Post-Docs
The University of Bremen perceives a special mission in providing support for post-docs and researchers on career pathways to tenured professorships. Post doctoral researchers are not only supported within the context of graduate schools. The University’s support for young academics is further underscored by the creation of new academic posts such as so-called ‘junior (assistant) professorships’ and university lectureships.
In 2001 the University of Bremen was the first German university to introduce a competitive tenure track for ‘Junior Professors’, which became to be known as the “Bremen Perspective“. This innovative tenure track offers junior (assistant) professors the certitude that after a period of six years they will be given the opportunity to compete with other applicants for the position of a ‘full’ professorship. A Bremen junior professorship comes with research assistants, sabbatical semester, and a reduced teaching load. Post-docs can also choose between three different types of lectureship posts: non-professorial deputy teaching posts, lectureships in areas which have long-term teaching requirements, and lectureships with short-term teaching requirements.
Yet another example of the University’s commitment to young researchers is the possibility foreseen by the Bremen legislation governing higher education to award young researchers who lead special research groups the title of professor for a limited period. This not only enables them to conduct completely independent research, but also to supervise Master and doctoral theses.
There are currently six Emmy-Noether Junior Research Groups at the University of Bremen:
- Lucio Colombi Ciacchi: Atomistic modelling of chemical and physical processes as the basis of cell adhesion on solid surfaces, funded since 2006
- Kathrin Mädler: IP-10 secretion as a possible mechanism for beta-cell death in type 2 diabetes, , supported since 2008
- Görschwin Fey: Debugging of Embedded Systems, , supported since 2010
- Klaus Dingwerth: From International Politics to Global Governance: Change of the Governance Norm, supported since 2010
- Simone Scherger: Employment beyond the retirement age in German-British Comparison, supported since 2010
- Solveig I. Bühring: Microbial carbon cycling in marine shallow-water hydrothermal systems, supported since 2011
Furthermore, activities in the area of personnel development at the University of Bremen offer post-docs comprehensive opportunities of extracurricular training to broaden their individual qualification profiles and further their academic careers.
