Germany 2025 - Call for application

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Germany 2025 - Call for application

Find out more about the current edition of the german national program.

For Women in Science is the successful global cooperation of UNESCO and L'Oréal. Together, these two partners have promoted women in science since 1998 – strengthening the excellence of research, fostering gender equality and highlighting the visibility of women in research ("role models").

For Women in Science Germany promotes four female early-career scientists working in Germany each year - with an award worth 25,000 Euros. In Germany, the partners are the German Commission for UNESCO, L'Oréal Deutschland and the German Humboldt Network. In an innovative tripartite partnership, these partners are committed to promoting excellent female scientists in German science.

For Women in Science Germany is guided by the rules and regulations outlined below.

Calendar

PROVISIONAL DATES

  • Launch of the call for applications: January 2025
  • Closing date for applications: 10 March 2025
  • Selection process by the jury: March to May 2025
  • Final selection by the jury: May/June 2025
  • Creation of communication material (photo/video): June/July 2025
  • Award ceremony: tbc, planned 18 September 2025

  • January 30, 2025 Start of the call for application/nomination
  • March 10, 2025 Closing of the call for application/nomination
  • June 30, 2025 Candidates' final selection

Program Overview

Partners
  • German Commission for UNESCO
  • German Humboldt Network e.V.
Award(s) of the Prize
  • 4 awards per year
Amount per endowment
  • €25,000
Main eligibility criteria
  • Female early-career scientists working in STEM disciplines.
  • “Early-career” is understood as post-docs, junior professors or other academic positions without a tenure in the four+two years following their first doctorate (for each child, two additional years can be added; detailed regulations as to admissibility correspond the rules of relevant German law, WissZeitVG).
  • Eligible candidates’ livelihoods must already be secured through an employment contract/scholarship equivalent to at least 50% of a full-time position (and at least receive the minimum wage in Germany).
  • The remaining duration of the employment contract/scholarship must be at least 12 months from the submission of the application.
  • Female scientists in the final year of their doctorate are also eligible if an employment contract or scholarship commitment for the postdoc phase has already been granted.
  • employment contract/scholarship must be with a German university, university of applied sciences or non-university research institution (e.g. Max-Planck, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, Leibniz), and the research work must be done in Germany (excluding field trips).
  • employment contracts/scholarships must cover work in research (excluding teaching) for at least 50% of full-time employment on annual average.
  • Female scientists working in the laboratories of for-profit companies are not eligible to apply.
  • STEM disciplines are broadly understood, also including agricultural sciences, geosciences, informatics, veterinary medicine, for example (the entire “main categories 1 to 4” of the discipline categorization of the OECD Frascati Manual).
  • Both experimentally and theoretically working female scientists are invited to apply. The application of female scientists with an inter- and transdisciplinary research profile is strongly encouraged, i.e. when a STEM subject is combined with research in the humanities or social sciences.
  • The nationality of the applicants is not relevant. If the residency permit of non-EU citizens is not already obviously implied by the work contract, a valid residence permit in Germany for at least 12 months from the submission of the application needs to be presented in addition.
  • Applicants must not have received funding from another program component of For Women in Science (e.g. from another country) in the past.
Selection criteria

  • The only selection criterion is the excellence of the applicant's research as well as her plans for future research. The applicant's scientific qualifications, the innovative content and methodology of the research approach and the feasibility of planned projects are the focus of the assessment.

  • Applicants' special commitment to the "third mission" of science is also assessed as part of the understanding of research excellence.

  • In accordance with the DORA declaration, quantitative indicators such as the number of publications, conference papers or patents including impact factors are considered, but are only used as one of several factors for the assessment of scientific excellence.

  • Among applicants of equal excellence, preference is given to female scientists with children. Family or relationship status, as well as special needs are not considered in the assessment.

  • Letters of recommendation are welcome and a letter of endorsement from the host institute (which confirms the provision of laboratory space and infrastructure) is required for applicants whose research work depends on such infrastructure.

Initial launch date
2007
Total number of endowments awarded since launch
53

Information document(s)

Rules & Regulations

For more information, download the 2025 rules of the For Women in Science German national program (18th edition):