Promoting early career researchers

There are various opportunities for funding early career researchers in the national and international areas.

SEED GRANTS for early career researchers (university)

DescriptionSupport for young scientists with preparing a research funding application: Development of ideas; scientific preparation work.
No support can be given for: Preparation of applications for scholarships, conferences, etc.
Funding organizationsUniversity of Hohenheim
Funding amountup to € 5,000
RecipientsDoctoral students and post-docs at the University of Hohenheim within 6 years after completing their doctoral thesis (date of doctoral degree) 
Contact person

Mara Lucic
+49 711 459 22819  |  Email

Valentyna Zimmermann
+49 711 459 24614  |  Email

Submission deadlineApplications can be submitted at any time.
Call for applications

Call for applications German | English

FormsApplication form German | English

DFG Promotion of Early Career Researchers (national)

Temporary positions for principal investigators (module for material support)
As part of a DFG grant (individual project), funding for the applicant researcher's position can be requested using the temporary positions for principal investigators module.
Research scholarships
Research scholarships make it possible for up-and-coming scientists to carry out a limited research project at a location of their choosing abroad.
Emmy Noether Program
The program makes it possible for up-and-coming scientists to obtain early scientific independence by leading their own research group.
Recipients:
  • Researchers holding doctoral degrees with two to four years of research experience
  • Applicants must have international research experience
Heisenberg Program
The Heisenberg professorship is linked to certain structural criteria.
Recipients:
  • researchers who have obtained their eligibility to become a professor with the aforementioned DFG programs,
  • positively evaluated junior professors,
  • researchers with a habilitation and Germans returning from abroad,

Foundations (national)

The promotion of early career researchers is one of the goals of these large foundations:

Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship (EU funding)

This European Union program promotes the mobility of researchers.

Detailed information from KoWI on Marie Slodowska Curie measures

ERC Grants (European)

The European Research Council (ERC) supports international, innovative basic and pioneering research.

The research projects should be interdisciplinary and demonstrate novel, outstanding research approaches and have the potential to open up new areas of knowledge. The sole selection criterion of the ERC is the scientific excellence of both the project and the Principal Investigator (PI). All ERC measures are open-topic.

ERC Starting Grants are specifically designed to support excellent academics at the beginning of an independent research career.

Further information:

Human Frontier Science Program (international)

The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) promotes up-and-coming scientists as well as international cooperation in interdisciplinary life sciences.

The focus of this program lies on the promotion of innovative research in foundations for investigating complex mechanisms in living organisms. In particular, projects to be supported link biology with physical, mathematical, chemical, information, or engineering approaches to make new, deeper insights into life sciences possible.

The HFSP has two funding lines:

  • Research Grants
    for interdisciplinary, international research teams (Young Investigator Grants and Program Grants)
  • Postdoctoral fellowships
    for up-and-coming scientists who have their doctoral degrees

Official information on calls for applications, the application process, and guidelines can be found on the HFSP website.