Handpicked
What does it take to be an "Emmy"? Applicants must demonstrate that they have conducted independent research after obtaining their doctorates and are able to build independent academic careers. "They need to have cut themselves loose from their professors, meaning they should be independent and mobile, both geographically and thematically," says Beate Scholz, who is responsible for the DFG's Research Careers Section.
Previously narrow age restrictions have been replaced by a new rule that allows candidates to be admitted into the programme up to four years after they have finished their doctorates. Each application must include a letter of commitment from a hiring institution that is willing to employ the candidate and provide the necessary working conditions.
Candidates should have worked abroad for at least one year. It is irrelevant whether this international research experience was part of their doctoral training or gained afterwards, for example through a DFG research fellowship. Applicants who have not done any research outside Germany, but who are well networked internationally, also have a good chance of being accepted. Scientific excellence and independence are the key criteria that all applicants must demonstrate in the tough competition for funding.
Junior research group leaders are generally handpicked by expert committees on the basis of written proposals and in-person presentations of their research projects. Successful applicants may be funded for five years, or six years in exceptional cases.
