Ladenburg Roundtable

The Foundation makes a venue on its premises in Ladenburg available where scientists and experts from practical disciplines can discuss a freely chosen topic of research with scientific and social relevance, on an interdisciplinary basis and with an open outcome.

The Roundtables are open to all disciplines and have no fixed expectations on the part of the Foundation regarding an outcome. A Ladenburg Roundtable can conclude with a publication, for example, or give rise to a more extensive research project with an application to another research-funding organization.

In consultation with the applicant, a conference can be of one to two days’ duration. The applicant is responsible for the scientific program and management of the event; the Foundation is responsible for its organization. Following approval, a suitable date for the event is agreed between the applicant and the Foundation. Allocation of dates depends on availability of rooms on the Foundation’s premises and particularly takes into account the applicant’s preferences. The outcome of a Ladenburg Roundtable is summarized and published in the Annual Report and on the Foundation’s website.

A Ladenburg Roundtable can be applied for by independent research group leaders (professors, junior professors or “Habilitanden” [candidates for lecturing posts] or scientists in a comparable position) at German universities or not-for-profit non-university research institutes. No submission deadlines require to be observed.

The Foundation selects individual applications for funding – soon after receipt of applications and where appropriate with the involvement of external consultants. Prior to submission of an application, a discussion with the Foundation’s management is advisable in order to clarify whether a topic complies with the Foundation’s Statutes and is fundamentally suitable for the format of a Ladenburg Roundtable.

In a second stage, the Foundation receives informal applications in German or English by e-mail (info@daimler-benz-stiftung.de). The following documentation is required:

1. Name, function, institution, address, and contact details of the applicant (one person only)
2. Exposé (3 A4 pages maximum plus references)
   The application should formulate the central research question and the thematic orientation of the Roundtable; it should be written in such a way that the research question and thematic orientation are also readily understandable to readers without specialized knowledge. The application should also indicate whether and in what form the results are to be publicized.
3. List of participants
   Please indicate persons (with name of institution) whose participation has already been confirmed at the time of application or who are to be invited. Participation by scientists from abroad is fundamentally possible and desirable, but must appear justified in view of the higher travel costs, especially in the case of long-distance flights, and should be clarified with the Foundation in advance. The list need not be complete at the time of application and can be subsequently modified.

The aim of a Ladenburg discourse is to enable an exchange of ideas between persons with a high level of expertise in relation to the selected research question. Applicants may nominate up to 20 participants – usually persons who work at academic institutions, but who may also be experts from industry, public authorities etc. – and act as Scientific Manager of the conference themselves. In selecting participants, care should be taken to include only a limited number of persons from the same research institution.

Once a Ladenburg Roundtable is approved, the Foundation takes care of the organization of the event (invitations, hotel bookings, support and accommodation, catering, travel expenses etc.) and the participants’ travel and accommodation expenses, in close consultation with the Scientific Manager of the event. Economy-class air tickets and second-class rail tickets are reimbursed; hotel rooms are booked directly by the Foundation. The Foundation does not provide remuneration for participating scientists.

The events take place on the Foundation’s office premises in the historic Carl Benz House in Ladenburg. This building has a good infrastructure, with a conference room and catering facilities on site. Proximity to the Mannheim and Heidelberg train stations and to Frankfurt Airport ensures a time-efficient journey.

Conditions for application (German)
Conditions for application (English)