News for Early Stage Researchers

Current newsletter of the Graduate Services

The newsletter of the Graduate Services is published quarterly. Here you will find current calls for proposals as well as news from the Academic Qualification Program, equal opportunities, university-internal graduate centres, and the Committee of PhD Representatives.

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Competence-oriented personnel development for academics includes workshops on interdisciplinary key competences and career planning and development. Further information can be found  here.

Research career: Information events organised by the DFG

The German Research Foundation (DFG) offers a wide range of funding opportunities for postdoctoral researchers in the early career phase. The DFG regularly provides information about these opportunities in the online dialogue series "Prospects". Throughout the year, specific funding instruments and programmes for the period after the doctorate are presented in various online seminars. Also interesting for doctoral researchers!

The next events in the Prospects series are

• 10 February 2026, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. CET – The Emmy Noether Programme
• 11 March 2026, 10:30 a.m. - noon CET – DFG-Förderangebote für Postdocs (in German)
• 14 April 2026, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. CET – Das Walter Benjamin-Programm (in German)
• 20 May 2026, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. CET – DFG funding Opportunities for Postdocs
• 25 June 2026, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. CET – The Emmy Noether Programme 

Further information on the event and the slides of past lectures in the Prospects series can be found here.

Call for applications for the German Study Award 2026

The competition is aimed at early-stage researchers from all disciplines who have submitted an excellent dissertation of particular social importance in 2025. With three top prizes of 25,000 euros each, it is one of the most highly endowed prizes for young academics in Germany. Former students also have access to a wide range of funding opportunities - from mentoring for scientific careers and a conference fund to participation in the Max Planck Programme for Start-ups.

The closing date for the current call for applications is 1 March 2026.

All information on participation can be found here.

“Best Research Environment” award

A good research environment promotes good science and research by cultivating individual strengths which combine to form a greater whole that benefits everyone. For scientists and researchers it is important to be part of a research environment that provides room for creativity, fosters successful work, and aims to create a positive working atmosphere.

Die Junge Akademie and the Volkswagen Foundation are once again jointly offering the prize for the best research environment in 2026. 
Applications are possible until 1 March 2026. Five teams will be selected at random from a shortlist and each will receive €10,000. 

Further information can be found here. 

Masterclass for MSCA Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Applications

Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, the CNRS and IRD are launching a call for applications for an on-site masterclass dedicated to candidates preparing a proposal for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) 2026 call.

The masterclass will take place in Paris from June 1 to 5, 2026. 

Click here to learn more about the application content, key dates, commitments, and to register for the masterclass.

Application deadline: March 5, 2026 (11:59 PM CET)

Stiftung Ettersberg | Doctoral Completion Scholarships

The Stiftung Ettersberg is offering scholarships for doctoral studies starting July 1, 2026. Each scholarship provides €1,500 per month for a period of six months and serves as final funding for the completion of a dissertation.

The scholarships support doctoral projects that—in line with the foundation's mission—contribute to research on the history of European dictatorships and their overcoming.

Further information can be found here.

Application deadline: March 6, 2026

Wübben Science Foundation's Sandpit programme

The new annual theme of the Wübben Science Foundation's Sandpit programme is "Understanding, developing and changing office culture". Researchers from all disciplines (doctorates and above) can apply until 31 March 2026 with a two-part idea paper. Sandpits are creative ideas workshops for up to 20 participants.

The scope of funding amounts to 50,000 euros. Applications are assessed anonymously.

Further information and application details can be found on the website.

Gerda Henkel Stiftung | Prospekt Utopia

To mark its 50th anniversary in 2026, the Gerda Henkel Foundation is launching a funding programme that seeks to enquire into the realms of the possible and the horizon of the not-yet-known. Researchers from all the fields supported by the Foundation are invited to reflect on the significance of their disciplines in terms of the meaning these have for lived reality and as a way of providing orientation and thus to explore the future with regard to its possible shapes and the potential for interpretation and creation it offers.

The funding programme is open to post-doc researchers. The form in which the approved funds are used is at the discretion of each recipient, and alternative, experimental formats for tackling the subject and documenting the results are expressly encouraged. The results should also be aimed at an audience beyond the academic and university world. Applications are not dependent on the nationality of the applicant or their place of work.

 A total of 50 projects will be announced with a project sum of up to EUR 50,000 in each instance.

Further information can be found here.

The deadline for submitting the first project outline is 15 April 2026.

DAAD scholarship programmes "Congress trips" and "Lecture trips"

Since 1 March 2023, the DAAD has once again been offering funding for participation in congresses and lectures.

In the congress travel programme, funding is provided for active congress participation, in the lecture travel programme for lecture activities outside congresses and conferences. You can find the calls for applications at www.daad.de/kongressreisen and www.daad.de/vortragsreisen.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the DAAD Info Centre. You can reach our counsellors on 0228-882 180 at the following times: Monday to Thursday 9am - 12pm and 2pm - 4pm (CEST), Friday 9am - 2pm (CEST), or via the DAAD contact form.

"Writing Friday" for doctoral students

schreibzentrum.berlin offers doctoral candidates free online writing days. On the first Friday of every month, from 9.30 am to 12.00 pm, doctoral candidates meet with like-minded people and are supported in their writing by experienced writing coaches with the help of moderation techniques and writing exercises.

The programme is aimed at doctoral candidates from all disciplines and at all stages of writing. It is possible to join the programme at any time.

Registration and further information on the programme can be found here.

DocColloq for doctoral candidates

DocColloq, which was founded at Trier University in 2018 by research assistants Camilla Haake and Natalie Tröller, is an interdisciplinary network for doctoral candidates from all disciplines and all institutional affiliations.

In regular, digital meetings via Zoom, doctoral candidates from all disciplines from all over Germany are brought together to promote and strengthen the exchange between doctoral candidates and their networking with each other. This exchange format has proven to be very helpful, especially in times of strong isolation due to the coronavirus measures and the digitalisation of teaching and research. Experience has shown that doctoral students face the same problems again and again, regardless of the subject they are doing their doctorate in, according to the two founders. During the meetings, up to three doctoral students present their current research in short 15-minute presentations. This is followed by a joint discussion.

All doctoral students are invited, regardless of which university or college you are doing your doctorate at, regardless of your specialisation or stage of doctorate, and regardless of whether you would like to present your research yourself or just listen!

Interested parties are asked to register by sending an e-mail to doccolloq@uni-trier.de. A link for the Zoom event will be sent to you.

FAZIT Foundation

The FAZIT Foundation is a non-profit publishing company that specifically promotes science and research by awarding doctoral scholarships and grants for printing and travel costs.

Applications for a two-year doctoral scholarship as well as grants for printing costs and travel expenses are possible at any time.

The foundation provides information on further requirements and submissions of application on its website.