Research scholarships are recommended for smaller research projects, for the years just after finishing the PhD or for transition periods. The response period for a scholarship application is often shorter than for project funding applications, and there are some special scholarships for working at special libraries or on selected topics. Another good reason for a scholarship is a research stay abroad.

Scholarships are typically tax-free, but also do not include any sort of social insurance – you must arrange health and pension insurance yourself and do not earn the right to receive unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld I). For these reasons, a scholarship cannot be the regular type of funding for the postdoc phase.

The university has a scholarship programme for female postdocs. The scholarships can be used i.e. for preparing an own grant application for a research project, for bridging a funding gap or for finishing a habilitation project. Currently, this programme is on hold.?

You can search for scholarship announcements in the databases.

As an academic with a PhD, you have the opportunity to initiate your own research project and get project funding, i.e. from the German Research Foundation or several funding organisations. You are eligible to apply for staff resources (e.g. for your own position), material resources and travel costs. A project application must be submitted via the university. If the application is approved by external funding sources, the money will be managed by the university and you will be employed from these funds.

Different funding programmes are available depending on the stage of your career. The German Research Foundation (DFG), for example, offers a differentiated portfolio: the Walter Benjamin Programme is aimed at early-stage postdocs, the Emmy Noether Programme supports advanced postdocs in establishing their own research group, and the Heisenberg Programme supports researchers who already meet the requirements for a professorship.

There are many different programmes und funding bodies through which you can receive funding. In the?third-party funding portal, you will find offers from national and international funding bodies as well as information on how to obtain third-party funding. The Service Center Research and Transfer will advise you on which funding programme to choose and how to apply. You can also subscribe to the funding newsletter of the Service Center. It will inform you regularly about current funding opportunities for your research activities.

Funding applications can generally be divided into two categories: in a bottom-up approach, researchers develop their research questions freely and independently, while top-down programmes specify thematic priorities or societal needs. In addition, some programmes are primarily aimed at individuals – for example, to promote promising academic careers – while others focus primarily on the research project and its content-related goals.

Jena University supports you if you wish to arrange a stay abroad during your postdoc phase. In the context of international research you acquire important scientific and cultural additional qualifications no matter whether you go abroad for a research stay, the participation at a conference or workshop or a teaching exchange.

You can find more information about research stays abroad and possible funding options?here.

If you need extra funding for research-related traveling, for attending a conference, for printing costs, for hosting a small conference or for other material costs, you can apply for different funding programmes of Friedrich Schiller University.

Additionally, there are databases where you can search for national or international funding schemes.

A sample of current announcements are listed here. If you register for the postdoc newsletter, you will get some interdisciplinary announcements there. With the F?rderbrief of the Service Centre for Research and Transfer, you will get a monthly overview of national and international announcements from the big research funding institutions.

For more opportunities, you can search the?databases.

Databases for finding the relevant funding programmes for research projects and expenses:

• ELectronic Research Funding Information System ELFIExternal link?
  (all types of funding, very comprehensive; information on how to register here?de (in German))
• DAAD Scholarship Database (Incoming)External link
  (data base for international researchers who want to come to Germany for a research stay)
• DAAD Scholarship Database (Outgoing)External link (in German)
  (data base for researchers who want to go abroad for a research stay)