Clinician Scientist Program Rural_Age

Steering Committee

Central steering body, responsible for the selection and evaluation of the fellows as well as the organization and development of the program. Members are the spokesperson of the CSP, Prof. Agnes Flöel, co-applicants of the DFG application and two representatives of the fellows:

• Prof. Dr. Agnes Flöel (Spokesperson)
• Prof. Dr. Jens Fielitz
• Prof. Dr. Lars Kaderali
• Prof. Dr. Elke Krüger
• Prof. Dr. Adrian Schwarzer
• Prof. Dr. Susanne Wurm
• Dr. Ahmed Al Menabbawy
• Dr. Linda Schönborn

Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)
External evaluation committee, responsible for quality assurance and the strategic orientation of the program. There are three members from Universität/Universitätsmedizin Greifswald and three external members who are experts in the structured promotion of young researchers:

General Assembly
Community of former and current scholarship holders and their Project Committees. The General Assembly sees itself as an exchange platform for transparent communication within the CSP and its strategic development. It advises the Steering Committee on scientific and structural issues.

Active CS-Fellows
Former CS Fellows (CS Alumni)
Members of the Project Committees

Project Committees
Individual support of the CS-Fellows (mentoring) in their scientific, clinical, and personal development: two Project Committee meetings each year with project presentation (Progress Report); support in the preparation of work plans during the application phase; option of further, specific mentoring discussions with clinical or scientific mentors

Individual for each scholarship holder:

• Clinical mentor (head or senior physician of applicants’ own clinic/institute)
• Scientific mentor (senior scientist from a different UMG clinic/institution or preferably external to UMG)
• Working group leader (of the laboratory where the research is to be carried out)

Evaluation Process Explained

Pre-Selection
Based on the written application documents, the Steering Committee (visit “Who is Who in CSP Rural_Age” for more information about the program’s steering and evaluation committees) makes a pre-selection and invites the selected candidates to present themselves and their project in Greifswald. For evaluation purposes, the application documents are sent to a reviewer outside the UMG. Criteria for the evaluation of the applications are as follows:

• educational track record
• the personal motivation and scientific aptitude of the applicant
• a proven scientific interest (research output and publication achievements)
• approach towards pursuing and completing clinical specialist training (in the case of resident doctors) or further qualifications e. g. “Zusatz-Weiterbildungen” (in the case of specialist doctors); and thus reaching clinical, scientific, and personal milestones
• originality and soundness of the research project
• the projects relation to chronic age-related diseases and care in rural areas (see "Scientific focus")
• plausibility of a translational and interdisciplinary approach of the research project
• suitability, competitiveness and visibility of the working group (research laboratory) to which the application relates (e.g., third-party funding, publications) 

• any additional aspects presented by the applicant - such as family circumstances, career breaks, extenuating factors, outreach activities, or soft skills, will also be taken into consideration during the evaluation process.

Presentations 
Selected applicants will present their planned research project and career milestones to the Steering Committee in a scientific presentation (10 minutes, in English) followed by a discussion (10 minutes). Presentations are tentatively scheduled for January 27, 2027.

Final Selection 
Based on the written application documents, the assessment of the external reviewers and the presentation of the research projects and career milestones, the Steering Committee makes the final decision on the funding. The external Scientific Advisory Board (see " Who is Who in CSP Rural_Age") evaluates the documentation of the selection process and the application documents of the candidates (quality assurance). All applicants will be informed in writing about the decision of the Steering Committee. With the acceptance of the scholarship, the preparation phase begins for the candidates selected for funding.

Preparatory Phase 
Based on the written application, detailed work plans are drawn up by the CS-Fellows in consultation with the Project Committees and sent to the Steering Committee before the start of the funding phase:

• Project Plan (including detailed schedule to ensure research time)
• Clinical Training Plan (goals of clinical and specialist training)
• Career Plan (personal and professional development perspectives)

Funding Period
The active funding phase begins each year on April 1 and lasts for 2 or 3 years, depending on the career-stage-specific track.

As part of the CSP, in addition to their clinical and scientific activities CS-Fellows are supported by a structured supervision system and have numerous possibilities for further education and networking.

• on an individual schedule: completion of the curriculum, divided into compulsory and elective parts, see "Accompanying Curriculum"
• weekly: participation in regular meetings of the working group, e.g., Lab Meetings, Journal Clubs
• monthly: participation in the CSP “round table” meeting
• twice a year: Project Committee Meeting (self-organised), in which the status of the research project and the clinical training is reported based on a project presentation and the logbooks. The presentation and minutes of the meeting are sent as a Progress Report (see "Documentation" below for template) to the Steering Committee for evaluation. The meeting may also be used for personal and career-related questions (for a catalog of suggested questions see "Mentoring" below)
• annually: participation in the 2-day CSP retreat, together with current CS-Fellows, alumni of the program, and members of the Project Committees, the Steering Committee, and the Scientific Advisory Board
• optional: research stays in Germany or abroad, participation in conferences and further workshops and the invitation of external speakers can be financed by the CSP Rural_Age during the term of the fellowship

Travel Expenses: up to 850 EUR per year are available to the fellows for participation in congresses, cooperation meetings and other scientific events. In addition, the medical faculty awards funds for active participation in congresses (lecture or poster presentation), see travel support Reisekostenunterstützung

Documentation
Clinical and scientific activities will be documented in separate logbooks during the program; a progress report on the research project will be prepared twice a year at the Project Committee meeting:

• Scientific Logbook (research results, curriculum and other program-related events and research stays in Germany or abroad or attendance of conferences if applicable
• Clinical Logbook (kept as part of residency training)
• Project Committee Meeting Minutes Template (minutes and project presentation are sent as a Progress Report to the Steering Committee twice a year for evaluation)

Mentoring
Fellows are mentored by their chosen Project Committee during the program, which supports them in their scientific, clinical, and personal development and advises them on program related matters (work plans, curriculum). In addition, the CS-Fellows are closely integrated into existing structures in their institute (laboratory or working group, institute seminars), where they can exchange scientific ideas and questions. In addition to the twice-yearly Project Committee meetings, a separate mentoring agreement can be determined with one or more members of the Project Committee. This can support the professional as well as personal exchange through a strengthened relationship of trust. A wide-ranging catalogue of questions offers suggestions for leading the conversation:

• Mentoring Agreement (optional)
• Catalogue of Questions for discussions with the Project Committee and/or mentors (optional)

The long-term goal of mentoring is to provide the best possible support to fellows in developing their own scientific profile and to point out and promote further career steps (habilitation, professorship, and other leadership positions).

For current additional mentoring oportunities, please refer to KarriereWegeMentoring

Senior Phase: Following the Active Funding Phase
Even after the funding period, the junior researchers benefit from a close integration into the CSP-program and networks. CS-Alumni can continue to participate in the annual CSP retreats (with funding from the medical faculty), courses from the individual curriculum, and the CSP round-table discussions. There is also an opportunity to become a member of the Steering Committee to shape the selection processes and further development of the program. In addition, all CS-alumni are part of the General Assembly, which advises on academic and structural issues.