Leaders and Young Investigator Group Leaders

Those who would like to take on leadership responsibilities in science have a variety of opportunities to do so at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Whether it be as the head of a team, group, department, or institute or as the leader of a young investigator group (funded externally or by Forschungszentrum Jülich), we are looking for leaders who identify with our leadership culture and want to take on responsibility. It is also possible to combine a leadership position with a joint professorial appointment at a university.

Young investigator groups

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Internationally outstanding postdocs have the opportunity to set up their own young investigator group at Jülich. Those who successfully complete the multistage selection process benefit from transparent career prospects. In addition, Forschungszentrum Jülich supports close links between the young investigator group leaders and university partners.

The young investigator group leaders at Forschungszentrum Jülich are funded either externally (Helmholtz Young Investigator Group, Sofja Kovalevskaja Award, Emmy Noether Programme, BMBF, ERC, etc.) or by Forschungszentrum Jülich. Some of the young investigator group leaders hold a junior professorship. We support young investigator group leaders from the application phase right up to the start of their academic career after funding has come to an end, and we help them increase their visibility inside and outside Forschungszentrum Jülich.

Further information on young investigator groups.

Information on the application process

Excellent postdocs whose research focus aligns with the scientific orientation of Forschungszentrum Jülich can either respond to an open call for the position of young investigator group leader or contact the relevant institute directly on their own initiative. Young investigator groups can be financed either externally or by an institute at Jülich. If you have any questions about young investigator groups at Forschungszentrum Jülich, please contact our colleague responsible in the division Support for Early-Career Scientists.

Career paths for young investigator group leaders

Leadership of a young investigator group opens the door to a leadership position in science or academia, particularly to a professorship. For this reason, Forschungszentrum Jülich attaches great importance to the professional development of young investigator group leaders and supports them in their career paths.

Depending on the funding measure, young investigator groups at Forschungszentrum Jülich are undergo evaluation to monitor the quality and direction of the group and its leadership. This evaluation also serves as the basis for deciding whether to continue funding and provides the young investigator group leader with feedback on their path to a position of scientific leadership. The criteria and decision-making framework for the evaluation are defined and communicated at an early stage to ensure transparency in the procedure.

Career development measures

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Within their projects, young investigator group leaders assume budgetary and personnel-related responsibilities. They are often faced with the challenge of taking on a leadership role for the first time, while at the same time strengthening their own research profile. We support the excellent early-career researchers in this task in the form of internal training measures and broad networks within the research centre. For instance, annual networking events take place among the young investigator group leaders and opportunities are offered to speak with the members of the Board of Directors. To provide our young investigator group leaders with the best possible support, one-on-one discussions can be arranged with the relevant contact person. In these meetings, challenges and opportunities can be discussed in a confidential setting.

All employees with leadership responsibilities at Forschungszentrum Jülich also have access to internal training opportunities (website in German), individual personnel development programmes, advisory services and opportunities for networking. They can also take advantage of the services offered by the Helmholtz Leadership Academy.

Insights

Prof. Dr Sarah Genon is a group leader at the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine – Brain and Behaviour. Learn more in the video about her everyday work in brain research, why she thinks diversity in science is really important, and what she particularly appreciates about the collaboration within her team.

Note: You can also watch the video with German or English subtitles. To do so, please select the appropriate language in the settings under "Subtitles".

^{Copyright images on this page: Forschungszentrum Jülich / Sascha Kreklau}

Last Modified: 13.02.2025