Support for women in academia

Scholarships, advisory services and mentoring programmes for women

Woman with a shadow of a superheroine

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Woman with a shadow of a superheroine

Financial Support

Women are still underrepresented in academic leadership positions. For this reason, there are some foundations that are primarily dedicated to the support of young female scientists. Almost all funding programmes of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) also offer measures that aim to establish equal opportunities, e.g. financial support for childcare or support for special career development activities for female researchers in structured programmes (mentoring programmes, coaching, participation in networks, etc.).

Below you will find a number of foundations that support women. The Friedrich Schiller University of Jena also has its own programme to promote women in science. For information on doing a doctorate with children, click here.

  • Funding opportunity of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena

    ProChance - Programme for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in Science

    The ProChance programme supports the scientific activity and qualification of female researchers. The ProChanceexchange programme line provides support for female doctoral researchers and postdocs to finance short research stays, publication costs and participation in workshops and summer schools. Within the framework of the ProChancecareer programme line, female postdocs can apply for funding to finance research projects, conferences, stays abroad, third-party funding applications and academic leaves.

  • Further funding opportunities for women

Advisory service

The Equal Opportunities Office is responsible for promoting equal opportunities for men and women in the academic world. It is a contact point for all members of the university and offers support, advice and assistance:

  • Questions on the advancement of women in higher education,
  • appointment and application procedures,
  • discrimination, sexual harassment and difficulties in the working environment,
  • need for advice on transgender or trans identities.

If you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact the Equality Opportunities Office by e-mail or telephone (9-400981). You can find more information here de (in German).

Mentoring

The mentoring programme for female postdoctoral researchers is an inter-university service provided by the universities of Halle-Wittenberg, Jena and Leipzig. It is targeted at highly-qualified female postdocs, researchers undertaking a "habilitation", junior research group leaders, and junior professors in all disciplines at these universities who were awarded their doctorate at least 2 years ago and aspire to a professorship at a German university. Applicants are also expected to have a serious interest in and high commitment to an academic career.

The programme aims to enable these female researchers

  • to access individual advice and support from experienced mentors (one-to-one-Mentoring) on career-related issues and integration into the scientific community,
  • training sessions on key career-related competences
  • intra- and interdisciplinary professional contacts required for effective planning and pursuit of a career in science.

Each year, up to 24 female postdocs from the three participating universities are admitted to the programme. Upon request, the one-year participation in the programme can be extended by a second year.

You can submit an application to take part in the programme by the end of the winter semester each year. The application phase is announced at each of the three universities. For further information, please visit the website of the mentoring programme for female postdocsExternal link. 

Qualification

A job as a researcher involves a wide range of tasks: In addition to research and teaching, for example, there are also leadership responsibilities and science communication. In order to acquire the necessary skills and competences for these activities, there are various qualification offers.

  • Qualification programme of Graduate Academy

    The Graduate Academy offers a wide range of workshops to support you in your further qualification. Some of the workshops, which change quarterly, are designed to strengthen the competencies of women, e.g. leading teams under diversity aspects, re-entry, child & career, micro-politics. The workshops are held in German or in English. The registration is made via the central qualification portalExternal link of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

  • Advanced training series "Understanding-mediating-changing" of the Thuringian Competence Network Gender Equality

    The Thuringian Competence Network for Gender Equality is organising a series of workshops for studentsExternal link, young female academics and members of gender equality committees under the slogan "Understanding - Communicating - Changing". The offers are aimed at members of all Thuringian universities. Participation is free of charge. Workshops are in German.

  • University Sports — Self-defence for women

    Under the theme ‘Defend yourself in everyday life!’, the university sports programme regularly offers self-defence courses for women.The training programme aims to help everyone get physically fit and learn some simple defence techniques that allow them to defend themselves in the event of a physical attack. Courses are designed for two people who want to train together, but you can also register on your own. More information on current and upcoming university sports courses is available here.

Role Models

  • Women in academia

    In this portrait series, women professors at University of Jena describe their academic career paths in order to encourage young talents to pursue a career in academia

    Professorinnen der Universität Jena
    Image: Anne Günther (University of Jena)

More information