Clinician Scientist Programmes of the DFG
The DFG’s Clinician Scientist Programmes provide a structured framework for physicians to combine research and residency training.

© chokniti – stock.adobe.com
The DFG currently funds 23 Clinician Scientist Programmes at medical faculties throughout Germany with a duration of up to five years. The aim is to offer a structured scientific training and qualification programme for researching physicians.
Within the Clinician Scientist Programmes, the DFG currently funds around 400 temporary substitute positions, which enable the participating physicians to pursue their own high-quality research activities parallel to their residency training. Additional funding is provided by the DFG for the coordination of the programmes, the required mentoring and the accompanying scientific curriculum, so that the participants can benefit from comprehensive support and training opportunities.
Subsequent to the DFG funding period, the Clinical Scientist Programmes are to be sustainably anchored at the hosting medical faculty. The programmes are closely monitored by the DFG in order to gain key insights on Clinician Scientist funding.

Clinician Scientist Programmes at Medical Faculties, MFT survey, status 2022
© DFG
Overview of funded Clinician Scientist Programmes
First call for proposals 2018
With the first Interner Linkcall for proposals for Clinician Scientist Programmes 13 projects were accepted for funding in 2018 following an international review.
- Externer LinkClinician Scientist Program in Evolutionary Medicine
Professor Dr. John F. Baines, Faculty of Medicine of the Kiel University)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkCell dynamics in disease and therapy
(Professor Dr. Matthias Dobbelstein, University Medicine Center Göttingen)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkInterfaces and Interventions in Complex Chronic Conditions
(Professor Dr. Matthias Ebert, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkPromoting Excellence in Medicine: the University Medicine Essen Clinician Scientist Academy (UMEA)
(Professor Dr. Dr. Dagmar Führer-Sakel, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkJustus Liebig University Giessen Clinician Scientist Program in Biomedical Research
(Professor Dr. Andreas Günther, Faculty of Medicine, University Giessen)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Understanding of InterOrgan Networks in Cardiac and Vascular Diseases (UNION-CVD)
(Professor Dr. Stefanie Hahner, Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkClinician Scientist PRogram In Vascular MEdicine (PRIME)
(Professor Dr. Steffen Massberg, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkYoung Academy – PRACTIS (Program of Hannover Medical School for Clinician Scientists)
(Professor Dr. Anette Melk, Hannover Medical School)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkClinician Scientist School Lübeck: Connecting Brain, Metabolism, and Inflammation (BMI)
(Professor Dr. Christian David Sadik, University of Lübeck)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkCharité Digital Clinician Scientists for Future Data-Driven Medicine
(Professor Dr. Igor Maximilian Sauer, Charité – University Medicine Berlin)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Cologne Clinician Scientist Program
(Professor Dr. Ruth Esther Stebut-Borschitz, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkIMM-PACT: Targeting common principles of immune mediated disease: from basic science to novel therapies
(Professor Dr. Robert Thimme, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkOrgan Dysfunction in Old Age: Perspectives for Young Clinician Scientists (OrganAge)
(Professor Dr. Otto Wilhelm Witte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jena)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris
Second call for proposals 2021
As a result of the Interner Linksecond call for proposals, a further ten programmes were approved in summer 2022.
- Regulation of Inflammation in Neurological, Autoimmune and Infectious Diseases (RINAI)
(Professor Dr. Nina Babel, Marienhospital Herne, University Hospital of the University of Bochum)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkMeeting the Challenges of Chronic Age-Related Diseases in Rural Areas
(Professor Dr. Agnes Flöel, Greifswald University Medicine)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkMD-LEICS – Modern Diseases – Leipzig Clinician Scientist Programme
(Professor Dr. Antje Körner, Leipzig University Hospital)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkMedical Innovation through Interdisciplinarity Clinician Scientist (MINT-CS) Programme
(Professor Dr. Claudia Lengerke, University Hospital Tübingen)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkiDfellows: Hamburg Clinician Scientist Programme in Infectious Diseases
(Professor Dr. Ansgar W. Lohse, Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkFuture for Clinician Scientists in Precision Metabolic Medicine
(Professor Dr. Tom Lüdde, University Hospital of Düsseldorf)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Neuro-aCSis – Bonn Neuroscience Clinician Scientist Program
(Professor Dr. Gabor Petzold, University Hospital Bonn)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Networks of tissue responses in inflammatory diseases and cancer (NOTICE)
(PD Dr. Andreas Ramming, University Hospital Erlangen)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkClinician Scientist CareerS Münster
(Professor Dr. Michael Schäfers, Münster University Hospital)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris - Externer LinkInflammation-Driven Diseases Program (INDEEP): inflammatory response as driver for human diseases and target for therapy
(Professor Dr. Evelyn Ullrich, University Clinic Frankfurt)
Externer LinkProject in Gepris
Basis of Clinician Scientist funding and further financing options within the programmes
Temporary Substitutes for Clinicians
Expansion options
Other actors and sponsors of Clinician Scientist Programmes
- Externer LinkClinician Scientist-Programme | Medizinischer Fakultätentag
- Externer LinkElse Kröner Research Schools for Physicians
- Externer LinkPerspektive und Planungssicherheit für forschende Fachärztinnen und Fachärzte (“Perspectives and planning security for researching medical specialists”)
- Externer LinkMildred-Scheel-Nachwuchszentren
Further Information
Contact persons at the DFG Head Office
- Interner LinkDr. Laura Stappert
- Rachid Saddiki
Telefon: +49 228 885-2452
E-Mail: Link auf E-Mailrachid.saddiki@dfg.de