Junior scientists

The Emmy Noether Programme gives exceptionally qualified early career researchers the chance to qualify for a university professorship by leading an independent junior research group. The groups are funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) for a period of six years.

Current Emmy Noether Groups

The Athene Programme at the University of Tübingen aims to support women on their way into academia, starting with their studies and ending with a professorship.

In the various programme lines Athene Mentoring, Athene Grant and Athene Advanced, offers are made (or still being developed) for different target groups, which are tailored to different

• career phases (e.g. studies, doctorate, postdoc, junior professorship, NG leadership, etc.)
• Individual framework conditions and needs (e.g. international women scientists, trans*, inter* and non-binary people, first generation, migration background, care responsibilities ...)
• study and subject cultures and structures.

The programme is financed from budget funds and funds from the Excellence Initiative.

If you are interested in the Athene Programme as a whole or in a specific funding line and would like to be added to the information mailing list, please send a short message via E-mail.

The European Research Council (ERC) was founded by the European Commission to sponsor basic research. It provides funding to outstanding researchers conducting pioneering work in their fields. . ERC Starting Grants enable promising junior researchers to establish their own research units. Each project sponsored receives up to 1.5 million euros for up to five years.

Current ERC Starting Grants

Counselling centre at the University of Tübingen: Elisabeth Baier (Devision II Research)

The habilitation serves to demonstrate the special ability to independently represent a research area/subject represented at the Faculty of Science in research and teaching (Venia Legendi). A successful habilitation leads to the award of the title "Privatdozent". This is also associated with the right to supervise doctorates at the Faculty of Science and to act as an examiner and reviewer in doctoral procedures.

For the Habilitation procedure, you need a mentor from the relevant department who is a professorial member of our faculty.

The Habilitation Regulations of the Faculty of Science were approved by the Senate on 9 December 2010. It is recommended that you make an appointment with Dr. Elaine Huggenberger before submitting your habilitation application.

Important notice:

• Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Complete documents must be received by the Dean's Office 14 days prior to the meeting of the Postgraduate Affairs Board in order to be considered.
• Link to the next meeting dates of the Postgraudate Affairs Board

A habilitation procedure is divided into the following steps. The habilitation candidate is only directly involved in the steps marked with an "*" symbol.

1. Selection of a mentor who is a member of the department in which the habilitation subject(s) is (are) located*
2. Presentation of the habilitation proposal and interim evaluation according to LHG §39 (5) in the department*
   There are faculty-specific differences in the concrete implementation of this. A summary of the regulations can be found here. Please contact the relevant departmental spokesperson and/or the administrative head of the department. A confirmation of the interim evaluation will be sent by the departments to the Dean's Office.
3. Submission of the habilitation application and the habilitation thesis to the Dean's Office (for the required documents, see the application in the download area)*
   The habilitation application should be submitted no later than 2 years after the interim evaluation. Please contact Dr. Elaine Huggenberger for advice before submitting your habilitation application.
4. Opening of the habilitation procedure in the Postgraduate Affairs Board
   The complete application (with all required documents) must be received by the Dean's Office at least 14 days before the meeting. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
   Link to the next meeting dates
5. Review of the habilitation thesis (deadline 3 months)
6. Displaying period of the habilitation thesis and the reviews after receipt of the reviews (1 month)
7. Submission of the 3 proposed topics for the habilitation lecture*.
   The topics must be related to the Habilitation subject but with sufficiently distant from the candidate's personal research interests. The candidate is strongly encouraged to consult with the departmental representatives of the Postgraduate Affairs Board before submitting the proposed topics. The members of the Postgraduate Affairs Board can be found here.
8. Decision by the Postgraduate Affairs Board on the acceptance of the written Habilitation Thesis and the approval of the topics for the oral Habilitation Examination
9. Secret vote on the topic of the habilitation talk by the extended habilitation committee in the department (10 days)
10. Notification of the topic to the candidate 3 weeks before the date of the oral examination
11. Habilitation talk

The aim is to complete the habilitation procedure within one year (2 semesters) after submission of the habilitation application. Please note that there are no meetings of the Postgraduate Affairs Board during the lecture-free period.

A procedure for "Umhabilitation" is divided into the following steps. The habilitation candidate is only directly involved in the steps marked with an "*".

1. Presentation of the intention for "Umhabilitation" (as well as interim evaluation according to LHG §39 (5)) in the department*
   There are department-specific differences in the concrete implementation. A summary of the regulations can be found here. Please contact the relevant departmental spokesperson and/or the administrative management of the department. A confirmation of interim evaluation/approval to "Umhabilitation" will be sent by the departments to the Dean's Office.
2. Submit the habilitation application and the habilitation thesis to the Dean's Office (for required documents, see the habilitation application in the download area)*
   Please contact Dr. Elaine Huggenberger for advice before submitting the application.
3. Request of the habilitation reviews from the university at which the habilitation was awarded initially
   We require a declaration of consent from the candidate and the contact details of the person who responsible for habilitation procedures there
4. Discussion of the procedure in the Postgraduate Affairs Board.
   The complete application including all required documentation must be received by the Dean's Office at least 14 days before the meeting. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
   Link to the next meeting dates
   --> Decision on acceptance of the habilitation work already completed and waiver of further habilitation work still to be completed (individual case decision)

Information (in german only)

• Habilitation regulations pdf
• Teaching requirements pdf

Interim evaluation (in german only)

• Interim evaluation notes pdf
• Interim evaluation certificatee word

Submission of the Habilitation (in german only)

• Form Habilitation application pdf
• Form List of teaching courses excel
• Explanations to the Habilitation application pdf

Habilitation exams

• Habilitation exams take place as onsite events. In principle it is possible to do the Habilitatin exam in an online format provided the approval of the relevant department. 
• The oral habilitation examination is conducted by the Department´s Speaker.
• A short protocol  (in german) is prepared and kept on file.

Tenure track procedure

The tenure track procedure is designed to offer excellent young scientists attractive career prospects at the University of Cologne. At the end of a successfully completed tenure track procedure, they are transferred to a permanent professorship.

The process usually consists of a 4-year phase followed by a 2-year phase, each of which is concluded by an evaluation. The result of the interim evaluation serves to determine the qualification as a university lecturer and, in the case of a positive result, leads to an extension of the professorship or the employment contract for a further two years. The final evaluation serves as a quality-assured basis for the decision on the continuation of the professorship or the employment contract.

Junior professorships without tenure track

The junior professorship without tenure track offers young academics the opportunity to perform research and teaching tasks independently at an early stage of their career and to qualify for a lifetime professorship. With the establishment of the junior professorship, a new career path was created that is intended to provide young scientists with a modern and independent access to a professorship.

Junior professorships without tenure track are usually limited to six years. After four years, the junior professor undergoes a interim evaluation, which corresponds to the interim evaluation of junior professors and research assistants with tenure track. The result of the interim evaluation also serves in these procedures to determine the qualification as a university teacher and, in the case of a positive result, leads to an extension of the professorship or the employment contract for another two years.

The forms for the application to open the respective proceedings are available on request at gremienspam prevention@mnf.uni-tuebingen.de.

Information on the interim evaluation of Junior Professor and Junior Lectureships

Quality assurance concept according to § 51b LHG for Junior Professors with tenure track and evalation statutes concering Junior Professors and Junior Lectureships
(deutsch, konsolidierte Lesefassung,  Satzung vom 12. Oktober 2018 mit zweiter Änderungssatzung vom 15. Juli 2021, veröffentlicht in den Amtlichen Bekanntmachungen Nr. 23/2018 und Nr. 22/2021)

Quality assurance plan according to § 51 b LHG for assistant professorships with tenure track and evaluation statute regarding assistant professors and junior lecturers
(english, consolidated version, statute of 12 October 2018 with second amendment of 15 July 2021, published in the University of Tübingen’s official notices, the Amtliche Bekanntmachungen, no. 23/2018 and no. 22/2021)

Conatct for the Interim Evaluation: Stefanie Welsch E-Mail
Conatct for the Final Evaluation: Maria Moroff E-Mail

Month 0: Start of the junior professorship

Month 3: Perspective discussion 1

Month 31: Perspective discussion 2

Month 34: Junior professor applies for interim evaluation

1.     Department proposes commission
2.     Commission is approved by the Faculty Council and Rectorate
3.     Request for self-evaluation report (4 weeks deadline)
4.     Request for statement from Dean of Studies
5.     Appointment for meeting
6.     Create final report
7.     Contract extension / certificate for a further 2 years

Month 55: Perspective discussion 3

Month 58: Junior professorship applies for final evaluation

1.     JP applies for final evaluation
2.     Department proposes commission and external evaluators
3.     Approval of EC by Faculty Council and Rectorate
4.     Request for self-evaluation report, statement from Dean of Studies and expert opinion
5.     Appointment for meeting
6.     Create final report

Month 72: End of contract (for W1) or transfer to W3 (for W1 TT)

• LHG §51 - Juniorprofessur

• LHG § 51a - Dozentinnen und Dozenten

• DFG-Richtlinien zu Fragen der Befangenheit