BI-International für internationalen Fachaustausch

Group Study Excursions

Grants for Group Study Excursions of Foreign Library Staff to Germany

BI-International, the standing committee at the German National Association of Library and Information Associations Bibliothek & Information Deutschland (BID), provides financial support for group study excursions in Germany with German government funding.

1 Eligibility

Library professionals and information/documentation centre staff, who are actively integrated into the library systems of their home countries, are eligible to participate in group study excursions. Interpreters and travel guides are generally not funded. Eligible for funding are themed professional programs within a study excursion in Germany to promote further education, professional training, and mutual professional exchange on an international level. The duration is normally between three days and two weeks. Requirements for grants include a group application, a participant list, a program schedule and a letter of acknowledgement from the institutions to be visited in Germany. References from Germany or from the local Goethe Institute must be provided.

Should third-party financing be available, these funds must be used first. Financing in addition to the BII grant is generally attainable, but must be included in the application. German citizens are not eligible for financing even if they work or live abroad. Trips in relation to professional business cannot be funded.

2 Application Period

The group application should be made as early as possible, and should be submitted at least six weeks prior to travelling. The grant application is submitted via the online form on the BI-International website.
A detailed cost estimate and the tentative program schedule in Germany must be submitted with the application.
BII will confirm by e-mail the receipt of the application. The written decision and notification will be sent by e-mail upon assessment by the BII committee.

3 Grant

Funding is available as a group grant; the statement of costs is to be submitted as a group statement. Grant amounts are based on the number of group members and are calculated on a per diem rate. The total amount will be transferred to a bank account.

As proof of expenses, the statement of costs must be submitted with original public transportation tickets from within Germany, hotel receipts, entrance fees etc. Travel costs to and from Germany are usually not eligible for funding. As a general rule, each applicant, including group members, is eligible for one grant per year. Funds will be available upon final approval from the sponsor in the designated calendar year. Applicants have no legal entitlement to receive funding.

Grant recipients are responsible and liable for their own travel planning. It is recommended to consult the local Goethe Institute prior to the trip. BI-International assists with the program scheduling. The person in charge of the group tour is responsible for the group’s own travel insurance, preparation and organization.

Only fully completed applications will be processed. Grant recipients are obliged to prepare a comprehensive written report on their study excursion, which must be submitted within eight weeks of departure from Germany. The report has to explicitly mention the financing through BII. BII assumes copyright ownership for the report and is entitled to publish it, or parts thereof, on the BII website.

On acceptance of the grant, the recipient agrees to these guidelines for financing. BII is entitled to reclaim the grant, or parts thereof, if upon examination of the statement of costs and the proofs of expenses, it is determined that the grant has not been used as intended, or if the report is not submitted on schedule.

The online form is available at:
http://www.bi-international.de/english/application_forms/professional_study_tours_for_foreign_librarians_to_germany/
Download Fact Sheet:
Grants for Group Study Excursions of Foreign Library Staff to Germany (PDF 70KB)