Are you a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen striving for an academic career? Would you like to realize your own research project but still need time and resources to prepare your grant proposal?

The UDE Postdoc Seed Funding programme supports you during this phase with initial funding. You can apply for personnel, material, and travel funds up to a maximum of 30,000 €. These funds should normally be spent within one year.

The Rectorate invites UDE postdoctoral researchers to submit proposals twice a year. Normally, the call for applications is published each year at the end of January and July. Opening of the application process will be made public via the dean's offices, the Campus:Aktuell newsletter, and this website. Applications can only be submitted on the announced dates.

The aim of the Programme for the Promotion of Excellent Early Career Researchers is to lead outstanding postdoctoral researchers of the University of Duisburg-Essen to a third-party funding proposal.

Funding is provided for preparatory work that leads directly to the formulation of a third-party grant proposal for an independent research project. Candidates can apply for personell, material, and travel funds up to a maximum total amount of 30,000 € usually to be spent within one year. The UDE Rectorate will decide on funding based on a proposal of the Commission for Research, Career Development & Science Transfer (FoKo).

We expect from candidates that

• you have completed your doctorate no longer than five years ago
• you intend to pursue an academic career
• you have not received third-party funding for a major research project at the time of application (rejected applications and personal scholarships do not count)
• you are planning a scientifically ambitious, original project and can explain it to an interdisciplinary committee in a comprehensible manner
• you want to sharpen your own research profile through this funding programme
• you can present a publication list (in quality and quantity) corresponding to your discipline and academic age
• you may already have received awards (advantageous)
• you may already have research experience abroad (advantageous)
• your planned third-party funding project will also benefit the UDE and the research topic fits into the UDE's research landscape
• you are not yet funded by the UDE-internal DFG Erstantragsvorschuss (see below).

The above-mentioned aspects play an important role in the selection process. The evaluation takes place in two stages. First, the FoKo reviews the applications (08. April 2024) and then invites selected candidates to present themselves and their projects in a short presentation followed by an interview (13. May 2024, in person). Their recommendation is ultimately approved by a Rectorate decision on funding.

• Call for applications 37th round (in German only)
• Guideline for application
• Application form

Please use only the current template and do not take older versions.

We recommend the following tool for staff cost calculation (in German only): https://uni-due.kalkoed.de/.

Tip: Are you planning your first third-party funding application with the German Research Foundation (DFG)? Under certain conditions, the UDE-internal DFG Erstantragsvorschuss (10,000 euros lump sum) may be a suitable alternative to applying to the UDE Postdoc Seed Funding programme. Please note that funding from both programmes is not possible.