GDO Childcare Support Measures for the Cluster
GENDER AND DIVERSITY POLICY FOR CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE
The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, through its Gender and Diversity Office (GDO), strives to create an environment where all members can fully participate in all research-related activities of the Cluster. In order to accommodate the needs of Cluster members and BIGSAS Junior Fellows with children, the GDO has put several measures in place to support parents with special childcare assistance needs. The rationale behind these measures is to allow Cluster members with parental duties full participation in events and research activities under the umbrella of the Cluster.
Childcare assistance is limited to minors living in the same household with the applicant and may come in two forms:
- during events at the University of Bayreuth, or
- during conference or research trips
1. Childcare in Bayreuth during Knowledge Lab sessions
The GDO offers on-site childcare during regular Knowledge Lab sessions after 4:00 p.m. In conjunction with UBT’s program Familiengerechte Hochschule (family-friendly university), Cluster members and BIGSAS Junior Fellows in need of childcare can register with the GDO using the relevant application form at least a week before the scheduled KL event and leave their children with a professional child-minder on campus for the duration of the KL session.
2. Childcare in Bayreuth during conference or workshop sessions
In cases of conferences or workshops held after 4:00 p.m. or on weekends that involve several Cluster members and BIGSAS Junior Fellows with children, the GDO may organize measures for on-site childcare. In cases where individual solutions are required, Cluster members and BIGSAS Junior Fellows may submit an application to the GDO for reimbursement of childcare expenses.
Eligible expenses are: the legal minimum wage in Germany (12 Euros per hour as of 1 October 2022) in case of a self-organized professional child-minder, or the official rates charged by professional childcare facilities.
The invoice needs to be paid by the applicant first and then submitted to the GDO for reimbursement through the cluster and the UBT administration.
3. Childcare during conference trips outside of Bayreuth
Cluster members and BIGSAS Junior Fellows who need to take their children along to conferences or workshops may submit an application to the GDO for reimbursement of childcare expenses. Eligible expenses and reimbursement procedures are the same as above (see item 2).
In addition, Cluster members and BIGSAS Junior Fellows may apply for a subsidy towards transportation expenses, according to the below.
In exceptional cases of conference travel in Germany or in Europe, the cluster can pay a subsidy toward the train- or airfare of an accompanying non-professional child-minder (e.g. a family member or a family friend), as stipulated in the columns “Germany (train)” and “Europe” in the table above; in such instances, additional childcare expenses as outlined in 4.(A) below are not eligible for reimbursement.
4. Research-related Travel and Fieldwork with Children
In cases where cluster members or BIGSAS Junior Fellows need to take their children along to library or archival sojourns, summer schools or fieldwork trips, or mentor visits in case of doctoral students, they may also apply for financial assistance. Available support measures will be tailored to the individual circumstances of the traveling researcher within the framework of the legal regulations by which the Cluster is bound.
(a) Childcare expenses can be reimbursed on submission of the invoices and receipts up to a certain limit and according to the following regulations:
- self-organized child-minders need to receive the legal minimum wage (currently 12 Euros per hour as of 1 October 2022 in Germany) in Global North countries and the applicable local minimum wage in Global South countries;
- professional childcare facilities may charge their official rates.
The maximum amount that will be reimbursed per child is:
- 150 Euros per week for research trips to Global North countries;
- 50 Euros per week for research trips to Global South countries.
Expenses beyond this limit are not eligible for reimbursement. In exceptional instances, cluster members and BIGSAS Junior Fellows may ask for additional support to avoid financial hardship; the granting of such will be at the discretion of the GDO in consultation with the cluster’s Management Board. In such instances, you may attach more information to your application where you explain the special circumstances that require additional attention.
(b) Additional subsidies are offered as lump sums for other travel-related expenses, as follows:
- Subsidies for train tickets and airfare can be paid as lump sums according to the table above (see item 3).
- In exceptional cases of research travel outside of Europe, the cluster can pay a subsidy toward the airfare of an accompanying non-professional child-minder (e.g. a family member or a family friend), as stipulated in the column “outside of Europe” in the table above; in such instances, possible additional childcare expenses as outlined in 4.(A) above are not eligible for reimbursement.
- Subsidies for visa, medication, vaccinations, and miscellaneous expenses will be offered as a lump sum of 400 Euros per child for trips to Global South countries.
- In case of visa requirements for Global North countries, doctoral students may receive a subsidy of 50 Euros per child.