Offers for female scientists on the qualification path

Early-career researchers with young children or family members requiring care face unique challenges in their day-to-day academic work. This is particularly evident when participating in conferences and symposia—events that are of central importance for visibility, networking, and the presentation of one’s own research findings. To be able to engage in these important activities, an above-average level of personal commitment is often required. This applies, for example, when childcare is difficult to organize or when children are still being breastfed and therefore require special consideration.

With this award, we aim to honor early-career researchers who, despite such challenging circumstances, demonstrate an outstanding commitment to making their scientific contributions visible and actively participating in academic exchange. At the same time, the award is intended to recognize the exceptional achievements of these researchers and to raise public awareness of the issue of balancing family life with an academic career.

Prize money: The prize money ranges from 200 to a maximum of 500 euros and is provided from FAS-G funds (for female researchers) or from faculty funds (for male researchers).

Application Process: The award is granted flexibly depending on available funds and, in principle, may be awarded multiple times per year. Self-nominations may be submitted at any time. The application materials (a statement of motivation of no more than one page and a CV) must be submitted as a PDF via email to the Equal Opportunities Officer (merle.behr@ur.de).

Eligibility requirements: Applications are open to early-career researchers at FIDS who are pursuing a professorship. Professors are excluded from this funding. Applicants must also have custody of children under the age of 15 or be responsible for other family members in need of care whom they support alongside their academic work.

Jury: The decision regarding the award is made by the FIDS Equal Opportunities Officer for Women in Science and the Arts together with the Dean of the FIDS.

Contact: For questions and further information, please contact the Equal Opportunities Officer of the Faculty of Computer Science and Data Science, Prof. Merle Behr (merle.behr@ur.de).

The Faculty of Informatics and Data Science (FIDS) is announcing the Award for Exceptional Engagement by Early Career Female Researchers. This award recognizes outstanding commitment in academic self-administration or teaching that benefits the entire faculty.

Award Details: The award is typically given once annually. This year, the application
deadline is July 1, 2026. Each year, either one individual or two individuals jointly
may be honored.

Prize Money: Individual Award (300 euros); Joint Award (250 euros per person) - The prize money is provided from the FAS-G funds.

Application Procedure: Applications can be submitted either as a self-nomination or
by recommendation. The documents (a one-page justification outlining the exceptional engagement and the candidate’s CV) should be sent as a PDF via email to Dekanat.Informatik@ur.de.

Requirements: Applicants must be early career female researchers at FIDS who are
aiming for a professorship. Professors are excluded from eligibility.

Jury: The decision on the award is made by a five-member jury consisting of the Dean, Associate Dean, Dean of Studies, Dean of Research, and the Representative for the Equality of Women in Academia and the Arts at FIDS. The jury is chaired by the Dean of FIDS.

Application Deadline: July 1, 2026

Contact: For inquiries and further information, please contact the Representative for
the Equality of Women in Academia and the Arts of the Faculty of Informatics and Data Science, Prof. Merle Behr (merle.behr@ur.de).

In order to promote equal opportunities at the University of Regensburg, the university management provides the university's women's representative with annual funding for the faculties as part of the “Financial Incentive System for Promoting Equality.”

The aim is to support young female researchers at the university and to reward the faculties for their progress in fulfilling their equality mandate. This decentralized allocation of funds makes it possible to take greater account of the (subject-specific) needs of the individual faculties.

Restrictions of the FIDS:

• Support for young female researchers at the UR Support for the implementation of the FIDS's equality concept

Funding opportunities include, for example:

• Start-up, bridging, and completion funding for doctoral theses, travel allowances for participation in and organization of conference trips, workshops, and conferences
• Information events outside the university
• Purchase of literature and software
• Printing cost subsidies for doctoral or postdoctoral theses or other publications
• Support for guest lectures by female scientists from outside the UR or invitations to cooperation partners by female scientists from the UR
• Further training
• Measures of the FIDS equality concepts
• Additional material resources, provided they are related to scientific work

Funding of up to €750 is possible. First-time applications are given preference.

Interested parties should send the application form (opens in a new window) to the official email address of the faculty women's representative (frauenbeauftragte.fids@uni-regensburg.de).

Please use our billing form (opens in a new window) for billing purposes.

We would like to support you in realizing a stay abroad during or after your doctoral studies. Our compilation includes the most important study foundations and funding opportunities for a stay abroad, which we have compiled for you in a document (external link, opens in a new window). In addition to traditional scholarships, we have also included useful links for advice and networking. Furthermore, we have linked databases to facilitate independent research.

The University of Regensburg also provides information here (external link, opens in a new window) about possible stays abroad for research assistants.

Since February 2023, the University of Regensburg has been part of the supraregional network Mutterschaft und Wissenschaft (Motherhood and Science). The local group is currently being established and always welcomes new networkers and interested parties who would like to exchange ideas and network with each other. The group is aimed at mothers in science at all career levels and allies who are committed to promoting the compatibility of family and career in the scientific community.

If you would like to be added to the local network mailing list to receive non-binding information about upcoming local events, register for an event, or have any questions, suggestions, or requests, please feel free to contact us at any time using the contact details below.

If you are interested, please contact Anna Theresa Wolferstetter (Anna-Theresa.Wolferstetter​(at)​ur.de (opens your email program)).

Facts | In order to expand the academic profile of young female scientists at UR, additional funds are being made available for travel expenses, materials, and assistants.

Eligible applicants | Postdocs, postdoctoral lecturers, UR lecturers with fixed-term contracts or scholarships, and current mentees in the Mentoring.UR program are eligible to apply. Postdocs with third-party funding contracts must prove that they are pursuing an academic qualification at UR. Doctoral students are eligible for funding but do not have priority in the selection process.

Funding | Grants for assistants, travel expenses, and materials to support young female scientists who have no other funding options for expanding their scientific profile.

Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis.

Contact for inquiries: Equal Opportunities Coordination Office | chancengleichheit​(at)​ur.de (opens your email program) | Phone 0941 943-3581

To bridge the legally prescribed employment bans for expectant and nursing mothers within the meaning of the Maternity Protection Act, the University of Regensburg provides financial support in the form of a so-called maternity protection bridging allowance as part of the funding provided by the Federal and State Professors Program II.

The maternity protection bridging allowance serves

• to provide financial security for scholarship holders if the scholarship provider does not provide funding for maternity leave;
• to compensate for the loss of teaching due to pregnancy/maternity leave by providing financial resources;
• to finance research assistants to support the experimental laboratory work of pregnant women who are affected by employment bans.

The faculty women's representative will cast her vote on this matter.

The guidelines with information on applying for the maternity leave bridging allowance are available internally at the university here. (external link, opens in a new window)

Contact for inquiries: Equal Opportunities Coordination Office | chancengleichheit​(at)​ur.de (opens your email program) | Phone 0941 943-3581

CyberMentor is Germany's largest online mentoring program for girls in STEM. Up to 800 female students in grades 5 through 13 are accompanied by a personal mentor on a voluntary basis for one year. As a role model, the mentor encourages STEM activities and provides advice on choosing a course of study and career.

Mentoring takes place via a secure online platform with email, chat, and forum, and is supported by a wide range of information on STEM, studying, and career choices. The mentoring year starts in October, but registrations are always possible online via the CyberMentor website.

As students of the Faculty of Computer Science and Data Science, you are very welcome to become mentors. Help inspire girls to get involved in this exciting field and promote the next generation of STEM girls.

Project management at the UR: Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stöger, Chair of Education (School Education) at the UR

All information about CyberMentor can be found here (external link, opens in a new window).

With around 20,000 individual and 250 corporate members, the German Informatics Society (GI) is the largest and most important professional association for computer science in the German-speaking world. Since 1969, it has represented the interests of computer scientists in science, business, public administration, society, and politics. With specialist areas, regional groups, and countless specialist groups, the GI is a platform and mouthpiece for all disciplines in computer science.

Further information on GI can be found here (external link, opens in a new window).

The IT Section is committed to equal participation of women in information technology, genuine equal opportunities in professional life in terms of salary, career, and working conditions, and raising awareness of the high level of competence of female IT professionals in the professional world and among the general public. As role models, they aim to spark the interest of girls and young women in computer science. They offer opportunities for networking and provide information relevant to women.

More information can be found here. (external link, opens in a new window)

The ELFI research database contains over 11,000 research funding programs from around 4,900 national and international funding agencies. This database is updated weekly and allows users to filter results by research topic, type of funding, or region. Scholarships for students are also included in this database.
The University of Regensburg has subscribed to this database and makes it available to its researchers free of charge via the university network:www.elfi.info (external link, opens in a new window) .