Erfurt Tenure | Career Track

The tenure-track system offers an alternative to the habilitation on the way to a professorship for life: with the possibility of a lifetime professorship proven young scientists are appointed for a junior professorship. The period of probation goes with a positive (interim) evaluation of the research and teaching performance according to specific rules and criteria.

The "Erfurt Career Track" exists at the University of Erfurt since 2016. According to statutes it defines the structures, procedures and quality standards for tenure-track professorships at the university. University-wide fromally binding it has been recognised by the Thuringian Ministry of Science as an equivalent career path to a professorship for life.

The offer addresses postdocs, who are already active in research, who have either a doctorate or habilitation or/and hold or have held a junior professorship or have been junior research group leadership and are in the midst to a professorship. Applicants for an "Erfurt Career Track - Professorship" must have either changed the university after completing their doctorate or have worked outside the university for at least two years.

Not only does the tenure-/career track include a broad qualificaton in professional skills and didactics, but also in interdisciplinary or extra-curricular (soft) skills. Criteria and objectives, which are put in the evaluation agreement, are negotiated individually for each professorship. Every tenure-/career track professor can utilise mentoring.

The University of Erfurt announces tenure-/career track professorships in two various ways:

Junior Career Track (W1 with tenure to W3):

• for young researcher who have still a need for development in their specialist and interdisciplinary fields, but who also have proven themselves already as scientifically established
• the path of development is planned for five years
• an appointment as a civil servant for six years for the time being
• usually two evaluation levels before acceptance for a permanent professorship

Advanced Career Track (W2 with tenure to W3)

• explicitly for advanced young researcher, who are qualified in their field of study and beyond
• the path of development is planned for four years
• an appointment as a civil servant for five years for the time being
• usually one evaluation level before being accepted for a permanent professorship

In case of a negative evaluation both tracks offer the opportunity of an additional transition year; in case of a positive evaluation both tracks will lead to a permanent W3 professorship appointment.

The full version of the appointment and the career concept can be found here (only available in German).

The University of Erfurt particularly supports the application of qualified women on tenure-/career track procedures.