Compact guide to starting a doctorate

According to a HIS survey on doctorates ( “Promotionen im Fokus” ) conducted in 2015, the average duration of doctoral procedures in Germany is 4.5 years; broken down into disciplines the average duration is as follows:

The actual duration of a doctorate varies from case to case and depends on the subject, the doctoral project, the employment relationship and the doctoral student’s own life situation.   The German Council of Science and Humanities defines three years as a suitable duration for completing a dissertation, providing the employment situation of doctoral students is such that they are able to devote themselves fully to their research activities. (see “Empfehlung zur Doktorandenausbildung" , 2002).

The acceptance of the doctoral candidate marks the beginning of the doctorate. After completing the written dissertation, the doctoral student submits an application in writing to open the examination procedure. The examination either takes the form of a rigorosum , i.e. an oral examination, or a disputation , i.e. an academic defence of the content of the dissertation. Once doctoral students have obtained their doctorate, they must publish their dissertation. After this, the doctoral procedure is completed with the presentation of a doctoral degree certificate. The former doctoral student is now entitled to use the title “Dr.”. The type of publication (cumulative or monograph), the number of deposit copies and the publication deadline is determined by the relevant doctoral regulations.

In general, doctoral students may finance their studies either by a work contract at the university or a scholarship, or may support themselves (job outside the university, savings, bank loan, etc.) The universities participating in the Research Campus provide an overview of funding opportunities. Job vacancies for doctoral students can be found on the academic job boards of each university.

• Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences:

Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences awards scholarships for initial funding of doctoral projects (the duration of funding is a maximum of six months) as well as short-term funding of the final phase of the doctorate (in the form of grants and research associate positions for a maximum period of six months). These are financed by resources from the Strategic Research Fund.

• Philipps-Universität Marburg:

Philipps-Universität awards three doctoral scholarships a year, alternating between the area of humanities and social sciences and that of life and natural sciences. MArburg University Research Academy (MARA) provides an overview of doctorate funding opportunities (including (research grants, travel assistance and doctoral scholarships, etc.)

• Justus Liebig University Giessen:

Here you can find an overview of funding opportunities for doctoral studies at JLU.

• Johannes Hübner Foundation:

• Funding of research and development projects:
  
  Personnel and material funds can be applied for for research and development projects at German universities in both basic and applied research. Funding can be provided, for example, for material resources such as travel expenses, participation fees for conferences or printing cost subsidies, as well as support for (partial) doctoral projects and personnel costs in the form of additional researchers, work contracts or auxiliary staff
  
  A total funding amount of 5,000 euros is available per year.

• Further Sources: ELFI
  ELFI is an information brokerage system which supports its users in keeping up-to-date information on funding opportunities

The three partner universities under the roof of the Research Campus help academics reconcile their research and careers with their family life. The Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences THM and the Justus Liebig University Giessen are certified “Family-oriented Universities”, Philipps-Universität Marburg has been awarded the quality seal “Family-friendly University”. All three universities provide family services offering a broad spectrum of counselling options and information:

• Family services Marburg

• Family-friendly JLU (only available in German)

• Family services THM (only available in German)

• JLU hosts a regular series of events on the subject of family and career, spotlighting early career researchers, “Familie und Karriere – Nachwuchswissenschaftler*innen im Fokus” , which cooperative doctoral students of the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences THM are welcome to attend.

The three universities of the Research Campus are committed to the rules of good scientific practice. Good scientific practice is not limited to the avoidance of scientific misconduct, the obligation to document research results or the identification of sources, but also strives to ensure that early career researchers obtain adequate support.

All three universities have established a permanent committee to review allegations of scientific misconduct, and provide an ombudsman service at each of the three universities for all researchers who are directly or indirectly affected by scientific misconduct and would like to take action against it. If possible, the ombudsperson will also attempt to mediate if there are prospects that good scientific practice can hereby be restored.

Philipps-Universität Marburg:

Ombudspersons and Principles for Good Scientific Practice

Justus Liebig University Giessen

Ombudsperson and Statutes of Good Scientific Practice

Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences:

Ombudsperson and Principles for Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice