System for recognising research institutions (SAFe)
Supporting the admission and mobility of third-state nationals for research purposes
The application procedure for recognising a research institution for the purposes of entering into hosting agreements is carried out with IT support at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees using the SAFe application.
The aim of the Researcher Directive, by supporting the admission and mobility of third-state nationals for a residence of longer than three months for research purposes, is to help implement the objective of the European Council at Lisbon in March 2000, namely to enable the European Community to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economic area in the world by 2010. It envisages regulating the procedure for admitting third-country researchers to the European Union on the basis of a special, three-phase procedure (recognition procedure for research institutions, hosting agreement between research institutions and researchers and granting a residence permit for foreign researchers). It also envisages granting the researchers admitted in this procedure particular rights with regard to their residence, conducting lessons at universities, equal treatment in recognising their qualifications, working conditions, social security, taxation, etc and mobility within the EU for the same or other purposes. Internally, the entire process is supported by a workflow and document management system.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has published an up-to-date list of the names and addresses of the recognised research institutions on the internet, stating the circumstances concerning the submission or expiry of cost acceptance declarations in accordance with § 20, para.3 of the Residence Act.
In addition, the BAMF also publishes on the internet a list of the relevant findings, such as a research institute is financed primarily from public funds or that implementing a specific research project is in the public interest.
The research institute's recognition is limited to at least five years. The recognised research institute can agree to enter into hosting agreements with foreign researchers during this period. Before the validity expires, application can be made to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees for the recognition period to be extended.
Target group of the system
Staff processing the approval process (workflow and document management), foreign researchers, research institutes (internet).
Technical implementation
DOMEA 4.0, a certified product based on the DOMEA concept and produced by the company Opentext, is used for the IT-supported process with the SAFe application. A DOMEA client is required by the user.
