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Research Training Groups
- FAQ: Doctoral Researchers in Research Training Groups and Other DFG-funded Programmes
FAQ: Doctoral Researchers in Research Training Groups and Other DFG-funded Programmes
- Doctoral Researchers in (International) Research Training Groups (RTG/IRTG)
- Doctoral Researchers in (other) DFG-funded Programmes
- General Questions for Doctoral Researchers
Doctoral Researchers in (International) Research Training Groups (RTG/IRTG)
A funding period lasts 4.5 years. DFG will fund an RTG/ IRTG for a maximum of two funding periods. An individual doctoral researcher can receive funding for a maximum of 36 months. This can be done through a fellowship or an RTG-funded position. This means that, during the maximum nine-year funding period, three generations of doctoral researchers can be funded.
If the review of the renewal proposal does not lead to the decision to continue the RTG’s funding, the Research Training Group can apply for individual transition funding for those researchers who have yet to complete their doctorates. This funding is awarded for periods of up to 12 months and for a maximum funding duration of 36 months.
A Graduate School is intended to support the formation of a research focus at a particular location by promoting early-career research. In doing so, it aims to add scientific as well as structural value to the university and the fields of study involved. Its size and thematic scope are thus defined by the coordinating university’s strategies. There are no strict rules governing the size or structure – or, for example, the researchers, institutes or doctoral researchers involved. Research Training Groups, in contrast, follow a focused research programme and the number of participants is limited.
All Research Training Groups funded by DFG introduce doctoral researchers to the international scientific community and an international environment. A Research Training Group is expected to maintain close contact with colleagues in other countries, invite visiting researchers from abroad, recruit doctoral researchers internationally and enable them to take part in research stays abroad and attend international conferences.
In addition to that, International Research Training Groups are characterised by a formalised cooperation with a partner institution (or two) abroad, with whom they implement and finance their research programme and mentoring concept together. Doctoral researchers usually spend 6-12 months at the IRTG’s partner institution, where they will receive additional mentoring from a lecturer at the partner university.
Doctoral researchers whose fellowship or position is funded by means other than RTG funds can be included in a Research Training Group as a “Kollegiat” [“member”]. As such, they can benefit from both the opportunities and funding (such as travel cost funding) offered by the RTG. Members are accepted and mentored according to the same criteria as fellows.
The RTG is responsible for selecting and accepting doctoral researchers. Questions on residency and visa requirements, etc, should be discussed as early as possible with your university’s International Office. Nowadays, many universities have a Welcome Centre or similar facility to help researchers who are new to Germany integrate and find their feet. You might find some more useful information in the Mobility Portal.
Research Training Groups are distinguished by the fact that they guarantee their doctoral researchers an outstanding environment in which to complete their doctorate and an intensive mentoring scheme. Nevertheless, it is useful to set down in writing the tasks and responsibilities of both the mentors and mentees, as well as the principles on which the mentoring arrangement is founded and other framework conditions.
Below is a link to some points which should be taken into account when drawing up a mentoring agreement (only in German).
Fellows can have their maximum funding period extended by up to 12 months if, at the time of taking up their fellowship, they are living with their child(ren) in the same household and have at least one child under the age of 12 (who has not yet reached his/her 12th birthday). This also applies if their first child is born during their fellowship.
As an alternative to extending their fellowship, fellows can also convert any unused extension months into funding for provable childcare costs (“money in lieu of time”). In such cases, the maximum funds available comprise the monthly basic fellowship allowances, not including funding for direct project costs, childcare allowances, or any allowances for studying abroad. This offer is intended to motivate fellowship holders to move forward with their doctorate or projects as quickly as possible. This “money in lieu of time” concept is particularly suitable for shorter-term fellowships, such as qualification fellowships.
To request an extension or to take advantage of the “money in lieu of time” option, please write to us explaining in your own words the amount of funding (normal or higher-level fellowship) you would like to receive for which period of time.
Doctoral researchers on an RTG position are eligible for the usual statutory maternity/paternal support in Germany.
No provision is made for fellowships to be reduced for any reason other than familial ones. A fellowship or a position in an RTG can, however, be suspended if, for example, the holder participates in a research stay abroad which is funded by another source. Please contact DFG via email (Info-Nachwuchs@dfg.de) for information on your particular case.
If an expectant mother’s research involves dealing with substances with mutagenic and reproductive toxicity properties, for example, and she may no longer carry out her work, a substitute researcher can usually be funded using the financing already granted by DFG. Additional funding will also be provided if required.
DFG does not provide funding for doctoral studies abroad. As a doctoral researcher in an RTG or IRTG, however, you can benefit from international contacts and participate in research stays abroad. 6-12-month visits to partner institutions are part of the IRTG programme. It is not possible to use an RTG fellowship to fund an entire doctorate abroad.
When doing a PhD funded indirectly by DFG, your will either receive a fellowship (in some Re-search Training Groups) or a work contract (by now, in most projects and programmes). A fellowship does not represent a contractual agreement, ie. neither the university nor DFG fulfill the function of an employer. A fellowship is taxfree and does not include access to the German social security system. Therefore, you are not automatically covered by the various pension-, care-, unemployment-, health- and accident insurance schemes. Please contact the university to find out about the alternative arrangements you need to make.
If you complete your PhD on an RTG position, this represents a contractual agreement with the university/research institution as your employer (not DFG!). Consequently, you are covered by pension-, care- and unemployment insurance and have to pay taxes. Before you sign your contract, you should find out on which part of the German “law for fixed-term contracts in research” (“WissZeitVG”) your contract is based. It determines whether, or not, your contract will be extended beyond the fixed term as a result of maternity/parental leave. You are only eligible for an extension of your fixed-term contract for the period of time you were on maternity/parental leave if your contract is based on § 2 para. 1 WissZeitVG, you are not eligible if your contract is based on § 2 para. 2 WissZeitVG.
For differences between a RTG fellowship and a RTG position with regard to visa and work permit requirements, please contact the university’s International Office.
RTGs can apply for travel funds for their doctoral researchers. These funds can include foreign allowances for travels abroad.
As a doctoral researcher on an RTG position, you are eligible for the standard foreign allowances as stipulated by federal/state regulation.
As a RTG fellow, if you travel to a conference or briefly travel overseas to visit a research partner, perform research in an archive or give a presentation, etc, you can apply to your RTG for the DFG per diem allowance to cover your out-of-pocket expenses abroad. If you are staying abroad for a month or more as part of working for your doctorate within an RTG/IRTG, the monthly allowances apply. The table below provides an overview of the maximum foreign allowances for each country.
All non-scientific activities count against your fellowship. This means that your fellowship is reduced by the amount of additional income (including any applicable taxes (gross)). Income earned from scientific activities is, however, permitted, but may not exceed the maximum additional earnings limit of €6,000 per year. Additional earnings must be reported to the RTG’s coordinator.
A Research Training Group can be funded for two 4.5-year periods, with the second funding period being contingent upon a successful interim review. Doctoral researchers whose RTGs will not be continuing and who have not yet received 36 months of funding once the initial 4.5-year period has elapsed may receive up to 12 months of additional funding until their maximum funding limit of 36 months is reached.
Please note that no new doctoral researchers are to be accepted during the 9th funding year. If this is the case, those responsible for the RTG are asked to provide continuation funding. Doctoral researchers who join the RTG during the 9th year will not be granted transition funding by DFG.
If you are a member of a Research Training Group, you can take advantage of the publication funds made available within the framework of the RTG. The RTG and its supporting researchers decide how this funding is allocated. While not being a member of an RTG does not automatically mean that you cannot receive assistance from DFG to help with publishing costs, doing so is not an easy task. Point 5.2 of the Guidelines for Research Grants states:
Proposals requesting assistance solely with publishing costs are possible for works which make available basic research findings for further research (in essence, source materials and collections), as well as for works of particular scientific significance in which outstanding research achievements are publicised for the first time. Funding for dissertation publication is available only in particularly well-justified, exceptional cases. The prerequisite for submitting a proposal is, therefore, that the dissertation in question was awarded the highest possible grade under the prevailing doctoral regulations.
If DFG is unable to provide assistance, there is a variety of foundations and organisations which may be able to do so.
Equal opportunities policies represent a basic requirement for successful grant proposals at DFG. For example, Research Training Groups can apply for funds to specifically foster female doctoral researchers through mentoring schemes etc. It is also expected that female researchers are appropriately represented at all levels of the Research Training Group. All doctoral researchers with children are also specifically supported.
Policies to support a family friendly research environment represent a basic requirement for successful grant proposals at DFG. Doctoral researchers in Research Training Groups who hold fellowships and who have a child receive a child allowance of 400 EUR/month. For each additional child this allowance is raised by 100 EUR/month. Furthermore, the maximum period of funding can be extended up to 12 months if you live with your children of up to 12 years of age. If you do not make use of this extension, or only in part, you are eligible for further funds to support your child care arrangements. If you are completing your research on a work contract you are eligible for the usual statutory maternity/parental support in Germany. It is expected that the university provides suitable child care arrangements. Please contact the equal opportunity officer at your university for detailed information.
Doctoral Researchers in (other) DFG-funded Programmes
DFG does not provide direct funding for individual doctoral researchers. Instead, doctoral research is funded through
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Research Training Groups,
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Graduate Schools or through
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Paid research positions in projects.
Doctoral researchers are also employed as paid researchers in Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs). Some CRCs have what is known as an integrated Research Training Group module. This means that doctoral researchers there can benefit from tailored training and mentoring programmes, just as they can in Research Training Groups.
Available positions or fellowships are announced by the Research Training Groups, Graduate Schools, projects or CRCs. Please apply to these directly.
In order to submit a proposal to DFG, candidates must have completed their doctorate. Furthermore, applicants must also be prepared to live and work in Germany in the future and a German research institution must also be prepared to host them.
Recruitment for fellowships and positions in programmes and projects funded by DFG is facilitated directly by Research Training Groups, Graduate Schools and research projects. If you are interested in a particular programme, please contact the principal investigator/programme coordinator of the specific project. Our data base GEPRIS can provide you with the relevant information and details (only in German).
The specific requirements/eligibility criteria are defined by each Research Training Group, Graduate School or research project as well as by the relevant examination regulations. Generally, you should have completed your university studies efficiently and successfully and should demonstrate talent and motivation for doing research. Your research interest and qualifications should match the topic of the research project or Research Training Group you are interested in. In your previous career, you should have displayed commitment as well as interest in research and, if possible, you should have some experience in working in a research context. Completing a PhD should represent a logical progression with regard to your previous experience and future career plans.
If you have a Bachelor degree or a degree from a University of Applied Sciences (“Fachhochschule”), please contact the institution or principal investigator/programme coordinator of the project in which you want to complete your PhD, to find out more about eligibility criteria. Some Research Training Groups offer Qualification Fellowships (800 EUR/month) for a maximum period of 12 months in order to allow people with a Bachelor degree or a degree from a University of Applied Sciences to fulfill the requirements to start a PhD.
There are no age restrictions on starting or completing a PhD. The recruitment of able applicants should be organized in a process that is both transparent and focusing on applicants’ qualifications.
The maximum funding period for doctoral research in a Research Training Group or Graduate School is 36 months. A post-doctoral fellowship runs for 24 months. The same maximum funding period applies to positions in Research Training Groups.
Doctoral researchers in paid research positions in DFG-funded research projects receive funding for the duration of, or as outlined in, the project
If you are holding a fellowship funded by DFG, you will receive 1000-1365 EUR/month, plus a research allowance of 103 EUR/month. In case you have children, you also get the DFG child allowance.
Some Research Training Groups, Graduate Schools and research projects also provide RTG positions for doctoral researchers. Please contact the respective principal investigator/programme coordinator to find out about the specific terms. Remuneration is determined according to the collective agreement for the public sector on the Federal level (“TVöD”) or in each “Bundesland” (“TV-L”) and ranges between 50-100% of TVöD/TV-L E13, depending on comparable positions in both the area and the research field. You can find TVöD/TV-L remuneration tables on the internet by using standard internet search engines.
As a doctoral researcher in a Research Training Group, you also have funds available for research consumables and travel.
When doing a PhD funded indirectly by DFG, your will either receive a fellowship (in some Research Training Groups) or a work contract (by now, in most projects and programmes). A fellowship does not represent a contractual agreement, ie. neither the university nor DFG fulfill the function of an employer. A fellowship is taxfree and does not include access to the German social security system. Therefore, you are not automatically covered by the various pension-, care-, unemployment-, health- and accident insurance schemes. Please contact the university to find out about the alternative arrangements you need to make.
If you complete your PhD on an RTG position, this represents a contractual agreement with the university/research institution as your employer (not DFG!). Consequently, you are covered by pension-, care- and unemployment insurance and have to pay taxes. Before you sign your contract, you should find out on which part of the German “law for fixed-term contracts in research” (“WissZeitVG”) your contract is based. It determines whether, or not, your contract will be extended beyond the fixed term as a result of maternity/parental leave. You are only eligible for an extension of your fixed-term contract for the period of time you were on maternity/parental leave if your contract is based on § 2 para. 1 WissZeitVG, you are not eligible if your contract is based on § 2 para. 2 WissZeitVG.
For differences between a RTG fellowship and a RTG position with regard to visa and work permit requirements, please contact the university’s International Office.
No, DFG does not award completion funding. It is expected that the Research Training Groups and Graduate Schools will provide intensive mentoring, a favourable research environment, and access to pertinent doctoral topics to ensure that their doctoral researchers complete their doctoral theses within three years. If, in exceptional cases, it is not possible for a particular candidate to complete their doctorate within the maximum funding period, the candidate’s mentors or university are expected to grant/provide completion funding.
If you are a member of a Research Training Group, Graduate School or DFG-funded research project, you can take advantage of the publication funds made available within the framework of the RTG. The RTG and its supporting researchers decide how this funding is allocated. While not being a member of an RTG does not automatically mean that you cannot receive assistance from DFG to help with publishing costs, doing so is not an easy task. Point 5.2 of the Guidelines for Research Grants states:
Proposals requesting assistance solely with publishing costs are possible for works which make available basic research findings for further research (in essence, source materials and collections), as well as for works of particular scientific significance in which outstanding research achievements are publicised for the first time. Funding for dissertation publication is available only in particularly well-justified, exceptional cases. The prerequisite for submitting a proposal is, therefore, that the dissertation in question was awarded the highest possible grade under the prevailing doctoral regulations.
If DFG is unable to provide assistance, there is a variety of foundations and organisations which may be able to do so.
Equal opportunities policies represent a basic requirement for successful grant proposals at DFG. For example, Research Training Groups can apply for funds to specifically foster female doctoral researchers through mentoring schemes etc. It is also expected that female researchers are appropriately represented at all levels of the Research Training Group. All doctoral researchers with children are also specifically supported.
Policies to support a family friendly research environment represent a basic requirement for successful grant proposals at DFG. Doctoral researchers in Research Training Groups who hold fellowships and who have a child receive a child allowance of 400 EUR/month. For each additional child this allowance is raised by 100 EUR/month. Furthermore, the maximum period of funding can be extended up to 12 months if you live with your children of up to 12 years of age. If you do not make use of this extension, or only in part, you are eligible for further funds to support your child care arrangements. If you are completing your research on a work contract you are eligible for the usual statutory maternity/parental support in Germany. It is expected that the university provides suitable child care arrangements. Please contact the equal opportunity officer at your university for detailed information.
General Questions for Doctoral Researchers
To answer these questions, please contact your university’s International Office or equivalent. You will also find useful tips for researchers who are new to Germany in the Mobility Portal.
DFG does not provide funding for doctoral studies abroad. As a doctoral researcher in an RTG or IRTG, however, you can benefit from international contacts and participate in research stays abroad. 6-12-month visits to partner institutions are part of the IRTG programme. It is not possible to use an RTG fellowship to fund an entire doctorate abroad.
Your research topic should be located in a field in which you are interested and qualified. In order to make sure that your project is both realistic and of high enough quality, discuss your ideas with more experienced researchers. Talk to your (potential) supervisor to ensure that the process of supervision is of high quality and matches your expectations as well as your supervisor’s. However, even if you have prepared your research project carefully, the topic and focal point of your work are likely to change and become more focused during your PhD as you adapt it to the research context and your personal interests.
If you want to complete your PhD in the context of a Research Training Group or a Graduate School, your research topic should match the research framework provided by the Group/School. If you are interested in a particular Group/School, please contact the respective principal investigator/programme coordinator. You can find more information about Research Training Groups and Graduate Schools currently funded by DFG on the web:
Whom you choose to be your supervisor primarily depends on the research field in which you are interested to do your PhD. Search the web and publication data banks for people working in your field. Maybe the researchers you know at home have contacts in Germany. Your supervisor should know the discipline and be able to guide you in your research. Apart from that, you should think about how much time your potential supervisor will be able to dedicate to working with you and how experienced she/he is in supervising doctoral researchers. It is often helpful to discuss such issues with your potential supervisor in advance and to talk to other doctoral researchers who have been/are being supervised by her/him. It should be common practice to include a second researcher in your supervisory team.
If you want to complete your PhD within a structured PhD programme, such as a Research Training Group or Graduate School, you can benefit from a well-developed supervisory concept which provides the framework for your PhD supervision (eg. outlining how many, and which specific, researchers will be on your supervisory team).
Generally, however, it is difficult to guarantee good supervision in advance. Your relationship with your supervisor(s) depends, like all interpersonal relationships, on the dynamics and the quality of interaction between the two people involved. Together with your supervisor, it is your responsibility to shape and nurture this relationship. Rights and responsibilities of all parties can be defined in a (more or less) formal supervisory contract. On our website you can find guidelines for setting up supervisory agreements (only in German)
While you are completing your PhD, your whole focus is set on your research and it is difficult to look beyond the date of your submission. It is useful, however, to start thinking early about the time after you have submitted your thesis. Talk to your supervisor(s) and other people both inside and outside research. Make use of the careers services at your university. This will allow you to think about options while you are still doing your PhD, make contacts and start a network on which you can build once you have submitted.
If you want to stay in academia, remember, as soon as you have completed your PhD you are eligible to submit your own grant proposals to DFG and apply for funding for your own research project. In order to foster new PhDs’ early independence, some Research Training Groups, Graduate Schools and Collaborative Research Centres funded by DFG offer so-called ‘start-up’ funding. It allows selected Research Training Group graduates to be funded directly after the submission of their thesis and enable them to develop their own research project and grant proposal. If you are interested in such ‘start-up’ funding, please contact your principal investigator/programme coordinator. Some universities have also started their own start-up funding schemes to support their promising early career researchers.
