Support for women in academia

ProChance - Programme for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in Science

The ProChance programme supports the scientific activity and qualification of female researchers. The ProChance^exchange programme line provides support for female doctoral researchers and postdocs to finance short research stays, publication costs and participation in workshops and summer schools. Within the framework of the ProChance^career programme line, female postdocs can apply for funding to finance research projects, conferences, stays abroad, third-party funding applications and academic leaves.

Scholarships for female postdocs in transitional periods

The scholarships aim to support very good female postdoctoral researchers in developing their academic profile, and to specifically advance or re-boost their university careers. There are five different types of scholarships: Start-up scholarships, re-entry scholarships, hold-up scholarships, completion scholarships, and sabbaticals. These scholarships may be granted for a duration of between 6 months and 2 years, depending on the type of scholarship. Successful applicants will be supported for their projects with a monthly stipend of €2,000 and family allowances, if applicable. The scholarships are announced once a year. For further information, please click here.

• Christiane-Nüsslein-Volhard-FoundationExternal link
  The Foundation promotes talented female researchers with children and is particularly aimed at postgraduate and postdoctoral students of experimental natural sciences or medicine.
• Deutscher Akademikerinnen Bund e. V.External link
  Female academics of all subject fields are supported, especially with regard to publications and achievements, by the provision of awards. The association provides support without consideration for politics, religion, nationality or age. Female students are also invited to apply for support.
• UNESCO-L'Oréal promotional programme for researchers with childrenExternal link
  Every year, the UNESCO-L'Oréal Support Programme in Germany supports three outstanding female PhD candidates with children. The programm is for young scientists in experimental life sciences or medicine. The yearly support amounts to max. 20000 EUR for each PhD candidate.
• Maria-Weber-Grant – Teaching buyout for female Junior Professors and habilitation candidatesExternal link
  The Hans Böckler Foundation is awarding the Maria Weber Grant to outstanding female academics from all disciplines. Applicants can get a temporary substitute for up to 12 months to take over parts of the teaching duties in order to free up time for their research. The application deadline is 15 September each year.

The mentoring programme provides interdisciplinary support for female doctoral candidates in the final phase of their doctorates and for female postdoctoral researchers in the orientation phase of their individual careers. In addition to the placement of a mentor, specific workshops for further qualification are offered. Within the framework of peer mentoring, the mentees network with (young) scientists from other Thuringian universities and are accompanied in groups by experienced professors from the Thuringian universities. The programme runs for a total of 12 months and begins at the end of October/beginning of November of each calendar year.

The programme is financed by the Thüringer Kompetenznetzwerk Gleichstellung. The basic concept was developed at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and further developed by the Mentoring Working Group of the Thuringian Equality Competence Network as a joint concept of Thuringia's universities.

The application deadline is yearly in the middle of September. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Bianka Dettmer at the Office of the Vice President for Young Researchers and Diversity ManagementExternal link.

The mentoring programme for female postdoctoral researchers is an inter-university service provided by the universities of Halle-Wittenberg, Jena and Leipzig. It is targeted at highly-qualified female postdocs, researchers undertaking a "habilitation", junior research group leaders, and junior professors in all disciplines at these universities who were awarded their doctorate at least 2 years ago and aspire to a professorship at a German university. Applicants are also expected to have a serious interest in and high commitment to an academic career.

The programme aims to enable these female researchers

• to access individual advice and support from experienced mentors (one-to-one-Mentoring) on career-related issues and integration into the scientific community,
• training sessions on key career-related competences
• intra- and interdisciplinary professional contacts required for effective planning and pursuit of a career in science.

Each year, up to 24 female postdocs from the three participating universities are admitted to the programme. Upon request, the one-year participation in the programme can be extended by a second year.

You can submit an application to take part in the programme by the end of the winter semester each year. The application phase is announced at each of the three universities. For further information, please visit the website of the mentoring programme for female postdocs. If you have any questions or would like to submit an application, please contact Mrs. Annette Wagner-Baier at the Office of the Vice President for Young Researchers and Diversity ManagementExternal link.

The Graduate Academy offers a wide range of workshops to support you in your further qualification. Some of the workshops, which change quarterly, are designed to strengthen the competencies of women, e.g. leading teams under diversity aspects, re-entry, child & career, micro-politics. The workshops are held in German or in English. The registration is made via the central qualification portalExternal link of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

The Thuringian Competence Network for Gender Equality is organising a series of workshops for studentsExternal link, young female academics and members of gender equality committees under the slogan "Understanding - Communicating - Changing". The offers are aimed at members of all Thuringian universities. Participation is free of charge. Workshops are in German.

Under the theme ‘Defend yourself in everyday life!’, the university sports programme regularly offers self-defence courses for women.The training programme aims to help everyone get physically fit and learn some simple defence techniques that allow them to defend themselves in the event of a physical attack. Courses are designed for two people who want to train together, but you can also register on your own. More information on current and upcoming university sports courses is available hereExternal link.