In case of absence for family-related reasons (e.g. maternity leave, parental leave or the obligation to look after relatives in need of care), please first discuss the matter with your HR department and Equal Opportunities Office at your institution. Having done this, please inform the Programme contacts at the DFG Head Office(interner Link) of your plans early on using one of the elan communication forms(externer Link).

There following options are available: 

• Continuation of the project with a supervision concept if the project leader is absent for up to 6 months
• Suspension of the project in case of absence of more than 6 months
• (change of project leader)
• Cost-neutral extension of the project duration
• support/relief staff 

Continuation of the project

In case of a family-related absence of up to six months after the birth of a child (parental leave), the project can usually be continued and the working group can continue to be financed. For this purpose, the project leader must set out a coherent supervision concept to the programme contacts at the Head Office(interner Link) showing how scientific leadership of the project will be guaranteed during the absence (for further information see below).

For the subsequent period – i.e. from six months after the birth onwards – the DFG generally expects the project leader to return for at least eight hours per week (or 20 percent of a full-time equivalent position).

The project leader can also work part-time outside of parental part-time arrangements. Under the Emmy Noether Programme and in connection with the Temporary Positions for Principal Investigators module, the project leader can reduce their position to up to 50 percent of a full-time equivalent to care for children or dependent relatives and extend the duration of the project accordingly. 

Supervision strategy

If the project is to continue during the project leader’s absence of up to six months after the birth of a child, the project leader is requested to submit a supervision strategy using one of the elan communication forms(externer Link). This should contain the following details:

• Absences and expected re-entry of the project leader (with subsequent part-time percentage where applicable).
• Supervision of the researchers employed in the project, if necessary also by other contact persons on site. Responsibility for project leadership in this case remains with the absent individual. Substitution of the project leader themselves is not possible.
• Rough overview of how the organisation and project content is to be handled during the period of absence.
• In the case of collaborative projects (Priority Programmes and Research Units), additional clarification of how and to what extent the concerns of the other collaborative projects have been taken into account.

Suspension of the project

If the project leader plans to be absent for more than six months for family-related reasons, the project must be interrupted. In principle, no project funds can be disbursed during this period. If ongoing, indispensable costs need to be covered during the suspension period (e.g. ongoing costs for staff for plant care, animal husbandry, etc.), please contact the Programme Officers responsible regarding the options.

Change of project leader

In exceptional cases, the project may be transferred to another person; in this case, an agreement on reassignment after return to the project should also be assessed and discussed directly with the responsible Programme Officer(interner Link) at the DFG Head Office (see the contact details in the award letter). Under the Emmy Noether Programme and in connection with the Temporary Positions for Principal Investigators module, it is not possible to transfer the project to another person since these funding programmes are explicitly tied to individuals.

Cost-neutral extension of the project duration

A proposal can be submitted for a cost-neutral extension of the project for the duration of the project leader’s period of absence, whether this is a complete absence or part-time work (by using DFG form 41.45(interner Link) via elan(externer Link)). 

Support or relief staff from additional funding

For the absence period – whether a full absence from the project or family-related part-time work – it is also possible to apply for additional funding for support or relief staff (usually student or research assistants) based on actual additional needs. The funds can be used as follows:

• to cover project-specific routine activities relating to project leadership
• to maintain time-critical projects or those which cannot be interrupted
• in the case of an employment ban due to pregnancy which would affect project-specific activities

The supplemental proposal should contain information on the following points, for example:

• Absences and expected re-entry of the project leader (with subsequent part-time percentage where applicable)
• Plausible scientific justification of the additional needs
• Rough overview of which project assignments will be delayed due to the absence
• Rough overview of what is to be done by the additional assistant and when/for how long
• Where relevant, supervision of the assistant during the absence (the existing supervision concept can be used if there is one)

Please submit the informal supplemental proposal using one of the elan communication forms(externer Link). As a rule, the DFG Head Office will assess the proposal or forward it to reviewers and committee members. For this reason, please only submit (personal) information that you feel is indispensable for the review of the supplemental proposal.

Support or relief staff from the Standard Allowance for Equity and Diversity

As an alternative to applying for additional funds, and providing that the Standard Allowance for Equity and Diversity is available in a sufficient amount, support or relief staff can also be financed from this allowance.

Here, consideration should be given to whether the funds from the allowance can be used in a non-bureaucratic manner for this measure (among others) or whether it makes more sense to retain them for other plans in the area of equity and apply for additional funds instead.

The following options are available: 

• Employment of the substitute
• Additional funding for the “catch-up period” in case of a fixed-term employment contract pursuant to § 2(1) WissZeitVG
• Reallocation or redistribution of existing funds
• Support or relief staff
• Cost-neutral extension of the project period

The project leader is requested to inform the relevant programme contacts at the DFG Head Office(interner Link) of their project plans early on using one of the elan communication forms(externer Link).

Employment of a substitute 

To compensate for absences or part-time work on the part of the research assistants employed in the project due to maternity leave, parental leave or employment bans during pregnancy or breastfeeding, the project leader may in principle employ a substitute for the period in question to take over the tasks of the research assistants in their absence where necessary. The funding for the substitute staff comes from the funds released by the position affected by the absence period. Funding can be provided for no longer than up to the end of the employment contract of the absent staff member and up to the amount of the personnel cost category (cf. DFG form 60.12(interner Link)) approved for the absent staff member (cf. Funding Guidelines 2.00(interner Link) section 4.10.1). 

The DFG assumes that the project leader will first plan together with the staff member which work is to be carried out by the substitute during the absence and how, after their return, the mother or father will be given the opportunity to continue or complete their personal academic qualifications in addition to working on the project. Documentation is to be drawn up of these discussions including any agreements made, e.g. on the distribution of assignments in a way that makes sense for all parties involved.

Additional funding for “catch-up time” in case of fixed-term contracts pursuant to §2(1) WissZeitVG

When a staff member returns to or catches up with the project who was absent due to maternity and parental leave, the DFG provides additional funds as needed where the individual is subject to a fixed-term employment contract under § 2(1) Act on Temporary Employment in Higher Education (WissZeitVG: “Qualifizierungsbefristung”; cf. the Funding Guidelines relevant to the project; cf. DFG Form 2.00(interner Link), section 4.7). A proposal for additional personnel funding due to the need to make up lost time under § 2(1) WissZeitVG can be submitted by the project leader to the Financial Grant Management team using DFG form 41.44(interner Link) (Section B) at the following e-mail address (fin2@dfg.de(externer Link)).

Reallocation or redistribution of existing funds for “catch-up time” in case of fixed-term contracts pursuant to §2(1) WissZeitVG

If the employment contract was concluded based on § 2(2) WissZeitVG (fixed-term third-party funding/Drittmittelbefristung), there is no entitlement to a contract extension and the DFG does not provide additional funding. If no substitute is to be deployed, the personnel resources allocated to a staff member going on parental leave can be used when the researcher returns. If a substitute has been hired, it may be possible to continue or extend the employment contract of the absent staff member after their return, if necessary by reallocating any remaining project funds. A combination of both is possible. Any procedure of this nature must be coordinated with the responsible Programme Officer at the DFG Head Office as soon as possible.

Support or relief staff

If a research assistant is not allowed to carry out certain tasks themselves for health reasons due to pregnancy and/or breastfeeding, but no employment ban applies and this work cannot be taken on by other members of the working group, the project leader can apply for additional funding for support or relief staff to carry out this work (usually student assistants). Please submit your application using one of the elan communication forms(externer Link). Alternatively, if the Standard Allowance for Equity and Diversity is available in a sufficient amount, support staff can also be financed from this allowance. Here, consideration should be given to whether the funds from the allowance can be used in a non-bureaucratic manner for this measure (among others) or whether it makes more sense to retain them for other plans in the area of equity and apply for additional funds instead.

Cost-neutral extension of the project duration

If the remaining project duration is not sufficient to carry out work that is required for the project and make up for the absence of a returning research assistant, it is possible to submit an application for a cost-neutral extension of the project duration (DFG form 41.45(interner Link)) via the elan portal(externer Link). This should include a substantive justification and an explanation of the remaining to be done in the project. 

In Collaborative Research Centres (CRC), the project should be continued as far as possible if the leader of an individual project takes a family-related absence (e.g. maternity leave, parental leave or looking after relatives in need of care). Both in the case of a complete absence due to maternity leave and parental leave and in the case of part-time work for family-related reasons, an individual project leader can be relieved of project-specific tasks by hiring a qualified assistant for a limited period of time. The amount of relief should be based on the number of hours specified in the CRC proposal which the individual project leader has specified for their participation in the project.

These expenses can be financed from the Standard Allowance for Equity and Diversity or from funds saved elsewhere. If this is not possible and no funding can be provided from core support, the required funds can be applied for additionally.

In any case, the DFG must be informed of periods of complete absence on the part of the individual project leader and an alternative supervision concept must be submitted for individual project staff members.

If you wish to provide the DFG with information on maternity protection, pregnancy or bans on work due to pregnancy or breastfeeding, please use DFG form 73.01(interner Link) (incl. Consent A). Alternatively, the CRC spokesperson can use one of the communication forms at the CRC level in the elan portal(externer Link) for this purpose.

In order to ensure continuation of the individual project, the project leader is free to hire a substitute for the period of absence taken by a research assistant due to maternity leave, parental leave or the obligation to look after relatives in need of care. The substitute is to be financed from the personnel funds that are freed up due to the absence of the research assistant. 

A research assistant should be reintegrated in the individual project following their absence. If the extension period of the returning person’s employment contract exceeds the funding period of the CRC or the individual project, or if a return to the individual project is not possible for subject-related reasons, an informal proposal can be submitted for additional funding. This applies to a fixed-term employment contract under both § 2(1) and § 2(2) WissZeitVG. The additional funds can also be approved after the CRC has been completed. These funds are earmarked for financing the extension of contracts for research assistants.

If the proposal contains information on maternity protection, pregnancy, employment bans due to pregnancy or breastfeeding, or on an individual’s state of health, please use DFG form 73.01(interner Link) (incl. Consent A) for this purpose. Alternatively, the CRC spokesperson can use one of the communication forms at the CRC level in the elan portal(externer Link) for this purpose.

For information on funding options for support staff assisting project-affiliated researchers who are unable to carry out certain tasks due to pregnancy or breastfeeding, please refer to the last dropdown box on the website www.dfg.de/chancengleichheit/vereinbarkeit(interner Link).

If the use of a substitute for a doctoral researcher who is absent for family-related reasons is not compatible with the goal of that researcher completing their doctorate, the personnel funds for the absent doctoral researcher should be reserved to finance their return to the RTG.

If personnel funds for doctoral researchers and postdoctoral researchers are saved as a result of maternity and parental leave, these can be carried over to later budget years on request. Re-approval after the end of the RTG is also possible. An application to this effect must be submitted by 30 September of the respective year to the person responsible for the respective Research Training Group in the Research Training Groups and Career Support division by using one of the elan communications forms(externer Link).

Fellowship holders with children have the option to take advantage of a fellowship extension or a childcare allowance, or else they may combine the two options.

a) Extension of the fellowship period

Fellowship holders can take advantage of an extension of the maximum fellowship period by up to twelve months if they live in the same household with their child or children at the time of starting the fellowship and at least one child is still under twelve years of age (before their 12th birthday). This also applies if the first child is not born until during the term of the fellowship.

In the event of pregnancy during the funding period, the entitlement for the fellowship holder generally applies even if the entitlement to maternity leave pursuant to § 3(1) Maternity Protection Act (Mutterschutzgesetz – MuSchG) as amended on 23 May 2017 would commence during the funding period. The fellowship extension is granted to the full extent of the previously awarded fellowship, i.e. the basic fellowship amount plus the allowance for direct project costs, the child allowance and any foreign allowances.

Children of a fellowship holders’ spouse or partner can count here if it can be credibly proven to the higher education institution that these children were already living in the fellowship holder’s household prior to taking up the fellowship (e.g. documentary evidence provided by the residents’ registration office).

For additional children for whose birth it would be possible to claim maternity leave during the funding period, fellowship holders are given the opportunity to extend the term of funding by another three months (based on the statutory maternity leave). 

Please submit information in this regard using one of the elan communication forms(externer Link).

b) Childcare costs

Fellowship holders with children have the option of claiming a childcare allowance as an alternative to the fellowship extension. Here, unused extension months are converted into funds to finance proven childcare costs (“money instead of time”). The respective basic fellowship amounts are the maximum available per month for this purpose. It is also possible to combine the two options of “term extension” and “money instead of time”. Evidence must be provided to the higher education institution of the actual childcare costs incurred.
The following items may be reimbursed:

• childcare at kindergartens, day nurseries, crèches, etc., and the use of child minders;
• employment of childcare workers, including supervision of the child while doing school work at home;
• babysitters and au pairs.

The following are not eligible:

• expenses for teaching materials and tutoring;
• expenses for teaching special skills (e.g. music lessons);
• expenses for sports and other leisure activities, also club memberships;
• money for meals;
• expenses for care by family members (e.g. grandparents, siblings).

If exceptional requirements are identified, additional funds for childcare may be provided in individual cases, e.g. exceptional childcare costs may arise as a result of multiple births or the illness of a child. In these exceptional cases, any possible increase in childcare allowance must be coordinated with the DFG Head Office.

Please contact the person responsible for the respective Research Training Group in the division Research Training Groups and Research Careers for details.

Further information:

• DFG form 1.04 - Benefits for Fellowship Recipients with Children(interner Link)
• DFG form 2.10 - Funding guidelines for research fellowships with information for fellowship holders and guidelines for the final report(interner Link) (in German only)

If a doctoral or postdoctoral researcher is unable or not permitted to carry out certain tasks due to pregnancy or the need to care for their infant, student or technical assistants can be financed from the Standard Allowance for Equity and Diversity for the purpose of substitution or support, for example. If these funds are not sufficient, additional funds can be made available for this specific support of female doctoral and postdoctoral researchers (cf. also Proposal Preparation Instructions - Proposals to Establish Research Training Groups and International Research Training Groups  DFG form 54.05(interner Link)). If you have further questions, please contact the person responsible for the supervision of your Research Training Group.