TU Darmstadt set up the two programmes Athene Young Investigator (AYI) and UNICO-Young Investigator (UNICO) for outstanding early career researchers to apply for leading junior research groups with the aim to qualify for professorship at an early stage of the career (AYI) or gain further academic qualification alongside a career in industry (UNICO).

In addition, highly qualified early career researchers can apply for the national and international funding programmes to receive funds to lead junior research groups.

As an early career researcher with the career goal of becoming a professor, you can benefit from a range of funding programmes to improve your career opportunities and secure your scientific independence at TU Darmstadt.

With an excellent dissertation, an outstanding academic CV and an innovative research idea, your supervisor can nominate you for the highly endowed Dr Hans Messer Foundation Prize.

TU Darmstadt aims to attract and support more outstanding international researchers in the early phase of their careers through specific programmes. Benefit from the Future Talent Guest Stay programme or the Ingenium Research Fellow programme to initiate or expand your collaboration with an international ECR.

For national and international PhD students and postdocs, the Career Bridging Grant programme provides financial support while you prepare your next career step.

Ingenium advises researchers in early career phases (R1-R3) individually on funding opportunities from the DFG (e.g. Individual Research Grant, Walter Benjamin or Emmy Noether Programme), the BMBF (junior research groups) and non-university research institutions as well as on the application process.

Keypoints of the counselling include:

• Identification of suitable funding programmes for individual funding depending on career stage
• Feedback on your proposal from a non-expert perspective
• Formal review of the proposal documents
• Preparation of the employer's statement
• Trial presentations before invitations to the funding organizations (funding for professional coaching available)

Information on junior research groups currently funded at TU Darmstadt by the DFG, the BMBF und non-university research institutions and the programmes can be found here.

Please contact us on good time if you wish to submit a proposal. Make an appointment with Ingenium team member Dr Yvonne Bachmann (yvonne.bachmann@tu-…).

Dr Barbara Köhler (barbara.koehler@tu-…) from the EU Research Funding Unit of TU will be happy to provide you with information on the formats of the European Research Council.

Research Mentoring at TU Darmstadt

Find out more about the principles, tips and tricks for submitting proposals from the Research Mentoring at TU Darmstadt. The experienced and renowned professors offer personalized advice on submitting applications for individual funding, e.g. for preparing an application for research grants from the DFG or the European Research Council.

DFG Liaison Officer at TU Darmstadt: Prof. Dr. Jens Braun

The DFG Liaison Officer supports you during the proposal processing by the DFG Head Office as well as during the review, evaluation and decision by the DFG committees, even in the case of rejections. More

Programme Contacts the DFG Head Office

Please also get in contact with the the relevant Programme Contacts at the DFG Head Office if you have specific questions about your proposal situation. More

Individual counselling is available for non-specialist questions relating to the postdoc phase. Key points of the counselling include

• Financing
• Acquisition of skills
• Mobility and international experience
• Career planning and prospects in science – TU Darmstadt
• Career planning and prospects outside academia
• Special challenges during the postdoc phase

Please make an appointment in advance with Ingenium team member Dr Angela Müller (angela.mueller@tu-…).

Ingenium Networking Programme

Ingenium provides career-relevant information and orientation in workshops and training sessions as part of the Ingenium Networking Programme. More

Young Investigator Appreciation Day

Once a year in May/June, Ingenium invites all RMU junior research group leaders (R3), advanced postdocs (R2) and interested doctoral students (R1) who are pursuing an academic career or professorship to the Young Investigator Appreciation Day networking event at TU Darmstadt. More

RMU Social Events

The RMU Social Events give you the opportunity to get to know RMU colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere during guided tours of places of interest or a visit to a company in the region.

RMU Postdoc Career Weeks

The annual RMU Postdoc Career Weeks are for advanced doctoral students and postdocs with the aim of providing guidance for career paths within and outside academia through a variety of events.

Subscribe to Ingenium Newsletter Ingenium Newsletter to be informed about all planned networking events.