Funding

The postdoctoral phase at a higher education institution or non-university research institution in Hamburg generally serves to provide further academic qualifications to those awaiting appointment as a professor or a role in (academic) upper-level management. Postdoctoral positions are mostly limited in time – by definition, they are only intended to be transitional. Although you could theoretically accept one postdoctoral position after the next, the Academic Fixed-Term Labor Contract Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz, WissZeitVG) imposes certain restrictions: if your position is not funded externally, it is usually limited to six years after you have completed your doctoral studies. Thereafter, you should have permanent employment.

Possible steps after completing a postdoc include working as a junior professor or early career research group leader, or completing a Habilitation (postdoctoral qualification). But how can you finance the individual phases?

Employment

External funding

Tips and recommendations

Comprehensive advice on different funding options and how to apply is available from your university research department.

Universität Hamburg (UHH)
Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)
HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU) (in German only)
Bucerius Law School (BLS) (in German only)

You can find funding opportunities for research activities within Germany and Europe through these portals and databases:

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) free database for scholarships offers a good overview of international academic funding programs.
The EURAXESS funding database lists various scholarships from more than 40 European and international countries and regions. It further contains the details of the funding programs offered by countless organizations in Germany generally providing funding for ten or more people every year.
Research in Germany maintains comprehensive information on the career situation and prospects for postdoctoral researchers.

The family office of Universität Hamburg (UHH) provides comprehensive information on the complex topic of the Academic Short-Term Lavor Contract Act (WissZeitVG), giving an overview and explanations of different possible cases. We refer to this website as the information is not specific to Universität Hamburg (UHH).