The Tenure-Track Programme of the German Government and the Lander

The Tenure-Track Programme initiated by the Governement and the Lander in 2017 has provided more than 1.0 Billion EUR to promote a total of 1,000 additional Tenure-Track Professors at German universities. The new career path towards professorship is an attractive option for both national and international excellent researchers. It aims at creating better plannable and more transparent career paths for young researchers. As such, the Tenure-Track Programme is also a structural reform project for Germany as a site of innovation.

After successful completion of the two selection procedures in 2017 and 2019, there will now be 1,000 additional Tenure-Track professorships in 75 German universities implemented by means of the additional funding of the programme. The programme itself will run until 2032. The selection of the universities followed a scientific competition procedure.

To help develop staff structures not only in parts but as a whole, every competing university had to submit a concept for the overall development of its entire academic staff as part of their application. This forced the universities to not only rethink their staff on the professoral level, but on all levels of academic staff.

Additionally, the Tenure-Track Programme is providing financial means to adequately design the reformatory processes at the universities that result from the programme conditions. Friedrich Schiller University Jena has consequently created additional job positions in the department of Young Researchers, to accompany the required cultural change in the status group of postdoctoral researchers at the University on the one hand, and on the other hand create professional networks for both Tenure-Track professors, and the participating universities.

Find more information regarding Tenure Track as a career option on the way to professorship hereExternal link.