National Female Professorships Programme (Professorinnenprogramm) Relaunches with Budget of €320 Million.

The newly relaunched Female Professorships Programme carries on the German government’s dedication to equal opportunities by covering the costs of professorships and tenure-track positions for female researchers.

This joint funding initiative by the German federal government and state governments is designed to promote equal opportunities in science and research at institutions of higher education in Germany. The Female Professorships Programme (Professorinnenprogramm 2030 – PP2030) aims to increase the total number of female scientists and artists in leadership positions within the science sector as well as promote female junior talent to gain permanent professorships and retain them in Germany. The programme is also intended to contribute to a cultural shift in academia for more awareness of equal opportunities in the sector.

On the basis of equal opportunity concepts for parity, the programme offers additional funds for the preferred promotion of female researchers into professorships.

Support in the form of start-up funding is provided to offer permanent W2 and W3 professorships to female researchers who have previously not held a professorship before (Erstberufung). Both recruitments for open positions (Regelberufung) as well as the early recruitment for positions that will only become vacant or that are still to be created (vorgezogene Berufung) are supported.

In the case of universities with a strong equal opportunities profile, funding may also support female researchers and artists on their journey towards tenure.

Eligible to apply are public and private accredited institutions of higher education (Hochschulen) in Germany.

The overall budget of the programme for the period from 2023 to 2030 is €320 million. The maximum funding amount per professorship is €165,000 annually which covers personnel, travel and material costs associated with the position. The maximum funding amount per institution of higher education to cover all funded professorships is €2.4 million. Each institution of higher education cannot be supported for more than three new professorships (Erstberufungen) within five years.

In the case of universities with a strong equal opportunities profile, funding is also offered for additional positions for junior researchers and artists that provide opportunities to gain a professorship. Each institution may be supported for one such position over a period of five years. The maximum annual funding amount for the support of researchers/artists on their route towards tenure is €95,000. Each institution of higher education cannot receive more than €475,000 for all positions in this funding line.

The application process has two steps. In a first step, applicant institutions must submit their equal opportunities concept for parity. Following the positive evaluation of the initial concepts, selected institutions must then provide their formal funding application alongside the evidence of the recruitment (Berufungsnachweise / Einstellungsnachweise).

Between 2023 and 2025, there are three annual funding rounds.

The next deadline for the submission of equal opportunities concepts is 31 August.

(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)