Call for Applications: UMEA & UMEA² Clinician Scientist Programs

Applications are now open for the UMEA Junior Clinician Scientist, Clinician Scientist Program and the Advanced Clinician Scientist Program UMEA². The Advanced Clinician Scientist Program now offers greater flexibility for balancing research and clinical work. The program duration will be 3 years instead of 6, research time can be adjusted between 20 and 50 percent, and funding can also be used more flexibly. Again, funding is also available for clinically active psychologists engaged in scientific research in our Psychological Scientist Programm. For questions regarding the programs or the application process, please feel free to contact Dr. Barbara Waje or Dr. Leonard Quiring.

Deadline: September 15, 2026 (UMEA, UMEA² and Psychological Scientist Program)
Deadline: October 1, 2026 (Junior Clinician Scientist)

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Call for Applications: IFORES Career Kickstart

Our faculty aims to support early-career researchers in their academic careers and improve their prospects for successfully securing their first competitive grant from the DFG (or a comparable organization). The Career Kickstart program is designed to help researchers develop their independence and create an independent project that will lead to a grant application within the next 15 months.
Eligible applicants are Postdocs up to and including a W1 professorship (up to 8 years after earning a Ph.D.; parental leave and caregiving leave are counted). The seed funding amounts to up to €50,000 (funds for materials and personnel, not the researcher’s own position).
The maximum funding period for projects is 12 months. Since this funding program is specifically designed to pave the way for applicants to secure their first independent project grant, applicants should not have previously secured more than €50,000 in total project funding.

Deadline: November 1, 2026

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Call for Applications: Wuhan-Essen Seed Program

The Wuhan-Essen Seed Program is a new initiative from the long-standing contractual cooperation partners HUST Tongji Medical College and UDE Medical Faculty. The aim is to strengthen academic collaboration, in particular through joint research, high-quality publications and staff mobility. The funding amounts to up to EUR 20,000 per year (UDE, Faculty of Medicine) and CNY 180,000 (HUST), in a co-funding principle with each party bearing its own costs. Implementation is to take place via annual joint calls for proposals in the years 2026 to 2028, with two Wuhan-Essen researcher tandems per year to be funded for a fixed duration of two years each. In particular, travel costs, joint seminars and consumables are eligible for funding. Salaries are not eligible for funding. Funding is subject to mutual positive selection decisions. A separate project agreement (covering, among other things, IP, publications, data/material transfer and ethics) must be concluded prior to the use of funds. The Seed Program Agreement as a framework runs until the end of 2028 and may be extended if deemed successful.

Deadline: September 15, 2026

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Open for registration: Training Course on Registry-Based Research

Training in “Registry-Based Research (Regiba)” was developed as part of the National Cancer Plan and the Decade Against Cancer, using oncology as a case study. The goal of the training is to equip researchers with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct registry-based studies and utilize real-world data from registries. This year a new module is offered, dealing with the use of care-related data (VeDa) in the healthcare system. This module is designed to provide participants with information on various data sources, as well as ways to access and utilize care-related data (Versorgungsnahe Daten, VeDa). Participants will also learn about the key institutions and infrastructures involved in the collection and use of VeDa within the German healthcare system.

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Online Workshop: Reducing Bias in Scientific Decision-Making Processes

This course is primarily intended for reviewers and committee members, who, through their valuable commitment, select the best projects in a competitive process.

The course content can also be applied to other scientific decision-making processes, such as peer review procedures, examination situations, tenure review processes, or personnel selection processes. Therefore, this training program is open to anyone who wishes to work on avoiding bias.

The course takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

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September 14-19: Summer School GENDER PATH

October 5-9, Summer School SPIRIT (fully booked)

Prospects: Lecture Series on DFG Funding Opportunities for Early-Career Researchers  

Throughout the year, this lecture series will introduce you to the DFG’s funding portfolio. The Webex link for each lecture will be posted here shortly before the respective dates. No prior registration is required.
Upcoming dates for the Prospects series
August 31, 2026, 10:00–11:30 a.m. – The Walter Benjamin Programme (in English), September 22, 2026, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – DFG Funding Opportunities for Postdocs (in English), October 7, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – The Heisenberg Programme (in English).

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(Home)Training Days for PhD students 

In their series "(Home) Training Days" the UDE offers one- or two-day workshops every month on transferable skills that are relevant during your doctorate. The workshop topics cover a broad range of topics, such as

Secrets of Impactful Poster Design and Presentation (August 3 and 4 (Input phase) and August 10, 11 or 12 August (just one day – own presentation), each day 9:00-13:00 | 
online via Zoom | Registration deadline: July 20) guiding you to design a powerful poster with visual impact and integrating the principles of visual communication to poster design.

Career Development for Interdisciplinary Researchers (September 10 and 11 | online via Zoom | held in German | Registration deadline: August 28) in which participants will explore how to strengthen and communicate interdisciplinary profiles and reflect on the opportunities and challenges associated with interdisciplinary career paths.

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September 14: From Scientist to Academic Actor 

The "From Scientist to Academic Actor" (September 14, 09:00 – 12:00 | online via Zoom) aims to help Habilitation Candidates, Junior Research Group Leaders and Junior Professors to reflect on their evolving roles and responsibilities, viewing an academic career as a consciously designed role portfolio. It consists of two modules: Module 1: Identity - Which scientist do I choose to be? and Module 2: Roles - From single role to responsibility portfolio. You will finish the workshop with your very own : Personal Scientist Identity Statement, a Role Portfolio Map and Stop-Doing List.

Registration deadline: 31 August 2026


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November 27: Day of Research

The annual Day of Research offers multiple opportunities to develop new and interesting research ideas, expand your network and push your career. In addition to the exchange during the poster presentations, there will be a “How to Promotion” for medical students and a "Meet the Expert" session during lunch break. There, you will have the chance to talk directly to senior scientists and representatives of the biomedical sector. New to the program is the “Scientific Failures and Nightmares” segment – in entertaining presentations, senior scientists will share their greatest challenges, unexpected failures, or “nightmares” in research.

The afternoon begins with a keynote lecture by Prof. Dr. Annette Grüters-Kieslich on “Aspects of careers in science: ‘The future does not fit in the containers of the past’", followed by our traditional Science Slam and the poster award ceremony. To wrap up the day, we invite you all to join us at the Lerncafé.

Registration deadline: October 1, 2026

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Apply now: NCT Masterclass 2027

The NCT Masterclass 2027 (January 18-22, 2027) is a comprehensive five-day in-person course for early- to mid-career oncology clinical researchers from all NCT sites. It focuses on strengthening participant competencies in designing and conducting innovative, patient-centered, investigator-initiated, high-quality clinical-translational cancer trials. Practical training includes lectures, workshops, project work, mentoring and networking opportunities. All associated costs, including travel, accommodation, meals, and participation, will be fully covered for selected participants.
A central element of the course is a series of individual 1:1 consultations with experienced experts. During these sessions, submitted study ideas are systematically reviewed and strategically refined. Key thematic areas include patient involvement, feasibility assessment, endpoint definition, study design, biostatistics, and budget planning.

Registration deadline: August 14, 2026

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Wittenstein Biointelligence Award

Start-Ups as well as individual researchers can apply for the Wittenstein Biointelligence Award, awarding novel approaches or solutions in the fields of biotechnology, information technology and production technology. Submitted proposals should demonstrate an effective integration of information technology, production engineering, biotechnology and present integrative approaches that are as holistic as possible.
Particular emphasis is placed on ideas having a clear impact on sustainability, for example by reducing the carbon footprint, promoting renewable energies, reducing waste, or improving the ecological footprint. The first-placed startup / company will receive €20,000, whereas the first-placed individual from a research institution will receive €10,000.

Deadline: July 31, 2026


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Klaus Tschira Boost Fund

BMFTR-"Mind the Gap"-Award 

academics Early Career Award

Jung Career Award 2027

The Jung Foundation for Science and Research is launching the call for applications for the 2027 Jung Career Award, endowed with € 210,000. Early-career physicians in human medicine can apply the three year grant, intended to combine scientific research with clinical training.

Deadline: September 15, 2026

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Hufeland-Prize 2026 

Awarded annually by the Hufeland Prize Foundation, the Hufeland prize, endowed with €20,000 honors outstanding work in preventive medicine and/or healthcare research.
The work should demonstrate clear potential to advance and strengthen preventive medicine in Germany.
Deadline: October 31, 2026

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Fritz Thyssen Foundation: Molecular Basis of Disease Development

The Fritz Thyssen Foundation supports research projects in biomedicine that are focused on specific topics and have a defined duration. 
Right now they support molecular biology studies of diseases whose development is primarily due to genetic defects or in which genetic variants contribute to the development of complex diseases. Preference is given, for example, to projects that involve the functional analysis of genes, gene products, and their signal transduction pathways for monogenic and complex genetic diseases in vitro and in vivo.
Project proposals will only be accepted from researchers holding a Ph.D. with relevant experience in the field of the research focus, who should generally have two to four years of postdoctoral experience.

Deadline: February 1 and September 1 

Boerhinger Ingelheim Fund: PhD fellowships

EXIST Startup Grant

The EXIST Startup Grant supports students, graduates, and researchers from universities and non-university research institutions who are interested in starting a business.
Startup teams receive an EXIST Startup Grant for a period of 12 months on attractive terms to develop a business plan and prepare for launching their company with the support of their university or research institution.
The most important requirement is that the planned business idea involves an innovative, technology-oriented, or knowledge-based product with significant unique selling points and good prospects for economic success. Services are also eligible for funding under these conditions.


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Deadline: none, project applications may be submitted at any time.