Early Career
Early Career
Promoting early career researchers is a core element of the research-oriented human resource development at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). Attracting outstanding and highly motivated researchers is crucial for personnel development, profile building, and the success of the UDE in both national and international competition. Therefore, UDE actively works to make academic careers more predictable and offers comprehensive support to all early career researchers.
The WISNA Program
The Tenure-Track Program for the Promotion of Early Career Researchers (WISNA) aims to make academic career paths more predictable and transparent.
Through the joint federal and state program, the tenure-track professorship is being broadly established at universities across Germany for the first time. For many young researchers, the path to a professorship becomes significantly more transparent and predictable: The tenure-track professorship is aimed at early career researchers and provides for a direct transition to a permanent professorship following a successful evaluation period.
The WISNA Program at UDE
UDE is using its great success in the WISNA program to implement structural and fundamental improvements in the career prospects of early career researchers and to expand its support services. Responsibility for the WISNA program at UDE lies with the Vice-Rector for Research, Early Career Researchers, and Knowledge Transfer:
The UDE concept is based on three pillars that combine targeted support for early career researchers and strategic human resource development to ensure the long-term viability of the University of Duisburg-Essen as an excellent research institution:
At the new Graduate Center Plus, UDE's support for early career researchers is brought together in one place. A portfolio of diverse support services is available for target groups ranging from late-stage Master’s students and doctoral candidates to postdocs. These services cover areas such as information and advising, interdisciplinary skills training, good scientific practice, as well as funding and financial support. In addition, the GC Plus is involved in the planning of the TT Academy.
By implementing a comprehensive human resource development concept, the Department of Human Resources and Organization contributes to the support of early career researchers at all levels. HR development offers support in leadership and emerging leadership training, career counseling, staff recruitment, coaching, team development, as well as in-service and continuing education across various areas of competence.
Through fair and transparent procedures, the appointment management at the University of Duisburg-Essen increasingly targets excellent early career researchers who choose the path to a professorship at an early stage. UDE regards the goal of equal opportunity and family-friendliness as a mark of quality and an important criterion for its continued development. This goal is therefore a leadership responsibility and aligned with the university’s gender mainstreaming strategy.