Career and family in science: New opportunities for researchers!

Career and family in science: New opportunities for researchers!

Young researchers have the opportunity to apply for the newly introduced family scholarship until October 15, 2025. This scholarship is specifically designed for those who want to balance family responsibilities with their academic career. The funding is intended to help overcome the key hurdles that make it difficult to gain further qualifications in science.

The aim of the scholarship is to create additional freedom so that parental leave and other family responsibilities in particular are not perceived as an obstacle to an academic career. Loud dshs-koeln.de This could be supported by financing day care workers or household helpers. Applications can be submitted for the period from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. The application modalities are precise and the documents must be sent by email in the form of a PDF document to the Equal Opportunities Officer Dr. Bianca Biallas will be sent.

Challenges in science

Balancing academic careers and family responsibilities is seen as a key hurdle for many young scientists. They are often faced with the challenge of not having to sacrifice family, private life and children for the sake of their academic career. The Humboldtian ideal of “solitude and freedom” has long contributed to the exclusion of women from scientific positions. But in recent years this idea has changed significantly, thanks to commitments to equality policy and an increased opening of the science system.

Universities and research institutions are increasingly required to create more family-friendly structures. Studies show that flexible working time models and personal care options are being offered more and more. This means that up to 50% of the working time during parental leave can be used as a part-time model, and the maximum length of the academic employment period is not influenced by maternity leave and parental leave, which enables flexible planning.

Loud academics.de Expectant parents can also apply for an extension of their fixed-term employment contract. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) have launched various instruments and projects to make the balancing act between research and family easier.

Focus on family friendliness

The initiative to create framework conditions suitable for families is supported by projects such as “Effective!”, “Connect” and “BAWIE”. These BMBF-funded projects aim to provide information on equality measures. The INKA database, for example, helps researchers with children to find suitable support offers from their universities.

In this context, equal opportunities officers at universities and research institutions are becoming increasingly important by providing comprehensive advice on the compatibility of research and family. Changing the scientific landscape towards a more family-friendly climate is crucial for the future of science.

Overall, it shows that promoting the compatibility of science and family is not only a social necessity, but also leads to a more attractive place to study and work for staff and students. Active engagement in this area is essential to promote the balance between career and family obligations and to make the scientific landscape more diverse and inclusive.

For further information about the family scholarship and the applicable guidelines, those interested can visit the pages of the family service office and the scholarship regulations or contact the equal opportunities officer directly at egalstellungshelfer@dshs-koeln.de.