A man and a woman discuss formulas written on a whiteboard.

Junior Research Groups

First-rate support for postdocs: with its Junior Research Groups, the Elite Network of Bavaria offers attractive career prospects at Bavarian universities to outstanding postdoctoral researchers from around the world. Junior Research Groups are funded for a period of up to six years and allow postdocs to forge their path to academic independence.

Independent, well connected and internationally active

“The Junior Research Groups provide an exceptional format,” says Dr Jonathan Bauer, who has headed up a Junior Research Group in natural sciences at the University of Regensburg since 2018. “They offer the best support for this stage in an academic career available in Germany.”

Leading a Junior Research Group allows graduates to forge their path toward academic independence. Heads of Junior Research Groups can use research funding at their discretion and take their own decisions in relation to both raising third-party funds and recruiting personnel within the project budget.

In academic terms, Junior Research Groups are exceptionally well networked both nationally and internationally thanks to their specialist connections to either an International Doctorate Program or an Elite Graduate Program. As a result, Junior Research Groups benefit from a particularly attractive environment in which to work and conduct research.

Applying to set up a Junior Research Group

The funding program for Junior Research Groups is targeted at academically outstanding early career researchers from around the globe. Postdocs are eligible to apply between two and five years after graduating.

First-rate support with attractive terms

The terms offered to Junior Research Groups are highly competitive on the international stage. The Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts provides Junior Research Groups with funding for a period of up to six years, with positions for the Head of the Group and up to two full-time doctorate positions. In addition, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts also offers an attractive range of funding for research materials and equipment.