Counselling

What exactly is a postdoc, and who falls into this category? The answer is not as clear-cut as it might seem at first glance. Let's take a closer look.

First of all, the term itself: "postdoc", short for "postdoctoral researcher", is made up of two parts - "post" and "doc". Here, "doc" refers to the doctoral title that is acquired through the successful defence of a dissertation, while "post-" is a Latin prefix meaning "after". In this sense, any person with a doctorate could theoretically be considered a postdoc, as they are in a phase "after the doctorate".

However, it is not quite that simple. Professors are not usually referred to as postdocs, even though - from a purely technical perspective - they are also in a "postdoctoral phase". Nor would doctors with their own practice, engineers in industry or journalists with a doctorate be considered postdocs. Even people with a doctorate who work in university administration would not normally be categorised in this way. Why is this the case? After all, once a doctorate is obtained, it is permanent. So why isn't every person with a doctorate automatically and permanently categorised as a postdoc?

Apparently there is another condition attached to this designation. Although the doctorate is the basic requirement for the status of postdoc, the current professional situation and the desired goals are just as important. In academic circles, it has become customary to understand the term "postdoc" not only retrospectively - namely in relation to all persons who have obtained a doctorate and are now in the "after" phase, regardless of their current status. Rather, the term "postdoc" also includes a present- and future-oriented aspect: active participation in (university) research and the continuous pursuit of an academic career and further qualifications. This means embarking on a specific path that culminates in a leadership position as an established scientist, traditionally a professorship, after completing the full academic career.

As a postdoc, the aim is to sharpen your academic profile, build networks and acquire the experience and qualifications required for a higher and possibly permanent position in academia. However, achieving this goal is not mandatory; this phase is not only about professional development, but also about personal exploration and orientation. It is often during this time that it becomes clear that a career path outside the university is better suited to one's own interests and ideas. In essence, it is therefore less about actually achieving the goal of a higher academic leadership position, but rather about getting closer to this goal and moving in this direction. The time-limited postdoc phase, which lies between the completed doctorate and a possible professorship and in which further academic qualifications are acquired, can therefore be understood as a kind of intermediate state between the "already achieved" and the "not yet achieved".

How the postdoc phase is organised can vary greatly - depending on individual requirements, decisions and goals.

In general, positions at Humboldt-Universität are financed either from budget funds or on a temporary basis through third-party funding - i.e. through external funding that is made available to the university in addition to basic state funding.

For postdoctoral positions, third-party funding is the rule rather than the exception. Third-party funded positions are advertised as part of existing research groups or larger collaborative projects, but external funding can also be obtained independently from external funding bodies in order to finance your own research project or position.

Anyone wishing to work as a postdoc at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin can therefore

• find open positions via the university's current job advertisements and - if there is a suitable one - apply for it directly. Project websites and various online portals can also be helpful in the search for academic positions. The job advertisements provide information about requirements and application deadlines.
• Apply for third-party funding for an individual project or personal sponsorship from external funding organisations and, once approved, carry out the planned research project at Humboldt-Universität as an employer. Numerous public and private, national and international funding bodies provide funding for academic research through various programmes and scholarships. Detailed information on funding opportunities and application requirements can be found on the websites of the respective funding organisations.

A variety of career paths open up after completing a doctorate. Postdocs can pursue an academic career at universities or non-university research institutions - or switch to the corporate sector, where research and development (R&D) departments develop new products and services or optimise existing processes.

The following website provides a good overview, especially for researchers from abroad :

• Research in Germany - Postdoc: The portal of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space provides information on the postdoc phase in Germany, presents central funding programmes and links to relevant job exchanges.

When searching for scientific job vacancies, it is worth taking a look at specialised online databases. Universities, research institutions and ongoing research projects also publish their vacancies on their own websites.

In Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have joined forces to form the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) . New positions are regularly advertised at all four universities, which can be easily found and filtered via the joint job portal:

• Job portal of the Berlin University Alliance: The central platform for job advertisements at the BUA partner universities Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

If you are specifically interested in a job at Humboldt-Universität, you can find current vacancies here:

• Job vacancies at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin: The Human Resources Department regularly updates and publishes vacancies at HU Berlin.

If no suitable position is currently advertised for which you can apply directly and you would prefer to develop and carry out your own postdoc project instead, there is the possibility of acquiring third-party funding for an individual project or the establishment of your own research group and carrying out this project at Humboldt-Universität or another institution.

A large number of public and private funding bodies provide programmes and scholarships for this purpose. Detailed information on funding opportunities and application requirements can be found on the websites of the respective funding institutions. Our website also provides an initial overview of important programmes.

Such third-party funding allows you to concentrate fully on your own research project, but also requires a great deal of initiative and organisation on your part. When applying for funding, you often have to take part in a competitive selection process and submit a convincing application.

There are numerous funding programmes and scholarships for postdocs offered by various funding bodies and aimed at researchers at different career stages. The established funding bodies provide detailed information on their websites about their funding programmes, application conditions and application deadlines, if available. It is often also possible to subscribe to a newsletter. In addition, specialised databases make it possible to search for suitable offers in a targeted manner, but you still need to do your own research.

Our website "Funding opportunities for postdocs" provides an initial overview of well-known and frequently used programmes.

There are currently no general funding programmes for postdocs at Humboldt-Universität. If you are interested in working at the university, you can find out about current vacancies via the job portal or apply for third-party funding for your own research project.

To provide targeted support for female HU postdocs, the Office of the Central Women's Representative offers various programmes and measures to support them on their career path to a professorship:

• Funding programmes coordinated by the Office of the Central Women's Representative: Overview of HU offers to support postdocs.

HU members who need smaller grants for research projects or events can first contact their institute or faculty. It is also possible to apply for financial support from the following HU-affiliated organisations, which support selected projects where the university's budget is limited:

• Humboldt-Universitäts-Gesellschaft. The association supports students, doctoral candidates and postdocs at HU in the realisation of their ideas and projects through partial funding.
• Humboldt-Universität Foundation: The independent funding foundation works closely with Humboldt-Universität and provides funding for selected projects in research and teaching in addition to existing funding programmes.

Nota bene: Although the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation also has "Humboldt" in its name, it operates nationwide and is institutionally independent of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Conscious of its historical responsibility, Humboldt-Universität is strongly committed to supporting endangered and persecuted academics from abroad and promoting academic freedom. The university is involved in several initiatives and networks that aim to protect academics and research from persecution.

Further information can be found in the International Affairs department "Scholars at Risk".

To apply for third-party funding, you generally have to go through a competitive selection process and submit a convincing application. For many funding lines and postdoctoral fellowships, a hosting agreement is also required at the time of application. As many applications are not possible without such a signed hosting agreement with the host institution, it is advisable to contact a suitable academic contact person and supervisor in a department whose orientation matches your interests and goals at an early stage.

The role of academic host at a host institution can be assumed by HU members who are authorised to supervise postdocs - usually professors or project leaders. They act as university contact persons, accompany the application process if necessary and provide technical and administrative support for the research project. To ensure that this is successful and professional supervision can be guaranteed, the research focus of the supervisor or the host institute should match the planned project as closely as possible.

The research position commitment ensures that, in the event of approval, all requirements for the successful realisation of the project are met and that the necessary basic equipment is available (e.g. workplace, IT infrastructure and administrative support). In an employer's declaration, Humboldt-Universität undertakes to guarantee these framework conditions and to assume the role of employer for the duration of the project. If you have any questions about the internal procedure and responsibilities, please contact the Research Funding Office.

In Germany, it is common practice for researchers to research and decide for themselves which universities and chairs match their research interests and are suitable for carrying out the planned research project. It is the applicant's responsibility to find and contact suitable host professors.

There is no central host database at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Postdoc Support Team cannot personally contact suitable host professors or make recommendations, but will be happy to advise and support you in the next steps as soon as an initial HU contact has been established.

Make sure that your research project is clearly outlined before you start looking for a suitable environment and suitable support for the realisation of your project. If you do not yet have any existing contacts and are unsure which German university could be a suitable host institution for you, the following portals can be used for initial orientation:

• Research Map The German Rectors' Conference (HRK) provides information on the thematic research specialisations of German universities in a bilingual Research Map.
• GERiT - German Research Institutions The GERiT information portal, offered by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), provides an overview of numerous research institutions in Germany - with profile information, job vacancies, doctoral regulations and links to DFG-funded projects.
• GEPRIS - DFG-funded projects The GEPRIS database provides bilingual information on funding programmes of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and allows you to search for scientific projects, participating researchers and their institutions.

If you are browsing the Humboldt-Universität website in search of a suitable host professor, you should first gather detailed information about the various faculties, departments and professors. This will help you to find the most suitable supervision for your project. Ideally, you should look for someone whose research interests closely match your own. You can find an overview of all faculties and institutes at HU Berlin under Academic Institutions.

Humboldt-Universität's public research portal provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the research projects carried out at the university. It enables a targeted search for research projects, research areas and the persons and institutions involved. Research information system: Comprehensive information on current research projects and the people involved in them at Humboldt-Universität can be found in a searchable database.

A look at the current HU research report can also be worthwhile in order to gain an overview of the structure of the university and the ongoing research projects. HU research reports: The research reports of the Humboldt-Universität each cover a two-year reporting period and are available for download as PDF documents in German and English.

It can also be helpful to use your personal and professional contacts. Talk to your peers to see if they have any relevant connections or experience and can recommend a suitable university or a specific professor at your university of choice. Of course, this all takes time. You should therefore start looking for a host as early as possible, preferably several months before the application deadline.

Once you have found the ideal academic supervisor for your planned project, you can contact the person in question directly by email and ask for an interview. Attach your CV, a list of publications if applicable and an outline of your project idea and describe what you would like to achieve with your project. Arouse their interest in working with you! The more clearly you explain why your project can be optimally realised at this institute and with this person at HU Berlin and how you would like to finance your stay, the greater your chances of success. If possible, approach potential hosts personally, for example at a conference or meeting. As soon as you have found someone at HU who is willing to support your research project and your third-party funding application, the Postdoc Support Team will be happy to guide you through the next steps.

Don't be discouraged by a rejection - it is often simply due to limited capacities and resources. Ask for alternatives and continue your search.

The Research Service Centre (SZF) is responsible for the administration of externally funded projects at Humboldt-Universität.

In order to carry out a third-party funded research project at the university and to be able to receive and properly utilise the approved funds, a separate project account is required in the university's SAP accounting system. To set up this third-party funding account, it is necessary to inform your institute, your faculty and the Research Service Centre (SZF) about your research project as part of a multi-stage internal HU approval process. For this purpose, a project entry must be created in the Research Information System (HU-FIS), on the basis of which a notification of third-party funding and finally the official project opening takes place. All data relevant for project administration is automatically transferred to the SAP accounting system through the notification of third-party funding.

As soon as you have a binding funding commitment for your research project - in the form of an approval notice or grant agreement - you can create the third-party funding notification (in some cases it is also possible for the supervising professor to enter the project as the project leader first).

To do this, you need access to three HU systems, which - if not already available - must be applied for: You will receive an HU account and thus access to the university's Central Information System (ZIS) via your teaching department or faculty once you have signed your employment contract. The faculty must also apply for access and an ID in the HU SAP system for you. Finally, you must apply to the Research Service Centre for access to the HU-FIS research information system: a web-based platform for recording, managing and documenting research activities at the university.

As soon as the third-party funded project has been entered and set up in the system, you will receive your project-specific PSP number, which is central to processes such as staff recruitment or procurement.