Postdocs and junior professors

The Hamburg Research Academy is committed to improving the conditions for postdoctoral researchers and junior professors, early career research group leader, and young academics pursuing their Habilitation in Hamburg. You can take advantage of the Hamburg Research Academy's services if you are employed at one of the member institutions or have a comparable externally funded position.

You are at a stage in your career in which you are gaining further qualifications and must make important decisions? To support you in this, we have compiled specific information, offers, and activities related to research funding, HR development, and family services. We can also help you find the right contacts and advice for external funding applications, financial support for research and conference trips, and questions about the best continuing education opportunities for your career.

Career phases

Use the first two years after completing your doctoral studies (the early postdoc phase) to orient yourself professionally. If you would like to pursue an academic career, then external funding applications for projects or your own position are of vital importance. If you plan to move into industry, you should do so immediately after completing your doctoral studies – the longer you wait, the harder the transition can be.

Over the next four to eight years as a research associate, you should aim to be appointed to a permanent position / tenured professorship and to develop your academic profile. Rather than becoming a research associate, you can become a junior professor or early career research group leader. In this phase, you will need to apply for external funding and publish your academic work. You should also gain experience in teaching and supervising doctoral projects and staff as well as develop your project coordination and management skills. Special funding programs are available at higher education institutions for each of these positions.

These career phases are governed by the Academic Short-Term Labor Contract Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz), which limits an academic's qualification phase to twelve years. The Family Office at Universität Hamburg (UHH) can provide information on these stipulations and any exceptions to these.