Postdoc Funds

Information and Guidelines

The Postdoc Funds 2027–2028 of the Postdoc Career Academy supports early-career researchers at the University of Mannheim in independently developing and implementing ideas in research and teaching. Applications are accepted in four phases per funding year. Each postdoc may receive a maximum of EUR 2,000 per funding year, across all phases of that year—not EUR 2,000 per phase.

Applications open on 15 November 2026. Complete, eligible applications are considered on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis, subject to available funds. Decisions are communicated within 14 working days of receipt of a complete application.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are postdoctoral researchers who:

• have successfully completed their doctorate;
• are employed at the University of Mannheim, generally on a fixed-term contract intended for further academic qualification;
• do not have access to other suitable funding (for example, an Aversum for junior professors or an individual budget for MZES fellows); and
• are registered members of the Postdoc Career Academy.

Applicants must be employed at the University of Mannheim both when applying and when the approved funds are used or the funded activity takes place. Further details are provided in the FAQ.

What can funding be requested for?

The following purposes are eligible for funding under the Postdoc Fund 2027–2028.

1. Business travel (conferences, workshops and research stays)

Travel funding is provided up to a maximum amount depending on the destination. Only actual, eligible costs supported by the required documentation will be covered, up to the relevant maximum grant. Costs above that limit must be covered from other permissible sources; please also see FAQ 34 on combining funding.

Research stays within Germany are not eligible for funding. The separate limit for international research stays applies to eligible research stays outside Germany.

2. Costs for student or research assistants

The current university pay rates (PDF, 248 kB)apply. Any applicable employer-side contributions and ancillary employment costs must be included in the requested and approved amount and count towards the EUR 2,000 annual maximum. Assistant costs must fall within the approved funding period.

3. Other eligible expenses

Eligible purposes include participant compensation, data acquisition, foreign-language proofreading, publication costs (excluding dissertations and habilitations), costs of organising conferences or workshops, honoraria for guest speakers, and career-development measures [for example, services offered by the Deutscher Hochschulverband (DHV) or Guidance, Skills & Opportunities for Researchers (GSO)].

Non-eligible expenses

The following expenses are not eligible:

• specialised software and subscriptions to AI tools;
• membership fees, except where membership is mandatory for participation in a conference to which the applicant has been accepted;
• consumables, office supplies and basic technical equipment;
• maintenance and repairs;
• personnel costs for the applicant’s own employment position;
• printing subsidies for dissertations or habilitations;
• gifts for guests;
• non-purpose-specific lump-sum requests or collective applications; and
• expenses not covered by the list of eligible funding purposes above.

How does the application process work?

1. One application per phase

Each postdoc may submit one application per phase. An application may cover several eligible expenses or smaller projects. The total approved amount may not exceed EUR 2,000 per postdoc in each funding year. If the full annual amount is approved in one phase, no further funding may be requested in the same funding year. If less is approved, the remaining amount may be requested in a later phase of that year, subject to available funds.

2. Application periods and deadlines

Applications may be submitted in four phases per funding year:

Important: The dates in the funding-period column do not authorise retrospective funding. Expenses and funded activities are eligible only after written approval has been received and within the approved phase’s funding period. Activities undertaken before approval cannot be funded, even if they fall within the dates shown above.

Applicants may choose a phase suitable for their planned activity, provided the activity falls within that phase’s funding period and the other requirements are met. Phase I counts towards funding year budget of 2027, and Phase V counts towards funding year budget of 2028, even though applications open in December of the preceeding year.

3. Review and decision: first come, first served

Applications are reviewed in the order in which complete applications are received. Eligibility, the requested purpose and supporting documents are checked before a decision is made. Only complete, eligible applications can be considered for funding. Approval is subject to the funds still available in the relevant phase; meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee an award.

If documents are missing, applicants will be asked to complete the application. The date on which all required documents have been received determines its position in the first-come, first-served order. Missing documents must be provided within the relevant application period for the application to be considered in that phase.

4. Notification of the decision

Applicants will be informed of the decision within 14 working days after a complete application has been received. 

5. Required documents

A complete application consists of:

• the completed, signed and dated application form (DOCX, 80 kB); and
• all supporting documents relevant to the proposed expenses, for example, an invitation or confirmation of acceptance and estimated costs for travel, or quotations, price lists and screenshots for publications, data or other purchases.

Please submit all documents together in one consolidated PDF to postdocsuni-mannheim.de.

How does the disbursement of approved funds work?

If an application is approved, eligible costs will normally be paid directly by the Postdoc Career Academy up to the approved amount (maximum EUR 2,000 per postdoc per funding year). The approval letter will provide the necessary accounting and cost-allocation information (PSP/fund or key accounting criterion).

Where feasible, an advance payment is strongly recommended. All expenses must fall within the approved funding period and must be incurred after receipt of the approval letter.

Deadlines for submitting invoices, settling advances and completing accounting for 2027 and 2028 will be announced via intranet. These deadlines may be different from the last day on which expenses can be incurred. Please consult the intranet for administrative procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I. General Information

1. What is the Postdoc Fund 2027–2028?

The Postdoc Fund of the Postdoc Career Academy supports early-career postdoctoral researchers employed at the University of Mannheim in independently implementing research, teaching and career-development activities.

2. What is the maximum funding amount?

The maximum is EUR 2,000 per postdoc per calendar year, across all four funding phases of the relevant year, not per phase. A separate EUR 2,000 annual limit applies in 2027 and in 2028.

II. Eligibility to Apply

3. Who is eligible to apply?

Postdocs must have completed a doctorate, be employed at the University of Mannheim for further academic qualification, lack access to other suitable funding, and be registered with the Postdoc Career Academy. Employment is required at the time of application and when the funding is used or the funded activity takes place.

4. Are junior professors eligible to apply?

No. Junior professors with tenure track are generally ineligible because they have access to their own budget.

5. Are MZES fellows or MZES postdocs eligible to apply?

No. MZES fellows and MZES postdocs are generally ineligible as they have their own annual research budget. Even if their individual annual MZES budget has already been exhausted, they are ineligible to apply. However, if you are a part-time postdoc at MZES and do not have access to an MZES research budget, please contact us at postdocsuni-mannheim.de to discuss your eligibility.

6. I have completed my doctorate but have not received the certificate. Can I apply?

Yes. You may apply once you have successfully completed your final oral examination (Rigorosum) or doctoral defence (Disputation). Please include a provisional confirmation of completion of your doctorate with the application.

7. What happens if my employment ends before I use the funding?

Funding cannot be used after your employment with the University of Mannheim has ended. You must be employed when applying and when the approved expenses are incurred or the activity takes place. Please contact us at postdocsuni-mannheim.de if your employment dates or the working contract conditions change.

8. Can I apply for or use the Postdoc Fund while on maternity or parental leave?

Yes. You can submit an application to the Postdoc Fund while on maternity or parental leave, provided that you are still employed at the University of Mannheim and have a valid employment contract. However, the funding can only be used for research activities that take place after your maternity or parental leave has ended. You cannot carry out research activities funded by the Postdoc Fund while you are on leave. If you have already received funding before starting your maternity or parental leave but have not yet completed your project, any advance payments received must be returned. For returning advance, please check the intranet.
Alternatively, please contact us at postdocsuni-mannheim.de to explain your situation and discuss how to proceed.

9. Can I use this funding to finance or extend my own employment contract?

No. The Postdoc Fund cannot cover the applicant’s own salary or extend their employment contract.

III. Eligible and Non-Eligible Expenses

10. Which expenses are eligible?

Eligible expenses include business travel, international research stays, hiring costs for student or research assistants, participant compensation, data acquisition, foreign-language proofreading, publication costs other than dissertations and habilitations, costs of organising events, guest-speaker honoraria and career-development measures. The relevant limits and conditions are set out in the guidelines above.

11. Which expenses are not eligible?

Specialised software, AI subscriptions, office supplies, consumables, basic technical equipment, maintenance and repairs, the applicant’s own employment costs, dissertation or habilitation printing subsidies, guest gifts and non-purpose-specific lump-sum requests are not eligible. Membership fees to organizations or associations are generally excluded unless mandatory for participation in a conference to which you have been accepted.

IV. Application Structure and Budget Rules

12. How many applications can I submit? Can I combine several purposes in one application?

You may submit one application per phase. It may include several eligible expenses or smaller projects. The overall cap remains EUR 2,000 per funding or calendar year, not per phase. 

13. How does the EUR 2,000 maximum work across the phases?

For 2027, the limit covers Phases I–IV; and for 2028, Phases V–VIII. If EUR 2,000 has already been approved in one phase, you cannot request additional funding in the same year. If you receive less than EUR 2000 in one phase, you may request the remaining amount in a later phase, subject to eligibility and available funds. For example, the annual amount could cover EUR 500 in participant compensation in one phase, EUR 250 in proofreading and up to EUR 1,250 for an eligible trip to the USA in the next phase of the same year, provided the costs are approved and documented.

V. Application Phases, Deadlines, and Decisions

14. When can applications be submitted?

There are four application phases per funding year. The dates for all phases in 2027 and 2028 appear in the schedule above. 

15. How are applications assessed?

The system is first-come, first-served: complete, eligible applications are considered in the order in which they become complete, subject to the funds remaining in the relevant phase. There is no lottery.

16. What counts as a complete application? Can I supply missing documents?

A complete application includes a signed, dated and fully completed form together with all required supporting documents. If documents are missing, you may submit them during the same application period. For first-come, first-served assessment, the relevant receipt date is the date on which the application becomes complete. The application must be complete before the phase’s application deadline.

17. When will I receive a decision?

Within 14 working days of receipt of your complete application.

18. What happens if my application is not approved?

Unsuccessful applications are not automatically carried forward. You may submit a new application in a later phase, provided you are still eligible and have not exhausted your EUR 2,000 annual limit.

19. Can I change an application after submitting it or after approval?

Before a decision is made, you may provide missing documents or request minor corrections; please contact the Postdoc Career Academy. After approval, only minor, justified corrections may be permitted. Significant changes to the approved purpose or amount are generally not permitted. If the approved application must be cancelled, a new application may only be submitted in a later phase.

VI. Use of Funds and Accounting

20. From when may approved funds be used?

Only after written approval has been received and during the funding period stated for the approved phase. The application period and funding period are not interchangeable, and retrospective funding is not permitted.

21. By when must funds be spent and invoices submitted?

Eligible expenses must be incurred within the approved phase’s funding period, following written approval. The deadlines for invoice submission and accounting for 2027 and 2028 will be announced via intranet. 

22. Where can I find information on advances, accounting and reimbursement?

Please consult the intranet for the applicable procedures. Where possible, requesting an advance payment is strongly recommended.

23. What if I cannot use the approved funds or need to repay an advance?

Please notify postdocsuni-mannheim.de as early as possible if the funds cannot be used within the approved funding period, you cannot meet an accounting deadline, you need to return an advance, or you wish to withdraw your application. Please explain the situation. Advance repayment and other related instructions are available on the intranet.

24. What if an incorrect cost centre was used?

Please follow the rebooking procedure described on the intranet.

VII. Business Travel and Research Stays

25. How are travel expenses funded?

Up to the maximum grant for the destination, based on eligible, documented actual costs. These are maximum funding amount, not automatic flat-rate payments.

26. What if the actual travel costs exceed the maximum grant?

Only the eligible costs up to the applicable maximum can be covered by the Postdoc Fund. Any remainder must be funded from permissible sources in accordance with the rules on combining funding.

27. What if actual costs are lower than the maximum grant?

Only the actual eligible costs supported by documentation will be reimbursed. For instance, where the applicable maximum is EUR 750 but eligible costs total EUR 600, no more than EUR 600 can be covered.

28. Are research stays eligible for funding?

Yes. Research stays outside Germany may be funded up to EUR 2,000. Research stays within Germany are not eligible. Conferences and workshops in Germany are eligible for grants of up to EUR 250 per trip.

29. How many business trips or research stays may I apply for?

You may apply for more than one trip, provided you remain within the EUR 2,000 annual maximum, and meet the relevant eligibility conditions.

30. When can conferences, workshops or research stays be funded?

An invitation, acceptance or participation confirmation must be available when applying, and the trip must fall within the approved phase’s funding period. Because decisions take up to 14 working days after a complete application is received, you should apply at least 4 weeks before the planned trip.

31. Can trips outside the published funding periods be funded?

No. The trip must fall within the funding period of the approved phase, and approval must be received before the trip begins. Retrospective funding is not possible.

32. Can a trip end on the last day of a funding period?

Yes, provided the trip takes place within the approved funding period, approval has been received before it begins, and all documentation is submitted by the applicable accounting deadline. An advance payment in such cases is strongly recommended.

VIII. Retroactive Funding, Combining Funds and Carryover

33. Is retrospective funding possible?

No. Expenses for business travel, research stays and all other eligible purposes must be incurred after receipt of the written approval and within the approved funding period. Invoices dated before the approval letter cannot be accepted. 

34. Can I combine Postdoc Fund support with other sources of funding?

In individual cases, other internal University of Mannheim funds (for example, a chair’s budget) may be combined with Postdoc Fund support, but this must be reported to the Postdoc Career Academy. Under the Fund’s rules, combination with funding from external funding organisations (such as the DFG, DAAD or foundations) is not permitted. 

35. Can unused funding be carried over to the following year?

No. Unused funds cannot be transferred from 2027 to 2028 or to any later funding year. 

Contact

For any other questions about eligibility, applications or use of funding, please contact postdocsuni-mannheim.de.