The Postdoc Career Academy's Postdoc Fund is intended to enable eartly career researchers to realize their own ideas in research and teaching. In a simple procedure, postdocs can apply for funds of up to 5,000 euros per year, which they can dispose of freely and independently of supervisors or mentors.
Who is eligible to apply?
Academic staff members holding a doctoral degree who
- have an (as a rule) fixed-term contract with the University of Mannheim and aim at gaining further qualifications,
- do not already have access to other funds (e.g., fixed budget for junior professors, budget for MZES fellows), and
- are registered members of the Postdoc Career Academy.
For which purposes can funding be applied for?
- Expenditure contributing to the fulfillment of official duties that can be financed in accordance with the regulations on the university’s budgetary resources (please find examples below in the FAQ),
- including measures for continued academic training and career development that are not offered as part of the Postdoc Career Academy or other qualification measures at the University of Mannheim.
- Excluded are expenses for general basic equipment such as office supplies, technical equipment for the workplace etc.
To what amount can funding be applied for?
Up to EUR 5,000 can be applied for and spent per person and financial year. The budget is subject to the principle of annuality and cannot be transferred to another person. The date of application is decisive for the crediting of the approved funds to the respective annual budget (further information in the FAQ). For the time being, this offer will apply until the end of 2025.
How do I apply for funding?
The funds cannot be applied for as a lump sum, but only for specific expenditure that must meet the above criteria. To apply for funding, please fill out and send the completed application form with signature to postdocsuni-mannheim.de.
After your application has been checked and approved or rejected, you will receive a corresponding notification by e-mail.
Information on data protection in the course of the application process can be found in our data protection information.
How will the approved funds be paid out?
The costs incurred will be reimbursed directly by the Postdoc Career Academy up to the amount of the approved funds (max. EUR 5,000/year).
- As part of the approval process, a unique identifier for invoicing will be communicated so that the payment can usually be effected via electronic invoicing. The procurement process is coordinated with the Postdoc Career Academy as part of the approval process.
- Account assignment information (PSP element/
fund) will be provided for business trips; the same applies to the hiring of student and/ or research assistants.
- I have completed my doctorate but have not yet received my doctoral degree certificate. Am I still eligible to apply?
Yes, you are eligible to apply as soon as you have successfully completed your final oral examination (Rigorosum) or the oral defense of your doctoral dissertation (Disputation). If the doctoral degree was awarded at the University of Mannheim, we can carry out the examination ourselves. In all other cases, please submit a provisional confirmation of completion of the doctorate together with your application. - Why is it not possible to apply for funding in the form of a lump sum?
The intended use of the funds to be approved must be described in order for us to be able to check whether the individual expenses are eligible for financial funding and comply with the regulations on the university’s budgetary resources. - Can I apply for funds even if I am no longer expected to be employed at the University of Mannheim while they are being spent?
No, that is not possible. You must be employed at the University of Mannheim at the time the funds are spent. - Can I apply for funds to finance or increase my own employment contract, for example to bridge a certain period of time?
No, the resources of the Postdoc Fund cannot be used to finance or increase your own employment contract. - What are examples of expenses that are eligible for funding?
- employment of student or research assistants
- travel expenses (domestic and international) in accordance with the provisions of the act on travel expenses of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (LRKG).
- resources for organizing a conference/
workshop (please note the university's guidelines on hospitality and representation expenses) - research participation allowance
- procurement of data
- foreign language editing
- publication fees and printing cost subsidies (except for doctoral dissertations and habilitations, please note the university's regulations on printing costs and publication grants)
- fees for guest lecturers
- specialty software that is not part of the basic equipment
- participation in career development events (e.g., events and coaching sessions organized by the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (Deutscher Hochschulverband, DHV) or the German Scholars Organization)
- What are examples of expenses that are not eligible for funding?
- consumables and office supplies
- technical equipment that is part of the general basic equipment
- maintenance costs and repairs of technical equipment
- funds for personnel to finance your own employment
- printing cost subsidies for the publication of doctoral dissertations and habilitations
- gifts for guests (please note the university's guidelines on representation expenses)
- Can I save funds for the next year?
No, you cannot save funds. Approved funds that are not spent in the current financial year need to be returned to the Postdoc Fund. - How does the crediting of the approved funds to my annual budget work?
The decisive factor is the date of application. Funds that you apply for and are approved in 2024 will be credited to your annual budget for 2024 – regardless of when you actually spend them. Please note that you cannot exceed the budget of 5,000 euros per calendar year. For example, you cannot submit an application for 6,000 euros for this year and 4,000 euros for next year. All applications submitted in 2024 must remain within the 5,000 euros budget (even if some of the funds are not spent until the following year). Similarly, all applications submitted in 2025 must remain within the 5,000 euro budget. - What happens if my actual expenses are higher or lower than originally expected?
Please notify the Postdoc Career Academy immediately if the amount of funding needed has changed. As a rule, changing or increasing the amount of funding to be approved should be unproblematic as long as the maximum of EUR 5,000 per year is not exceeded. - Can I combine the Postdoc Fund with other funds?
Combining the Postdoc Fund with other funds is possible in individual cases, as long as these financial means do not come from external funding organizations such as DFG, DAAD, foundations etc. Combining the Postdoc Fund with funds provided by a chair or other budgetary resources within the framework of university funding programs such as travel expense programs is possible, but must be reported to the Postdoc Career Academy.
