Doctoral Positions

Type and Scope of Funding

As part of this funding measure, excellent researchers are supported on their path toward the doctorate through the allocation of TV-L E13 doctoral positions. In determining the position percentages, the Doctoral School NRW follows the DFG’s guidelines on the remuneration of doctoral candidates (04/23), meaning that, depending on the discipline, positions ranging from 65% to 100% of a TV-L E13 appointment may be funded.

Funding Requirements

All doctoral candidates who have already been admitted to a doctoral program of the Doctoral School NRW are eligible to apply.

Funding is also tied to the following additional requirements:

• The application must be submitted jointly with at least one supervisor from the respective supervisory team (affiliated with one of the participating universities of the Doctoral School NRW) via the university’s executive management.
• For the application, the written approval of the dean of the department/faculty at the university where the applicant is enrolled must be obtained; the funding application must be submitted via the executive management of the university at which the respective doctoral position is to be established.
• Applicants must be willing to present the results (or interim results) of their work as well as their experiences during the doctoral phase at colloquia, professional events, or comparable events of the Doctoral School NRW.
• A funding acknowledgment must be included both in the dissertation and in any resulting publications and presentations.

The targeted support of women is a stated objective. In cases of equal qualification, women are given preferential consideration (§ 7 paragraph 2 LGG NRW).

Application: Documents and Procedure

Complete application documents may be submitted via the university’s executive management by the deadline specified in the call for applications (david.ewald@pknrw.de).

Funding is requested in cooperation with the supervising professor of the Doctoral School NRW via the university’s executive management.

The following documents must be submitted:

• Completed application form of the Doctoral School NRW;
• Cover letter (maximum of two pages) outlining the doctoral project and, in particular, addressing the funding criteria (scientific relevance and excellence of the project, individual motivation and qualifications, feasibility of the project, and expected output);
• Curriculum vitae: tabular format, including information on education, professional experience, and engagement;
• Current exposé of the doctoral project (maximum 15 pages, including table of contents, timeline, and bibliography; additional discipline-specific appendices may be included);
• Letter of recommendation from the academic supervisors at the participating university of applied sciences where the position is to be established;
• Statement/confirmation letter from the dean of the department/faculty at the university of applied sciences.

The complete application documents are submitted via the executive management of the participating university of applied sciences or a person authorized by it.

If necessary, the administrative office may retrieve additional formal information via KISS (e.g., certificate of enrollment, degree certificate).

After a formal check by the administrative office, the applications are forwarded to the Financial Funding Committee for Doctoral Candidates. After a preliminary selection by the Committee, potential candidates for funding (doctoral candidates) will be invited to present their doctoral project to the Committee. The Committee reserves the right to obtain external reviews or consult additional experts for assessment.

The applications are evaluated in a science-driven competitive procedure based on defined criteria by the Financial Funding Committee. Based on this evaluation, the Committee decides on the approval or rejection of the submitted applications.

Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Selection Criteria

For the evaluation of applications, the Committee has established the following criteria:

• Scientific relevance and excellence of the project (particularly the guiding research interest and specificity of the research question, as well as the presentation of the research design);
• Individual motivation and qualifications (e.g., first-generation student, compatibility of family and academic career, caregiving responsibilities, etc.);
• Feasibility of the project (coherence of the concept and realistic timeline for implementing the project);
• Expected output (links to research themes at the Doctoral School NRW; increasing national and international visibility of research at universities of applied sciences and the Doctoral School NRW, e.g., through planned publications or conference contributions).

Completion of the Doctorate

No later than six months after completion of the dissertation defense, a brief final report by the doctoral candidate must be submitted (as part of the formal funding agreement) to the administrative office of the Doctoral School NRW (david.ewald@pknrw.de). In addition, a funding acknowledgment must be included both in the dissertation and in any resulting publications and presentations.

Extension

If the qualification goal (completion of the doctorate) cannot be achieved within the agreed funding period of three years, an extension of the funding period by one year is possible. The extension requires an evaluation of the progress made in the doctoral project to date and an accompanying assessment of the likelihood of successful completion within the extended funding period.

For the extension, the following documents must be submitted to the administrative office of the Doctoral School NRW (david.ewald@pknrw.de) in good time (no later than six months before the end of the initial funding period):

• Application submitted jointly by the doctoral candidate and the supervisor from the supervisory team;
• Submission via the executive management of the participating university submitting the application;
• Explanation of why the qualification goal has not yet been achieved or only partially achieved, and when it is expected to be completed;
• Interim report on the doctoral project as well as a work and time plan for the extension period;
• Letter of support from the supervisory team.