Early Career Researchers

A position as a research assistant explicitly involves working on one's own research project. However, depending on whether the position is financed from the university's budget or from third-party funds, the proportion allocated to the doctorate varies. The choice of research topic may also be affected. In addition to research, the duties usually include participation in subject teaching and collaboration in the further work of the chair or project and involvement in academic self-administration.

Employment on budget or qualification positions is usually limited to 1-3 years and is usually part-time. Often, a contract extension is possible, so that the entire doctoral period can be spent in this position. The maximum duration of employment is governed by the Law on Temporary Employment Contracts in Science (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG), according to which a maximum of 6 years may elapse between the achieved qualification levels (for example, master's degree / doctorate or doctorate / habilitation) during employment. An extension is now only possible due to special circumstances (e.g. birth of a child) or by changing the basis of the fixed-term contract. Budgetary positions are regularly advertised publicly; the advertisements are directly accessible via the homepage of the university ("Stellenausschreibungen").

In contrast, one advantage of externally funded (project) positions is that one can continue to be employed after six years. The individual contract terms are limited to the duration of the project - usually 2-3 years as well - although continuation of the project or follow-up projects may be planned. It is often possible to take on smaller management tasks early on in a third-party funded project, e.g. supervising student assistants. The scientific field to be worked on is clearly limited to the specific project.

In both cases, the salary is based on the public service pay scale, grade TV-L 13.

Advantages of a position in academia - whether at a chair or in a research project - are:

coverage of social, health, unemployment and pension insurance costs
opportunities for experience with regard to research, teaching and academic structures
insights regarding teaching and university organization
very good opportunities for networking.

However, the time commitment is comparatively high. One challenge may be to balance the other requirements of the position with work on the dissertation. Both require time and commitment.

Independent research institutes such as the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association or the Max Planck Society award doctoral positions at their numerous locations, which are already tailored by the institutes to specific research topics and areas. You can benefit from the sometimes very high reputation of the respective institute, sufficient time to work on your own research and good follow-up opportunities after the doctoral phase.

The doctorate can be started alongside employment outside the university. Depending on one's personality and character, this formal separation of earnings and research may be perceived as advantageous or obstructive. In any case, one should keep in mind that a doctoral project is time-consuming and that the reconciliation of work and doctoral studies needs to be well organized. In favorable cases, the employer may have an interest in the doctorate and grant time off for it, for example - this must be negotiated in each individual case.

Financing a doctorate with the help of a scholarship is possible either over the entire period or over sections, whereby the amount and duration of the funding can vary. Scholarships are awarded by numerous foundations, organizations for the promotion of gifted students, and universities. Applications are open to independent doctoral candidates as well as to doctoral students in a structured doctoral program. Full scholarships, which finance the living expenses, usually have an initial term of 2 years and the possibility of extension for another year.

Prerequisites for funding are usually "special qualifications" - i.e. you must have good grades and/or be convincing with your project. Non-university scholarship providers are usually party-political, trade union or denominational and expect at least and expect their applicants to at least be open to the corresponding profile. In addition, there are also foundations, such as those of companies or private individuals, where the funding opportunities are often based on the intended topic (www.stiftungen.org). The central contact for foreign doctoral candidates is the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which also awards scholarships to Germans who want to conduct research projects abroad.

The advantages of scholarships:

• Subsistence is guaranteed, so that the entire working time can be devoted to the doctorate. The scholarship amount is currently around 1350 € per month. In addition, there are grants for material costs and, for children, a monthly child allowance. For doctoral students with children under the age of 12, there is the option of an additional parental year. Alternatively, these funds can also be used in whole or in part for increased childcare costs, e.g. for necessary research stays abroad. Scholarships are tax-free under the conditions of §3 number 44 of the German Income Tax Act (EStG). In cases of doubt, a binding decision is made by the responsible tax office.
• Most scholarship providers offer scientific and/or idealistic accompanying programs.
• Scholarship programs offer additional opportunities to reflect on intermediate steps of one's own project.

However, there are also some disadvantages to be considered. For example, receiving a fellowship is not an employment relationship subject to social insurance contributions. This means that high amounts are often payable to the statutory health insurance fund. There is also no contribution to the statutory pension and unemployment insurance. In addition, for the period after the doctorate, it should be borne in mind that, according to the collective bargaining agreement, the salary in the scientific service also depends on the previous period of employment - the time spent working on the doctorate with a scholarship is not recognized in this context. Furthermore, if the fellowship period is over and there is no employment relationship, the working time on the dissertation does not result in an entitlement to unemployment benefit I. Since scholarships are tied to the purpose of quickly and successfully advancing one's own qualification, many full scholarships largely exclude additional earnings from side jobs. Many foundations also set age limits.

A doctorate extends over several years, during which living costs as well as research and publication costs have to be covered. It is therefore essential to consider funding opportunities at an early stage at the transitions between the qualification levels.

With the funding line for doctoral students, the Bielefeld Young Investigators Fund responds to financial support needs with the career bridge master - doctorate in the preparatory phase and with final scholarships for doctorates.

The Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is pleased to announce the opportunity for outstanding scholars to conduct research in Washington, D.C., on “The United States, Europe, and World Order.” During the academic year 2024-2025 up to two post-doctoral fellowships will be awarded for a ten (10) month period from September 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 (More information).