TU Berlin Center for Junior Scholars (TUB-CJS)

Postdocs

Setting course on your path to a professorship

Upon completing your doctorate, you are faced with one of your most important career decisions. Generally, if you do decide to pursue a career in academia, you will need to complete a postdoc phase. This is often key for establishing the direction of your future academic career. In close cooperation with the Research Promotion Section, CJS' Office for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Services provides a comprehensive advisory service on your career options and how to obtain funding. The CJS is here to help you! We also seek to make use of active networking measures to strengthen staff development   for postdoc employees at TU Berlin.

There are a number of different options for you as a postdoc at TU Berlin:
 

BUA - Postdoc Academy

In the spring of 2023, the Berlin University Alliance launches a new academy to promote researchers at the postdoc level.

Postdoc

Postdoc positions within an academic chair can be either funded from the University budget or third-party funding. Budget-funded positions are generally offered for a period of five years and require postdocs to teach four SWS (course hours per week). They also include the option to do a Habilitation. The employment periods for third-party-funded positions vary. As a postdoc member of staff, you can also carry out project leadership duties.

You can apply for funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) or the EU to finance a temporary position as principal investigator to pursue your own independent project. This usually requires the support of and close collaboration with the head of an academic chair at TU Berlin.

Do you have the ideas and expertise for your own research project? As part of its internal measures for promoting research, TU Berlin can help you prepare an application for third-party funding from the DFG or similar programs for a temporary principal investigator position. Further information on internal measures for promoting research can be found on the website of TU Berlin’s Research Department.

Junior research group leader

There is a wide range of programs at national and international level as well as within TUB for the advancement of outstanding postdoc junior scholars. Within the University, these include the advisory services provided by the Research Promotion Section and the EU Office.

The funding period for a junior research group is generally between five and six years. As a junior research group leader, you enjoy, as far as is practically possible, the same rights as a junior professor. You can supervise the doctoral theses of the teaching and research assistants working in your group and undertake teaching duties on a teaching contract. TU Berlin provides excellent research and teaching conditions for junior research group leaders, including those funded by the Emmy Noether program.

Networking and exchange are key to success in research. The CJS Office for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Services was instrumental in establishing the “Young Academics Network” (YAN) at TU Berlin. The aim is to achieve mutual support in everyday university life and to find a common voice on political issues. Regular meetings provide an opportunity to discuss and share experiences.

Junior professor

Junior professorships are available for junior scholars demonstrating an outstanding capacity for research or a particular aptitude for teaching. Junior professorships respond to the current need for an accelerated option for obtaining a university professorship by dispensing with the requirement of a Habilitation. Appointment to a junior professorship is based on the evaluation of research and teaching skills.

TU Berlin’s Tenure Track System seeks to create more junior professorships with tenure track option, thus providing a long-term perspective for achieving a tenured professorship at the University.

© Ibrahim Rifath

Funding

There are a number of funding options to finance positions for junior scholars. In addition to funding provided by TU Berlin, this includes programs and scholarships offered by the DFG, the EU and a number of foundations.

© Tim Gouw

Mobility

Science has no borders. It thrives on the international and intercultural exchange of methods and findings as well as contact to the international scientific community. There are a number of mechanisms to fund and promote mobility and the possibility to spend time abroad, reflecting the importance of this issue.