 2025
Language of the symposium (for all technical discussions): English
Groupsize: 40-50 Participants, 20 of whom are not from the host university.
Application Requirements
We expect a proposal that is financially transparent and realistically feasible. Any planned contribution from the applicant must be verified as securely available for this project through a statement from the applicant who holds a professorship. In addition, participation fees must be specified in the application if they cannot be avoided. Proposals that require no or only minimal participation fees will therefore have an advantage in the selection process. Applicants must also select a current focal topic that can be effectively addressed using at least two methodological approaches. Furthermore, an innovative structural concept is expected that clearly outlines how participants can actively engage through presentations, posters, or discussions. The structural concept is another important factor in the selection process.
Required Documents (in German or English):
1) Conceptual Outline (max. 2 pages)
2) Structural Design of the School with a Focus on Supporting and Networking Doctoral Students in Cognitive Science (max. 2 pages)
3) Financial plan, including, if applicable, a breakdown of participation fees and self-funding (Important note: Increases to or the introduction of participation fees after the application has been approved will not be accepted. In such cases, the right to funding will be forfeited because the conditions of approval have not been met) (max. 1 page)
4) A statement from a professor confirming that they will assume overall financial responsibility for organizing the symposium.
Applicant Team: The application must be submitted by a group of at least three doctoral students from at least two institutes with different disciplinary or methodological focuses. The applicant team may consist of up to five people.
Application Deadline and Submission: The application must be submitted by March 31, 2020, to he following email address: Nicolas.Lindner@rub.de.
Decision: The Executive Board of the Society for Cognitive Science will decide on the submitted applications by January, 15., 2025.