Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin supports women both individually and structurally throughout their careers: job and training programmes, scholarships and awards support women at all career stages and from all member groups in their individual career paths. At the same time, these measures also aim to bring about structural change: they raise the profile of female researchers’ achievements and transform academic cultures by bringing more women into leadership positions.
Below you will find all the support measures managed by the Centre EDIB, sorted by target group. Information on further empowerment and training programmes for women at HU, as well as offerings from the Berlin University Alliance (BUA), can be found on the related page.
An overview of funding schemes
For female PhD students
For female postdoctoral researchers
Through the ‘PostDocPro’ postdoctoral programme, applicants can apply for a part-time or full-time position for a period of 12 to a maximum of 15 months. The funding enables a female postdoctoral researcher to carry out a research project, primarily in STEM subjects or in the field of gender studies, and to prepare an application for external funding.
Departments with a low proportion of women at the level of full professorships and associate professorships have the opportunity to apply to the Commission for the Advancement of Women for approval of such a professorship under the W-position programme. A prerequisite is a commitment from the faculty or institute that the position will be equipped with a tenure-track by the applicant institution.
The Caroline von Humboldt Prize (CvH Prize), worth 15,000 euros, is awarded annually to an outstanding female researcher from Germany or abroad. Professors from university or non-university research institutions in Germany or abroad may nominate candidates for this prestigious prize.
The CvH Prize is the first award at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin to be presented exclusively to women. The prize is aimed at female researchers who obtained their doctorate no more than seven years ago and who do not hold a full professorship. The prize money is intended to enable the winner to carry out a research project during a research visit to HU.
For female professors
The Leadership Programme offers female professors from the Berlin University Alliance the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills and expand their professional network. The one-year programme focuses on workshops on ‘Leadership in Academia’, a leadership style analysis with one-to-one coaching, and networking events. Twelve places are available each year, allocated equally among members of the partner institutions.
The Leadership Programme for female professors is a flagship programme of the Berlin Leadership Academy.
Link:
Caroline Kunert
The Caroline von Humboldt Professorship is awarded annually to a female professor at Humboldt University. Nominations for the professorship are made either by the deans, the heads of department or other members of the university.
The prestigious endowed professorship comes with a grant of 80,000 euros. It serves to raise the public and international profile of the recipient.
These include, amongst other things, early succession appointments, which can be arranged upon request from faculties and institutes via the Berlin Equal Opportunities Programme or the W-position Programme. Female professors on permanent contracts may also apply for additional staff resources, for example in the form of a student assistant post to support increased committee work or a fixed-term postdoctoral position for the purpose of preparing a third-party funding application.
Decentralised funding for women
In addition to the central funding schemes mentioned above, the faculties and institutes at HU also have their own funding schemes to support women. These are allocated via decentralised Gender Equality and Equity Committees and are subject to their own specific guidelines. Further information is available from the relevant local Women’s Representatives and Equal Opportunities Officers.