Helmholtz Investigator Groups

Postdocs, Experienced Scientists |Setting up a Young Investigator Group| Incoming | Next Call expected December 2025| Live Calendar Upcoming Calls/Current Calls Young Investigator Groups: https://go.fzj.de/funding-calendar-yig | FZJ Contact: Tiemo Pokraka, email: t.pokraka@fz-juelich.de

Career status

Postdocs, Experienced Scientists

Mobility

Incoming

Upcoming Call/Deadline

Next Call expected December 2025

A key objective of the Helmholtz Association´s mission is the individual promotion of talented early-stage researchers. Through its Helmholtz Investigator Groups program, the Association enables the best international and German early-stage scientists to set up and lead their own research group. Investigator Group leaders are given scientific independence and have attractive career prospects. This includes a tenure option, support, and flexibility during the family phase, and further qualifications at the Helmholtz Leadership Academy.

Investigator Group leaders are expected to collaborate closely with a university partner, gathering teaching and Ph.D. supervision experience. The Helmholtz Association is emphasizing the recruitment of external (international) candidates. Internal candidates are not eligible. An exception can be made for outstanding candidates who are employed by a Helmholtz Center for less than 1 year.

Interested candidates must get in touch with and be supported by one of the institute directors prior to application to Forschungszentrum Jülich. Following an internal selection procedure, up to four candidates are nominated by Forschungszentrum Jülich.

Timetable for the 2025 call

• 10 February 2025: internal deadline for short proposals (2-page project summary, CV, publication list, supporting letter by institute director)
• 14 March 2025: internal selection meeting (invited candidates present their project to internal panel)
• 30 April 2025: submission of complete application documents by FZJ
• 22/23 October 2025: final selection meeting (invited candidates present their project to Helmholtz panel in Berlin)

We expect a new call for Helmholtz Investigator Groups to be published in December 2025. The submission deadlines in 2026 will most likely be similar.

When considering an application, please contact Mr. Pokraka to discuss a possible prior consultation with the board.

_{Please note: The dates of calls might change throughout the year. When you save them to your calendar, your calendar will not show the changed dates. Please visit the funding calendar regularly or use our Live Funding Calendar to check for any changes. You can also find the link to our Live Calendar in the summary of the downloaded call.}