We all work as doctoral students in Germany in many different fields and with very different backgrounds, but time and again it becomes clear that many problems affect us all equally. One of the biggest and most frequently underestimated issues is mental health. This problem… Research on mental health among early-career scientists weiterlesen

You hit “submit,” take a deep breath, and hope the reviewers will understand what you’ve worked on for months or even years. After weeks of waiting, the reviews arrive. Reviewer 1 offers constructive feedback, but Reviewer 2 seems to have read an entirely different paper—raising… Publish or Perish, and the Gatekeeping Power of Reviewer 2 weiterlesen

Although many universities repeatedly emphasize how important their doctoral candidates are to them, the reality is often quite different. At many locations, it is unclear how doctoral candidates can even be reached, as central structures are lacking or only function incompletely. An alarming number of… Does your university know you? weiterlesen

Many doctoral student representatives have email lists or social media accounts. However, it has become apparent time and again that it is not so easy to really reach doctoral students on site. We are a very diverse group of people and therefore cannot be reached… How do you reach your doctoral researchers? weiterlesen

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February offers an annual opportunity to spotlight the structural conditions that continue to shape scientific careers. This year an one-day event is under the theme “From vision to impact: Redefining STEM by closing the… 2026 International Day of Women and Girls in Science weiterlesen

This year, we held our annual general meeting in Würzburg. The city on the River Main welcomed us with sunshine but bitterly cold temperatures.On Friday evening, we enjoyed team-building activities at a pub, complete with cocktails and dice games. In keeping with the local tradition… Würzburg: our Annual General Meeting 2025 weiterlesen

You are never strong enough that you don’t need help. Cesar Chavez Our hybrid Annual General Meeting (AGM) was a lot of fun Our Annual General Meeting in Würzburg this year was a two-day event filled with great experiences and networking opportunities. On Friday, after… Our Newsletter November 2025 weiterlesen

Of the doctoral students who are a major part of the excellent research landscape at German universities, approximately 34% are international doctoral students, with 22% coming from non-EU countries. We have spoken with many international colleagues and believe that we need more support services to… Statement for better mobility for international students weiterlesen

As the German Association of Doctoral Researchers (Bundesverband Promovierende e.V.), we are deeply concerned by the Dutch government’s recent decision to implement significant reductions in higher education and research funding. The planned cuts, amounting to €1.2 billion, mark a substantial shift in the Netherlands’ longstanding… Our Statement on Funding Cuts to Higher Education and Research in the Netherlands weiterlesen

Annual General meeting in November This year, we will meet in Würzburg on November 21 and 22 for our Annual General Meeting (AGM). The official part will take place on Saturday, November 22. If you would like to participate at short notice, you are welcome… Our newsletter October 2025 weiterlesen

If you are in the middle of your doctorate or have already successfully completed it, then you know that a doctorate is much more than just research. It is an intensive journey full of highs and lows, surprising twists and turns and aha moments, both… PhD 101 – Share your experiences with others weiterlesen

The beauty of science is that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or your gender. The rules and laws of the universe are the same for everyone. Elizabeth Blackburn Survey at University Freiburg The central hub for doctoral researchers at the… Our newsletter for July 2025 weiterlesen

The Uni Freiburg released first results of survey about working and supervisory conditions of doctoral researchers. Some of our executive council members were fortunate enough to be invited the initial presentation of the survey results. The survey was conducted by the university’s Graduate Centre (GraCe),… Doctoral candidate survey from Graduate Center Freiburg weiterlesen

On 27 June, the German University Association of Advanced Graduate Training UniWiND released a new recommendation paper on their website. UniWiND is a national network of German universities dedicated to improving conditions for early career researchers. As of now, the paper is only available in… UniWinD paper on improving working conditions for Early Career researchers in Germany weiterlesen

Good Scientific Practice (GSP) Early-career scientists face immense pressure to publish, often valuing quantity over quality due to academic demands. Disputes arise from unclear authorship guidelines, with early-career researchers struggling to receive the credit they deserve while senior academics exert influence. Power imbalances further complicate… Newsletter May 2025 weiterlesen

We have come a long way with virtual meetings since the pandemic began. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms now dominate academic and professional discussions, making collaboration across borders easier than ever. But as online meetings become the new standard, an important question arises: Are… Are online meetings truly inclusive? weiterlesen

DW and Spiegel document the working conditions at research institutes Behind the glamour of prestigious research institutes often lies a grim reality characterized by uncertainty, pressure and challenges. A joint documentary by Deutsche Welle (DW) and Spiegel released in April showed that for many young… Newsletter April 2025 weiterlesen

The United States is currently experiencing unstable political times. Since the Trump administration took office, the tone has become much harsher and even scientific institutions are suffering repression. So we want to be open about our perspective on current events and share a statement with… Our Statement concerning academia in the USA weiterlesen

On October 8th and 9th, 2024, the TU Berlin hosted the Germany-wide symposium Our UNIverse: Empowered to Speak Up with a focus on the abuse of power at universities. As a Bundesverband Promovierende, we were represented on site by Maren Weissig, our equal opportunities officer,… Power abuse in academia: A reflection from the perspective of doctoral students weiterlesen

The online platform Science|Business did a series of short interviews about the current reports of Der Spiegel and DW (see our post about that). The platform is generally concerned with the connection of industry, research, and policies that drive innovation. They provide news, analysis, and… Our interview with Science|Business weiterlesen

We at the Federal Association know that as a doctoral student in Germany, you may dream of a career in science and of spreading knowledge around the world. But often, behind the glamour of prestigious research institutes lies a grim reality that is characterized by… DW Documentation: German doctoral candidates are being left alone weiterlesen

Doctorates all over Europe Our speakers have initiated contact with Eurodoc, the pan-European association that advocates for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) across Europe. Representing 26 members in 24 countries, Eurodoc unites national organizations that champion the interests of doctoral researchers and postdoctoral fellows. Through these… Newsletter February 2025 weiterlesen

In the week of the 10th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are want to celebrate and showcase innovation by highlighting some promising female scientists under 40. These emerging researchers from Germany and around the globe are making remarkable strides across various… Female researchers under 40 weiterlesen

11.02.2025 – We celebrate today the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGS). This day was established by UNESCO to close the gender gap in academia, inspire girls to partake in science, supporting women’s advancement through targeted programs, and… International Day of Woman and Girls in Science – 2025 weiterlesen

International day of woman and girls in science On February 11, 2025, the 10th International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated. The annual event was created by the UN General Assembly to promote the full and equal participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and… Newsletter January 2025 weiterlesen

– Annual General meeting – The annual general meeting of the federal association took place on November 30th in Göttingen, both in person and online. Despite initial connection problems, it was a productive meeting. Working groups and the Executive Council discussed future strategies. New doctoral… Newsletter December 2024 weiterlesen

7.Dez.2024 – This year, we as the federal association invited all doctoral student representatives who are members of our association to our annual general meeting in Göttingen on November 30th. This hybrid meeting got off to a very constructive start, albeit with a few connection… Annual General Meeting 2024 in Göttingen weiterlesen

29.Nov.24 – The German Association of Doctoral Candidates works tirelessly to improve the rights and conditions early carrer scientist in Germany. Our work includes representation at the federal level, organizing network meetings and providing resources and advice for doctoral candidates. Becoming a supporting member of… Supportive membership: Empower the Federal Association of doctoral candidates! weiterlesen

27.Nov.24 – We are delighted to have gained a new member for the German Association of Doctoral Candidates: The Doctoral Council of the University of Lübeck contacted us some time ago and has now is now our next active member, until the final decision is… Strong together: PhDs of Lübeck joining us! weiterlesen

– Diversity dialogue: Kick-off meeting – The BMBF invited several groups to discuss plurality in science and actively supports the development of inclusive career paths. Maren Weissig, Equal Opportunities Officer, took part on our behalf. The opening dialog and the subsequent workshops aimed to be… Newsletter November 2024 weiterlesen

15.Nov.24 – On November 12, 2024, the kick-off event of the dialog forum “Diversity creates knowledge: Every voice counts” took place at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Berlin. Maren Weissig, Equal Opportunities Officer, took part on our behalf. The opening dialog… Dialog forum „Diversity“ in the BMBF – kick-off event weiterlesen

14.Nov.24 – The „Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz“ (WissZeitVG) regulates how doctoral candidates, post-docs and other academic staff may be employed. An amendment to the law has been in the works for two years. We, the Federal Association of Doctoral Candidates, have repeatedly voiced our criticism of the problematic… WissZeitVG – Experts criticize draft law weiterlesen

– Nobel Prizes – The nobel prices are out with a high focus on computational analysis of protein and RNA structures. The Nobel Prize in Physic went to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for discoveries which used tools from physics to work on machine learning… Newsletter October 2024 weiterlesen

18.Sep.24 – Last year, we founded this federal association and dedicated ourselves to promoting science in Germany by supporting its most valuable resource: researchers. Our focus is particularly on doctoral students at public research institutions. Our initial projects include fundraising, building a network, and participating… Our Strategies – a new working group! weiterlesen

16.04.2024 – This May the „Freie Universität Berlin“ is going to elect a doctoral council for a first time. This is a great development. In this context our very own Benita Schmitz (second spokesperson) was invited by campus.leben to discuss together with Markus Edler, the… Interview campus.leben about the new doctoral council at FU Berlin weiterlesen

12.02.2024 – February 11th was designated as the „International Day of Women and Girls in Science“ by UNESCO on December 22th 2015. Worldwide, still only one in three people in science is a woman (see UNESCO Science Report, 2021). This means that women are still… International Day of Women and Girls in Science weiterlesen

Doctoral councils all over Germany met in Berlin at September 26th, 2023, to found the German Association of Doctoral Researchers („Bundesverband Promovierende e.V.“). The executive board around the two speakers Timo Eckstein (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg) and Benita Schmitz (Halle/Wittenberg) expressed the aim to fight for better… PhDs of Germany stand united! weiterlesen

New Website for the German Association of Doctoral Researchers

On June 28th, 2023, the German Association of Doctoral Researchers reached out to the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) and took up position concerning the changes in the WissZeitVG. The coalition of 31 doctoral representations demands a minimal contract length of six years,… Position to the planned changes in the WissZeitVG weiterlesen