Support programmes
To address the under-representation of women in many areas of university life, the gender equality officer is working with other institutions within Saarland University (Central Student Advisory Service, Centre for Teacher Education, General Student Committee (AStA) and the faculties and departments) to support female early career researchers and develop pathways to career advancement qualifications.
Excellence programme for women in academia
The excellence programme for women in academia is designed to foster outstanding female early career researchers at Saarland University.
Career continuity scheme for women academics
Saarland University's career continuity scheme is designed to help women return to academic research work by offering them the opportunity to work a reduced number of hours per week immediately after the statutory period of maternity leave. Further information
Coaching programme for female academics
Professional advice and guidance to facilitate the career advancement of women currently holding junior research or administrative positions and to encourage them to take up high-impact roles in the academic and business sectors.
Federal programme for women professors
In an effort to increase the proportion of women holding professorial positions at German universities, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the Women Professors Programme in 2007 in collaboration with the German federal states (Länder).
This programme offers professional coaching services to early career female researchers who want to advance their careers with the aim of taking on leading roles in their respective fields. The Gender Equality Office coaching programme provides women academics with professional, unbiased and confidential advice and assists them with key career advancement decisions. Coachees will receive guidance on career-relevant decisions and on current and future leadership and management duties and they will be given space for self-reflection through professional feedback on their performance in presentations and negotiations at the relevant stage of their career development.
Those selected for the coaching programme can choose from a pool of female and male coaches from the academic and business sectors who take a gender-aware approach to their work. The programme provides funding for up to three individual coaching sessions. The Gender Equality Office will help to match applicants with a suitable coach.
The Research Management Division helps academic staff at Saarland University secure and manage external research funding from national, European and international sources.
Scholarships and grants are offered by a wide range of foundations and other organizations. For a useful overview of what is available, please visit: www.stipendiumplus.de. Exceptionally qualified early career women researchers can also apply for funding from the German Research Foundation – DFG (Emmy Noether Programme, Heisenberg Programme) and from the Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Foundation.
Useful information for women students: Online scholarship from the e-fellows network www.e-fellows.net. The e-fellows network is an initiative whose aims include boosting the proportion of female scholarship holders. Services offered by the network include organizing events, running mentoring schemes and offering free newspaper subscriptions.
'Forum Mentoring'
National umbrella organization for mentoring schemes at institutions of higher education
http://forum-mentoring.de/