First Humboldt Science Scout at the University of Bayreuth

Prof. Schafföner can now specifically go in search of international young talents to inspire them for research on ceramic high-performance materials at the University of Bayreuth: "To this end, I would like to use the numerous international contacts and projects of the Chair of Ceramic Materials," he says. "From our point of view, this provides a wonderful opportunity to further strengthen the scientific visibility of the scholarship holders and the University of Bayreuth. At the same time, the chair gains expertise in previously unoccupied areas."

Schafföner's goal is in particular to promote groups traditionally still underrepresented in the engineering sciences: "Despite the extremely productive international cooperation also in the engineering sciences, there have only been a few Humboldt fellows in the field of advanced ceramics in recent years," the scientist reports. That is why he applied for the Henriette Herz Scouting Programme - successfully! "One reason is that an academic career is often considered unattractive for young researchers compared to a career in industry, and the international competition for outstanding young researchers is very high and becoming more intense." The Henriette Herz Scouting Programme now enables Prof. Schafföner to change this. 

Compared to the regular selection procedures of the Humboldt Foundation, as a Henriette Herz Scout he can bring the excellent candidates* to Bayreuth in an accelerated procedure, which makes the recruitment of young talent much easier. "For the Chair and for me personally, I hope that we will make our research activities and Bayreuth as a research location even more attractive through long-term cooperation with the sponsored fellows, if possible over several years, and through integration into the Humboldt Network." According to the convincing concept, this will also be achieved with a substantial accompanying programme, supported by the WiN Academy and the University of Bayreuth's Research Promotion Service Office.

About the programme: With the Henriette Herz Scouting Programme, established in 2020, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation enables up to 40 research personalities each year to actively recruit excellent junior researchers from abroad for research stays in Germany. The scouts are appointed in a competitive peer review process. (Go to: https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/bewerben/foerderprogramme/henriette-herz-scouting-programm)

About Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schafföner: Holder of the Chair of Ceramic Materials at the University of Bayreuth since February 2021, previously Assistant Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Connecticut (USA). With a DFG research fellowship, he was a PostDoc at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Department of Materials Science and Engineering. In 2015, while working as a research assistant at the Institute of Ceramics, Glass and Building Materials Engineering at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, he was awarded a doctorate with distinction. This was preceded by a degree in process engineering at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. In addition, he completed several stays at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Tsinghua University. In March 2023, Schafföner received the Alfred W. Allen Award from the American Ceramic Society. Other awards and grants (among others): Member of the Young Academy of the Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz; Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship of the European Commission, doctoral and study scholarships of the German National Academic Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). (Go to: https://www.cme-keramik.uni-bayreuth.de/de/team/Schaffoener/index.php)