Working on temporary contracts at KIT

KIT was founded in 2009 as the first and until this day the only fusion of a state university and a federal research center in Germany. Based on this distinction and in addition to it, KIT has a unique set of prescribed and self-determined regulations defining temporary work contracts.

3-year postdoc phase
The definition of postdocs varies throughout the academic system. At KIT, a postdoc has earned a PhD, obviously, but has not yet continued to the next career step which might be a junior professorship, a junior research group leadership, the registration of a habilitation, a project-related activity, or a permanent position as scientist. While this postdoc phase should not exceed 3 years at KIT itself, it maybe in line with postdoc stays at other universities before or afterwards. Dr. Britta Trautwein, head of the Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists (KHYS) at KIT describes the idea behind this concept: "For young academics, it is very easy to get lost in the daily work routine. During their 3 years at KIT, we want postdocs to actively think about their future career and take the appropriate steps towards this goal. To stay in science, they have to become more independent, write their own papers and proposals, and take on leadership responsibilities."

W1 position for externally evaluated group leaders – until half of the group’s duration Universities throughout Germany compete in attracting awardees of prestigious external funding schemes such as ERC grants, Emmy-Noether groups, BMBF or Helmholtz young investigator groups. Important assets to win these excellent young scientists are the status and the future perspectives associated with a junior professorship – especially with tenure option. Most funding agencies welcome the idea of their grantees being appointed as junior professors.

There is, however, the tiny problem of compatibility: the State University Laws asks of junior professors that their phase of academic employment prior to and after the dissertation may not exceed six years in total. Even excellent PhD students that acquire an Emmy Noether group later, need on average 3.4 years to get their degree. 3 Thus, they can only afford a relatively short postdoc phase before reaching the 6-year-limit for junior professorship. To become eligible for a prestigious junior research group, however, the funding agencies generally ask for a postdoc phase of at least two years to develop scientific independence and gain substantial international research experience. Since the external evaluation process and the appointment also take their time, it is almost impossible to stay below the 6-year-limit.

KIT has successfully tackled the issue to combine an externally awarded group leadership with a junior professorship: As the quality assurance concept for junior professorships with tenure track at KIT states, excellent, externally evaluated group leaders just have to be in the first half of their funding period to still qualify for a junior professorship. For them, the 6-year-limit is successfully rescinded.4