Independent Junior Research Group Leaders
Funding programs for independent junior research group leaders (i.e. by the DFG, ERC) enable young scientists to gain scientific independence at an early stage of their academic career. This implies the opportunity to conduct independently an own research project having an own budget available.
The funding usually includes posts for additional research assistants as well as means for equipment and consumables. The head of an independent junior research group is not subject to directives that provide optimal conditions for enhancing one’s profile as an independent scientist.
The lack of involvement within institutional procedures and decision-making processes at the university/research institute and of teaching experience may be seen as a disadvantage of such a position. Furthermore, heads of independent junior research groups are not admitted as examiners within the doctoral examination procedure. In order to counteract these disadvantages, the TU Dresden has launched, as a measure of its institutional strategy, the program TUD Young Investigators.
Selection processes for independent junior research group leadership positions are usually extremely competitive. Scientific excellence, primarily proven through an outstanding publication record already during the early postdoc phase, is an essential selection criterion.
The most important funding programs for independent junior research groups are the Emmy Noether and the Heisenberg Programme (DFG), the Starting Grants (European Research Council), the Lichtenberg Professorships (Volkswagen Foundation) as well as the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation). The Max Planck Society and the Helmholtz Association have their own programs for Independent junior research groups.