A variety of early career research groups are hosted by or associated to TU Darmstadt. The university generally promotes the high scientific autonomy of the early career research group leaders by assigning them examination rights and a teaching load as part of their subsequent appointment to an assistant professorship in an ad personam process.
We summarise the most common university-related early career research group models below:
Emmy Noether Programme
BMBF research groups
The objectives of the in promoting young scientists include improving the transitions from the scientific qualification phase to occupations and creating conditions under which scientific achievements of the highest possible quality can be provided. Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)


To this end, the BMBF provides particularly qualified scientists with the opportunity to gain further scientific qualifications and conduct research in defined subject areas within the framework of junior research groups.
ERC-Starting Grants
Starting grants offered by the European Research Council (ERC) for promoting early career researchers focus primarily on the excellence of the research project and the already demonstrated scientific autonomy and independence from the supervisor of the doctoral thesis. The early career research group can be based at a private or public research institution, funding is provided for up to 5 years. Learn more


Helmholtz Young Investigator Groups
can be based at a Helmholtz centre or at a partner university. The topics covered by the group must be compatible with both a Heimholtz programme and, at the same time, the core focus of the university or the department. The funding programme is designed for talented postdocs with proven experience abroad. Applications can only be submitted during a call for proposals. Helmholtz Young Investigators Groups
Guidelines of TU Darmstadt (internal, in German)
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