A few recommendations for Emmy Noether presentations


The DFG offers a very attractive program for young researchers who passed
their PhD two to four years ago:  The Emmy Noether Program, which permits
young researchers to start their own independent research group with 
funds for their own position, for graduate students and postdocs, travel,
and equipment.  Emmy Noether positions are usually funded for five years.
More information about this program can be found here:
http://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/promoting_young_researchers/emmy_noether/index.html


Sadly, in physics and astronomy there are very few female applicants!
The review panel is quite aware of this, and excellent female candidates
should in principle have a very good chance of being selected for an
Emmy Noether fellowship.  But apart from writing a strong application,
candidates also need to excel in their oral presentation and in the 
interview with the review panel.  Yet, a number of promising candidates
(both male and female) fail at this crucial step.


This why I have compiled a few recommendations for these presentations
and interviews.  I am a member of the DFG review board and of the Emmy 
Noether panel, representing astronomy, and thus participate in many of 
the interviews.  Important criteria for being selected include:  Quality,
importance, and novelty of your science goals, uniqueness and 
competitiveness, choice of location, convincing work plan, future
prospects, plans for teaching.


One of the purposes of the Emmy Noether program is "To provide 
outstanding young researchers with the opportunity to rapidly qualify 
for a leading position in science and research or for a university 
teaching career by leading an Independent Junior Research Group and 
assuming relevant teaching duties."  Although this is clearly stated
in the DFG instructions, quite a few candidates are completely
unprepared when asked about their teaching experience and about their
plans for teaching in case they succeed in getting a fellowship!  


TEACHING

-->  Be prepared to describe your past teaching experience.  It is
particularly advantageous if you are already actively participating
in teaching as a postdoc (e.g., by teaching lab courses or exercise
classes), and you should have clear plans as to which lectures you
want to offer during your fellowship.  It is helpful if you contact
your host or host university beforehand to learn what you will be
allowed to do as someone who is not yet formally a university 
lecturer.


AUDIENCE

-->  You will deliver your talk to an audience consisting of 
representatives of different fields of physics and astronomy. 
There is a good chance that none of the panel members is working
in your specific field.  It is important to give a talk that is
understandable to non-specialists!  In particular, they should
understand why your proposed work is important and whether it 
can be done within the time frame and personnel base of your
Emmy Noether fellowship.  If even a person not working in your
area is enthusiastic about your work after your talk, you stand
a good chance of being selected. 


LECTURE QUALITY

-->  Your talk will also be used to evaluate whether you are likely
to give exciting lectures for students that are understandable and 
that keep your audience interested.  -  Look at your audience when you
talk.  Provide a clear and general introduction.  Keep your allotted
time.  Speak clearly; don't talk too fast; don't put too much in 
your presentation.  Giving a poor talk will very, very likely lead
to the recommendation to reject your application.  


WORK PLAN

-->  Make clear what the students and/or postdocs you are requesting
are expected to work on.  Why do you need X students and Y postdocs?
Are the topics realistic and feasible and well-motivated?  If you 
are requesting equipment, is it well justified?  


CHOICE OF LOCATION

-->  Provide a clear and strong justification of why you are proposing
to work at the university X and with professor Y.  (If Prof. Y will 
retire in two years, he or she may not be a good choice, also in terms
of guaranteed access to resources...)  If there is an SFB or a 
Graduiertenkolleg at your requested location, that can further 
strengthen your argument, as can the access to specific telescopes,
computing facilities, or membership in large international projects.
Which additional collaborations are you planning to pursue or are you 
involved in?  


UNIQUENESS, COMPETITIVENESS, PROSPECTS

-->  What makes your proposed work or your approach unique?  How well
are you positioned to compete with other groups pursuing similar work?
You need to convince the panel that you are best person to carry out
the proposed research and that important breakthroughs can be
realistically expected.  What is innovative about your research and
your methods?  What preparatory work did you already do?  What are
your future prospects and goals, also after the fellowship?


Good luck!
Eva Grebel