Information & Forms
Eligibility
Applications for suitable candidates can be submitted by Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin University of the Arts and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Cooperation with non-university research institutions and/or the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is possible.
Funding can be provided in one of three program variants:
Einstein Starting Researcher
- Institutions can apply for a Postdoc position at career level R2 (early postdoc phase). The funded researcher can work on a project in a Berlin Research Group. The doctorate must have been completed no more than 4 years ago.
Einstein Independent Researcher
- Already proven excellent Postdocs who are capable of independent research and are already in career level R3 (advanced postdoc phase) or on the threshold of it, can apply together with an institution with a clear career goal (e.g. habilitation) and a research project. At the time of application, your doctorate should have been completed at least 4 and no more than 12 years ago. A potential habilitation must not have been completed more than 3 years ago.
Einstein Professorship Track
- Experienced applicants who are seeking a professorship in or outside Berlin with the aim of obtaining a permanent appointment and/or improving their chances of obtaining a regular professorship and/or demonstrating that they can already be appointed via an initially fixed-term research professorship. At the time of application, the doctorate must have been awarded at least 4, but no longer than 8 years ago.
- It is advantageous if the applying institution has created the conditions for the candidate to be appointed to a fixed-term professorship (max. W2) as soon as possible in the event of funding and/or can provide evidence of commitments or options at the applying institution as a result of the funding.
Funding period
Einstein Starting Researcher
- Funding for up to 4 years, for strategically important new research groups up to 6 years
Einstein Independent Researcher
- Up to 4 years
Einstein Professorship Track
- Up to 5 years
Volume
In the case of Einstein Independent Researcher and Einstein Professorship Track, additional personnel and material resources and/or smaller investments that are absolutely necessary to achieve the project objective can also be funded.
With these variants funds can also be provided for additional purposes:
- Further education measures (language courses, training)
- Expenses for the independent organization of a scientific exchange format (workshop, symposium) including travel expenses for guests
Forms
Guidelines on Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Career Support
FAQs about the Einstein Postdoctoral Grant
No, Einstein Starting Researchers can be recruited from Berlin, other parts of Germany, or abroad.
The programme does not specify a limit when it comes to the funding amount you can apply for. However, please keep in mind that the resources of the Foundation are limited and that this is not a genuine programme for a research group even if this can be part of the funding. The requested funding hinges upon
- the research field (e.g. projects in the humanities are usually cheaper),
- your experience (e.g. experience in supervision and management of groups), and
- should be justified according to the scope of the applied research project (duration, demand of consumables, subprojects in need of PhD students, etc.).
You need to prove that the requested funding is necessary for your project, that you have a realistic work plan and, if applicable, that you are capable of supervising staff and managing a small group.
A typical four-year-application varies from €400k for an individual researcher from the humanities to around €1.2 mio. for a small research group in the life sciences including project-specific consumables and two PhD students.
Researchers in this programme can, but do not have to be affiliated with collaborative research structures. If the envisioned project is to be conducted in affiliation with a Cluster of Excellence, Collaborative Research Center, Einstein Center, Einstein Research Unit, or Research Training Group, please include a letter of support from the head(s) of the research consortium outlining their support for the project and how it aligns with the collaborative research structure’s theme.
Yes, as long as the eligibility criteria are met.
If you have a PhD and your second degree is a medical degree (Dr. med., M.D.) which is not certified to be equal to a PhD, the PhD counts. In case of two PhDs of equal value, the one in a field that is closest to your proposed project will be used to check your eligibility. All other cases – for instance, when you can prove that both doctorates are equally relevant to your project – will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If that applies to you, please contact the head office well in advance.
Although applications must be submitted by Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Universität der Künste Berlin or Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, researchers in the Einstein Postdoctoral Grant programme may collaborate with non-university research institutes. In this case, please include an additional letter of support from the research institute outlining the envisioned cooperation.
There is no nominal limit regarding additional funds. However, the application and the budget plan attachment need to clarify that these additional funds are essential to reach the project’s aims and that they will not be used to purchase basic equipment that is to be provided by the university or Charité – Universitätsmedizin.
No. It is possible to request funding for additional staff, but all members of the project team need to be assigned at least 75% FTE positions. Exemptions from this rule require separate justification and authorization from the Einstein Foundation head office.
Yes, if you wish to gain additional teaching experience.
Funding will be cancelled once you are appointed. Funds provided by the Einstein Foundation cannot be transferred to other countries or other federal states in Germany. If the funding period ends prematurely, the staff employed for the project (PhD students and/or postdoctoral researchers) may request a supervision agreement to be signed with the Einstein Postdoctoral Grant researcher and/or other Berlin-based academics to ensure they can conclude their research projects.