student submits application online

Application & Admission

All information about the application
student submits application online
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Call for applications launched!

Honours students

Honours students

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From March 30 to April 27 all students at the Friedirch-Schiller-University Jena can apply for the Honours Programme.

Students of all disciplines who have a special interest in science and research and show a strong talent can apply. The requirement is, that you have been studying for at least four semesters, as well as a confirmation of supervision by a professor or postdoc. This year, for the first time, student research groups comprising two to four students and one or two supervisors are also eligible to apply.

The selection of applications takes place in May/June, and the funding decisions are expected to be sent out at the end of June. The opening ceremony will take place on July 9.

Here you can find the application portalExternal link.

You can find the complete call for applications herepdf, 3 mb · de, as well as our funding guidelinespdf, 166 kb · de. We have put together further information for you here on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Who may apply?

The University encourages top-performing students of all disciplines, who have a particular interest in, and a considerable talent for, research, to apply for the programme. Students may apply if they are studying in a Bachelor's, Master's or state examination programme, and if they are enrolled for at least 4 semesters within one field of study.

Students shall apply together with a professor or an advanced postdoctoral researcher from FSU who shall later supervise and lead the student to individual research activities. If it is a postdoctoral researcher supervising the student, the researcher shall have conducted research for at least two years after the doctorate and shall stay at the University for at least one more year in order to supervise the student. In addition to individual applications for a research project, it is also possible to apply as a student research group comprising two to four students, supervised by one or two supervisors.

How to apply?

application online

application online

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Student applicants must submit:

  • a motivation letter;
  • CV;
  • final certificates, academic achievements of previous studies;
  • a proposal stating the student’s individual involvement in research activities for the upcoming months (1–2 pages) with
    • a roughdraft of their own research project resp. of the subsection of a joint research project,
    • a description of the planned supervison and
    • their intended participation in academic exchange (e.g. participation in research groups or colloquia)

Upon prior agreement with the supervisor, the proposal should be written by the student or the research group and signed by both or all parties.

If you are applying as a student research group, all members must submit their documents individually and indicate that they are part of the group. You can also enter a group name in the application portal.

The application can be submitted in a pdf file (max. 5 MB) in the above-mentioned order of documents in German or English.

Who decides on admission to the programme?

The Young Researchers Committee selects the students who are admitted to the programme. This year, up to 50 students can be accepted into the programme. In addition to above-average academic performance, the decisive factors for selection are a high level of motivation and an intrinsic drive to learn and development as well as a convincing concept of the student's involvement in research activities.

Submitting your application

Here you can find the application portalExternal link.

You can find the complete call for applications herepdf, 212 kb · de (English version from p. 3), as well as our funding guidelinespdf, 166 kb · de.

Other frequently asked questions about the application

  • I would like to apply, how do I find a supervisor?

    Often the contact to a possible supervisor exists through seminars, lectures or internships. Perhaps you have also taken a particularly good exam and your lecturer becomes aware of your talent in this way. However, you do not have to wait to be approached by a professor. If you have a very good academic record and a strong interest in research, take the initiative: you can contact a professor or postdoc and tell them about your idea of applying to the Honours Programme. You can then decide together whether a joint application as a tandem is an option for both of you.

  • Can I apply on my own, i.e. without a professor or postdoc?

    No, an application is only possible in tandem with a professor or an advanced postdoc. Honours mentoring is a central component of the programme. In order for this to work and be beneficial, it is essential that the tandem comes together on its own and with a professional fit regarding the field of reasearch and the planned project.

  • What is considered to be a good research project?

    Depending on the field of research, you can apply with your own small research or publication project or with a subsection of a joint research project that you are responsible for. Make sure that your individual research achievement is visible and that the project goes beyond a thesis in scope and ambition. You are completely free in terms of subject matter and methodology. During the selection process, the project will be judged not only for its quality and coherence, but also for how concrete and practicable it is designed. Student research groups should outline in their proposal which tasks and work steps are to be carried out by the respective group members.

  • I'm graduating soon. Is it still worth applying?

    After being selected by the Senate Committee, your membership will begin in July. You will benefit most from the funding in the programme if you are still studying for a year. In individual cases, there might be reasons for applying even if the membership will be shorter; we recommend that you explain the reasons for this in your application.

  • When will I know if my application was successful?

    The assessment of all applications is a complex process and takes some time. You will be informed at the end of June whether you have been accepted into the Honours Programme. Funding begins on 1 July.

  • I have individual questions about the programme or the application process. Who can I contact?

    If you have any questions about the programme or the application, please feel free to email us or come to one of our consultation hours: Mondays, 13:00–14:00 (in-person consultation), Tuesdays 12:00–13:00 online consultation (via Zoom). Please write to honours-programm@uni-jena.de to schedule an appointment and receive the dial-in information for the Zoom meeting.