Information & Forms
Eligibility
Candidates must have completed their doctoral degree at least two years prior to submitting their application. Candidates who have already obtained their Habilitation are also encouraged to apply, provided they earned the degree no more than three years prior to application. This period can be extended if the candidate has children, and exceptions due to care work, illness, or personal circumstances are possible.
Funding period
Up to four years (in exceptional cases up to six years)
Volume
The funding covers the candidate’s position as well as additional staff, directly incurred expenses and/or minor investments necessary to reach the project’s objectives.
Forms
Guidelines on Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Career Support
FAQs about the "Einstein Starting Researcher"
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.
Einstein Starting Researchers 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, Einstein Starting Researchers 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 Starting Researcher and/or other Berlin-based academics to ensure they can conclude their research projects.