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Funding program for postdocs and junior faculty

TU Dortmund Young Academy

With the Young Academy, TU Dortmund University supports scientists in the qualification phase to become successful in acquiring external research funding.

The TU Dortmund Young Academy includes versatile internal project funding, a research award, and an exclusive event program for all members.

Successful applicants for the project funding or the research prize will become members of the Young Academy. In the Young Academy, you will have access to an exclusive program of events for a period of up to six years.

Funding lines at a glance

Young Academy project funding

The following funding modules are available for selection:

(A) Support for a scientific study (up to 10,000 €).

(B) Small equipment (up to 5,000 €)

(C) Support for workshop/conference organization (up to 5,000 €)

(D) Support by student assistantships, e.g. for publication or preparation of third party funding application (up to 3,000 €)

(E) Participation in an international conference with active contribution (up to 2,500 €)

(F) Other support needs in the research context (up to 3,000 €).

The funding must be spent for the indended purpose within 24 months of its reception.

Scientists with a doctorate at TU Dortmund University below the professorship level.

Applicants enter their data in the application portal and upload the following documents together in one PDF file:

  • Project outline (max. 2 pages): This includes a description of the project, indicating the topic and the relevance of the project, as well as any other participants and their tasks in the project. In addition, a time and budget plan is part of the project outline. The budget plan must have been checked beforehand by Dezernat 5.1 (contact persons: Vanessa Hohmann, Dana Gerbersmann). Please be aware that this review will take ten days and plan your schedule accordingly.
  • Letter of endorsement from the representatives of the group of scientific employees in the faculty. The faculty council members from the group of scientific employees can endorse up to two applications from their faculty per call. Applicants will have the endorsement letter completed and uploaded with their application materials. Only applications that have been endorsed can be considered.
  • Copy of doctoral degree certificate
  • CV and list of publications

After the application deadline, all applications received will be reviewed. The selection committee will pre-select applicants who will be invited to present their project. The presentation consists of a 10-minute talk followed by a discussion (also about 10 minutes). After the presentations, the panel deliberates again. Subsequently, the applicants are informed in writing about the approval or rejection of their application.

Reject applicants can apply again. Successful applicants can apply again after completion of the funding.

The project funding is announced once a year. The deadline is 30th November.

The committee evaluates the quality of the applications, the relevance of the proposed project for the research of the applicants as well as for the research at TU Dortmund University. In addition, there should be an appropriate relationship between the use of funds and the expected return.

The committee consists of three proven young scientists from different faculties, who have already acquired high-caliber third-party funding, headed a junior research group or held a junior professorship:

The panel is chaired by the Prorector for Research, Prof. Dr. Nele McElvany (without voting rights).

Scientists whose funding application has been approved or who have received the Young Academy Research Award become members of the Young Academy for up to 6 years. This gives them access to an exclusive accompanying program that supports them in building up a profile with strong third-party funding. This program consists of workshops, retreats, fireside evenings with the Rectorate, and peer mentoring opportunities.

Attendance at the events in the support program is mandatory. In the first two years, each element (kick-off workshop, theme workshop, retreat, fireside evening, introduction to peer mentoring) must be completed once. In the next four years, participation in all elements (except the kick-off workshop) is optional.

Who has recently received the funding?

Projects Funded by the Young Academy

Submit application

Apply for your funding now using the application form.

Award for excellent research

Research Award of the Young Academy

The TU Dortmund Young Academy Research Award honors outstanding research contributions by scientists with doctorates below the level of full professorship. The prize is awarded once a year to up to two winners at the annual academic celebration. It is endowed with 2,500 euros, which must be spend for research purposes. Award winners automatically become members of the TU Dortmund Young Academy. As a member of the Young Academy, you will have access to the exclusive range of events for a period of up to six years. The call for applications open annually during summer.

Questions?

If you have any questions about funding, the research award, the application process, or the Young Academy's program of events, Dr. Maria Verena Peters will be happy to help.

Outstanding post-doctoral research consisting of one or two publications that are not older than three years. It must be an independent research contribution (co-authorships are not excluded - in this case, please clearly mark your contribution to the overall project). Dissertation papers cannot be submitted.

PhD scientists below the full professorship level are eligible to apply. The application is done as a self-application.

  • High scientific quality
  • High (internat.) visibility of the research work (e.g. frequency of call, citation, public perception, presentation at (internat.) conferences, etc.)
  • Relevance (to society as a whole, to TU Dortmund research, ...)
  • Relevance to third-party funding (was the research financed with third-party funding or did it serve to attract third-party funding?)

Please use your explanatory letter to make the significance of the publication transparent to a non-specialist audience.

In a one-step process, the Young Academy committee selects up to two contributions. The committee consists of three proven young scientists from different faculties, who have already acquired high-caliber third-party funding, headed a junior research group, or held a junior professorship:

The panel is chaired by the Prorector for Research, Prof. Dr. Nele McElvany (without voting rights).

The call for applications is open annually from summer to fall, and the prize will be awarded at the annual academic celebration.

The annual deadline is 30th September.

Scientists who have received the Young Academy Research Award or whose funding application has been approved become members of the Young Academy for up to 6 years. This gives them access to an exclusive accompanying program that supports them in building a profile with strong third-party funding. This program consists of workshops, retreats, fireside evenings with the Rectorate, and peer mentoring opportunities.

Attendance at the events in the support program is mandatory. In the first two years, each element (kick-off workshop, theme workshop, retreat, fireside evening, introduction to peer mentoring) must be completed once. In the next four years, participation in all elements (except the kick-off workshop) is optional.

Award recipients