Promoting young researchers

Promoting young researchers at the University of Erfurt

The University of Erfurt places special emphasis on the promotion of budding academics. In 1998, even before regular courses were taught upon the UE’s reopening, the Max Weber Center for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies was founded. To this day, it remains unique in that it combines an institute for advanced study with an integrated and permanent graduate school. The MWC is also one of the participatory institutes involved in the new graduate school called Religion in Modernization Processes. The University of Erfurt is the home of several graduate schools funded by the DFG and other foundations.

Our promise

At the University of Erfurt, young academics have the opportunity to conduct independent research while at the same time taking part in research teams or graduate schools. For the most part, these research groups are interdisciplinary and internationally-oriented. Our structured Ph.D. programs (Erfurt Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Program, or EPPP for short) build on the experience of the renowned Max Weber Center. The HIT | Academic Human Resources Development program at Higher Education Institutions in Thuringia organizes a wide range of first-rate continuing education seminars for honing your academic and professional skills. Participation is often free of charge for EPPP researchers. In addition, each of our scholarship recipients has access to a fully equipped work station. In addition to financial aid in the form of scholarships, we provide grants for research projects in the context of qualifying papers. All scholarship recipients can access additional services additional services at the university library and the computer center as well as assistance and guidance on how to submit funding applications and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Since April 2010, we have offered individual coaching sessions for Ph.D. candidates to help them complete their dissertations however possible.

Erfurt Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Program

Since May 2008, the Erfurt Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Program (EPPP) has provided the collective framework for the various graduate and doctoral schools. The objective of the EPPP is to ensure that our programs for budding academics are all of equally high quality by determining supervision standards, providing funding opportunities, and regulating structures and procedures.

The Ph.D. program is essentially designed to take three years; individual agreements are made with postdoctoral researchers. Upon entry into the program, research teams and young researchers sign a binding agreement concerning the responsibilities of the researcher and the supervisor during the qualification phase. The university supports young researchers in the program by granting university scholarships (full scholarships, first-year scholarships, and completion scholarships) and awarding grants for travel and material costs, conference fees, language courses, continuing education courses, and conferences organized by the fellows.

Additional information can be found in the detailed program description.

The research teams

Every young academic is a member of a graduate school or research team, allowing for close and personalized supervision.

Currently, the EPPP consists of the following seminars and research teams (see research groups):

University of Erfurt

Research