How the DFG Supports Research Careers

What support and funding opportunities does the DFG offer to researchers in early career phases? Where can you find important background information and helpful hints?

This website describes your options in each phase of your early research career and offers advice for preparing your first DFG proposal.

Undergraduates

While studying, student assistants can work in knowledge-driven research projects funded by the DFG.

PhD

Research Training Groups and DFG funded research projects offer doctoral positions.

After your PhD

The DFG offers funding opportunities for independent research in early and advanced postdoc phases.

Guidance to DFG Funding Opportunities

In our regular info talks online and at research institutes in Germany, we present an overview of the DFG funding opportunities for postdocs, give advice on preparing a proposal and answer your questions.
Our how-to web pages provide insights into DFG individual grants programmes and give useful hints for preparing your first proposal to the DFG.

Video Clips

Who are the DFG-funded researchers, what is their research about and what do they say about the funding they receive? Find out in our portraying films:

In our explanatory videos we show who can apply for funding in the Walter Benjamin Programme, what the funding conditions are, and what helps when preparing a proposal. The third movie shows the DFG funding proposals: the route to a final decision.

Illustration: Schiff mit einem Emmy Noether-Bild am Bug

Guidance to DFG funding opportunities for postdocs

Ten Principles for Attractive Research Careers

The DFG has published ten "Principles of Effective Career Support in Academia" that define good support structures and conditions for researchers in early career phases in Germany.

Publications

Contact

If you have any questions on the DFG‘s research career support, please send us an e-mail:

Mailbox Consultation on Research Careers

E-mail:

info-researchcareers@dfg.de