With the Pre-Doc Award, we at Leipzig University support graduates in preparation for doctoral research as well as postdocs in their ability to supervise doctoral candidates. During the funding period, recipients shall jointly develop a doctoral research project and acquire funding for it.
The selection process for the Pre-Doc Award 2024/25 has ended. The next call for applications will open in April 2025.
Strategically Promoting Early Career Researchers
The Pre-Doc Award is overseen by the vice-rectorate for talent development and offers postdocs and doctoral researchers with a very good degree the opportunity to jointly plan a research project. Against the backdrop of our University Development Plan (HEP), it pursues the following goals:
- Fostering early career researchers early on
- Strengthening postdocs’ supervisions skills
- Supporting qualified graduates in their swift transition to a financially secure doctoral phase
- Strengthening interdisciplinary networks among early career researchers
- Stimulating innovative research.
- Contract start
1 October (flexible)
The Pre-Doc Award year consists mainly of the tandems’ individual project activities. In addition, we offer the following skills development and networking events for the entire cohort.
- Kick-off
Meeting each other, information, presenting the doctoral projects, networking - Workshops
Examples: scientific writing, leadership & supervision, scholarship application writing, grant writing - Exchange meetings
Opportunity for peer exchange - Final symposium
Expert lectures, presenting the project status, certificate handover, conclusion
The Pre-Doc Award helped me to recruit an excellent student for my research group and to keep her for her doctorate.
Dr Christina Weinberg, 2017, 2019 and 2020 cohort
Supporting Research Tandems
We support 12 to 15 tandems a year. The Pre-Doc Award involves a predoc and a postdoctoral researcher working together in tandem. Target group-specific information about the programme is available here:
The Pre-Doc Award lets you:
- Enjoy a year of financial security, so that you can concentrate on securing funding for your doctorate
- Refine your doctoral project with the help of your postdoc
- Make contact with other Pre-Doc awardees and reap the academic or social benefits for your doctorate
Your support as a pre-doc:
- A contract as a graduate assistant for 19 hours per week for 12 months
- Potential financial support for travel, conferences and self-organised workshops related to the Pre-Doc Award funding phase
- Workshops and networking
Generally, support begins on 1 October and ends twelve months later.
Your goals for the year of funding:
- Securing a doctoral scholarship or supporting the postdoc in their application for external funding in order to co-finance your doctoral position
- Developing the doctoral project further with the help of your postdoc tandem partner
Have we sparked your interest?
Then get in touch with suitable postdocs!
By participating in the programme, you will strengthen the skills all successful postdocs need in the world of academia:
- Acquisition of external funding
- Supporting and supervising doctoral candidates
- Attracting early career researchers with a focus similar to your own
- Establishing a network within and outside the University
- Applications for research prizes and awards.
Your support as a postdoc:
- A preferred candidate with one year’s funding and the prospect of joining your own working group in the long term
- The opportunity to practice supervising and guiding prospective doctoral researchers
- Workshops and networking.
Your goals for the year of funding:
- Securing external funding to cover the predoc’s doctoral project or supporting the predoc in applying for scholarships
- Subject-related and methodological support in the preparation of the doctoral project
- Exchange with other awardees
- Analysing the supervision experience and developing your own skills on an ongoing basis.
Have we sparked your interest?
Then speak to suitable candidates for the Pre-Doc Award!
Three Pre-Doc Award tandems have already been featured in the University Magazine: Dorothea Schmidt and Dr. Hatem Elliesie, Franz Beensen and Dr. Verena Schneider, Sabine Pawellek and Dr. Hagen Wulff (German versions only).
Receiving the Pre-Doc Award gave me the opportunity to look for funding together with my tandem partner and to work on my doctoral thesis at the same time.
Janett Thielemann, 2017 cohort
