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PK Research Colleges
With the PK Research Colleges, the Graduate School NRW (PK NRW) is strategically expanding its funding structures. By 2035, a total of eight research colleges are to be established in order to sustainably strengthen excellent doctoral research and scholarship at Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS). The PK Research Colleges bring together professors and doctoral candidates in thematically focused research units. Their aim is to enable outstanding interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and to provide targeted support for researchers in the early stages of their careers.
What are the PK Research Colleges?
PK Research Colleges are fixed-term research groups in which particularly professors from PK NRW work intensively with doctoral candidates on specific topics over a four-year period in order to develop excellent solutions to societal challenges.
The research colleges are open to all departments and disciplines within PK NRW. Professors with limited experience in supervising doctoral candidates (affiliated with PK NRW in associated status) are also intended to participate, supported by experienced co-supervisors.
The funding program therefore strengthens colleagues with research strong profiles, develops the research and supervisory expertise of newly appointed professors, and creates excellent qualification opportunities as well as reliable and structured framework conditions for researchers in the early stages of their careers.
Structure and Key Features
A PK Research College is structured as follows:
- Teams: up to four professors and up to four doctoral candidates
- Duration: four years
- Research focus: an excellent research project aimed at addressing societal challenges (an inter- and/or transdisciplinary orientation is encouraged)
Key features of the PK Research Colleges include:
- Teaching relief for participating professors through substitute professorships (9 semester hours per week)
- Full funding of doctoral positions, with the scope aligned with the criteria of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
- A research-intensive environment that enables focused and continuous work on the research questions
Call for Proposals and Timeline (Preliminary)
The call for proposals for the first PK Research Colleges is expected in the first quarter of 2026, with the launch of the first colleges planned for September 2026.
The dates mentioned are subject to funding allocation by the ministry. Further information about the call will be provided in due course.
Selection Procedure
Step 1
Departmental selection process: From the submitted proposals, departments select one or two proposals (depending on the size of the department).
Step 2
Proposal submission: The lead institution of the consortium submits the proposal—together with approvals from the leadership of the other participating universities and the relevant departmental resolution—to the PK NRW administrative office.
Step 3
The administrative office formally reviews the submitted proposals.
Step 4
External expert reviews are obtained for all proposals.
Step 5
In parallel, an externally composed review panel (jury) is established. The panel consists exclusively of scholars from outside North Rhine-Westphalia and receives the external expert reviews.
Step 6
Research team pitches before the jury: The teams will present their ideas to the external review panel, explain how they intend to achieve their goals in this specific team composition, and answer questions from the jury.
Step 7
Recommendation: The review panel recommends proposals for funding.
Step 8
The executive board makes the final decision based on the jury’s recommendation.
Selection Criteria
Double weighting
- Scientific originality and significance for knowledge generation and innovation (scientific relevance)
- Excellence and quality of the project (state of research, prior work, methodology)
- Plausibility of achieving the objectives within the funding period and the feasibility of the work program (work packages, timeline)
- Impact in addressing societal challenges
Single weighting
- Team composition (scientific reputation, interdisciplinarity or well-justified disciplinary composition; integration of newly appointed colleagues)
- Expected scientific output (such as publications, conference presentations, patents, etc.)
- Concept for doctoral supervision and qualification (how supervision will be implemented and how doctoral researchers will be integrated into the scientific community—not merely compliance with the PK NRW doctoral regulations)
- Networking and cooperation with academic and non-academic organizations
Additional “soft” criteria
- Contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or relevance for the state’s sustainability strategy
- Contribution to internationalization
Expansion and Long-Term Perspective
By 2035, a total of eight PK Research Colleges are planned. With this initiative, PK NRW sends a clear signal to strengthen applied research and structured doctoral training in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Prof. Dr. Eike Quilling
Vorstand
