For the first round of the Leibniz Programme for Women Professors 2026 please note the following deadlines:

Expression of interest in applying: 30 September 2024

Submissions deadline for submitting the completed applications: 30 October 2024

Senate session: 15 July 2025

Funding of the approved projects begins: not before 1 August 2025       

For the second round of the Leibniz Programme for Women Professors as well as the other funding programmes in the Leibniz Competition 2026 please note the following deadlines:

Expression of interest in applying: 30 March 2025

Submissions deadline for submitting the completed applications: 30 April 2025

Interviews for preselection (Leibniz Junior Research Groups only): July 2025

Senate session: November 2025

Funding of the approved projects begins: not before 1 January 2026

For the first round of the Leibniz Program for Women Professors 2026 the e-system will be made available on 30 August 2024. For the second round of the Leibniz Program for Women Professors as well as the other funding programs in the Leibniz Competition 2026 the e-system will be made available on 28 February 2025. The Leibniz institutes will be informed in advance about the application procedure.

All institutes within the Leibniz Association are eligible to apply.

Applications are submitted via an electronic application system (e-system). The access data is given to the scientific institute directors, who can set up an expression of interest via their user account and then also invite other persons (usually the project leader and the main administrative contact) to create their own user accounts and further edit or submit the expression of interest. Full applications are also submitted via the e-system on the basis of submitted expressions of interest.

The expression of interest is submitted via the electronic application system. It comprises information regarding the applying institute, the project leaders and the project. This includes the estimated total of funding to be requested and (if applicable) its distribution among the cooperating institutions. If a cooperating Leibniz Institute contributes parts of its application budget in the form of a budget partnership, this must also be stated. For applications in the Leibniz Collaborative Excellence Programme it must also be indicated whether a "high risk - high gain" project is being submitted or a project whose innovative character is primarily derived from the type of cooperation and networking itself.
A short project summary (max. 2000 characters), the complete list of cooperation partners as well as suggestions for potential reviewers (max. 4) and reviewers to be excluded (max. 5) must also be submitted. Please include all subproject leaders in the list of cooperation partners. Please note that this summary is shared with potential reviewers during the recruitment process and cannot be altered later during the submission of the full proposal. For the preparation of the full application, templates for the proposal and the CVs are made available on our website. Those will be uploaded in the process of submitting the full application via the electronic system.

Each institute may submit one application (up to 1 million EUR) or two applications (together no more than 1 million EUR and each no less than 250,000 EUR) as lead institute. Furthermore, there is the possibility of budget partnerships (see below).

In addition, each institute may submit an application within the Leibniz Programme for Women Professors twice a year.

No, non-lead institutions may act as cooperation partners in several applications and also receive funding in the case of approval without this affecting their own application budget. (Exception: budget partnership).

A non-lead Leibniz Institute can contribute a share of its application budget in the sense of co-financing in order to underline the importance of the cooperation. The lower limit for this is 200,000 EUR. The maximum amount of 1 million EUR per application cannot be exceeded, even if budget partners are involved. A budget partnership relieves the application budget of the lead institute and enables it to submit further applications.

Yes. The Division Leibniz Competition Procedure must be informed immediately if an application for funding of the same project is submitted to or approved by another body, in order to prevent duplicate funding. Any parallel application for funding must be indicated when submitting the application.

Collaborative projects can be funded within the scope of the Leibniz Competition. In case of succes the Leibniz Association transfers the approved budget to the lead institute, which in turn transfers funds to the cooperation partners according to the financial plan within the application. This is to be distinguished from material costs that are paid for by the lead institute on an invoice basis, for example in case of freelance or service contracts; such payments are not considered to be transfers of funds. Funds may only be transferred to partners outside of Germany in exceptional cases. A justification must be provided in the application and approved by the SAW.

Yes. Funding can continue to be distributed by the lead Leibniz institute to national academic partners, such as universities based in Germany. Distribution of funding is also possible to non-academic, non-commercial partners in Germany. Non-commercial partners include, for example, non-profit registered associations or public utilities.

Yes. International collaboration partners must generally pay their own costs.

In exceptional cases, If the application for funding for a foreign partner institution is essential to the project's feasibility, an appropriate explanation must be provided. The SAW will decide on whether to approve funding in each individual case.

Yes. However, the Leibniz institute submitting the application cannot request any funding for commercial partners as part of the Leibniz Competition. The guidelinefor the use of funds prescribe that the collaboration agreement must adopt the DFG template.

The DFG personnel rates are suitable as a guideline for calculation of personnel costs. Please note that the Leibniz Association cannot subsequently grant any additional funding in the event of tariff increases, as the total funds approved are binding in their amount. Subsequent adjustments due to wage increases are possible provided they are financed by reallocating funds within the financial plan.

Yes. In addition to direct costs, a programme allowance of up to 20 percent can also be applied for indirect costs. The maximum application amount is the sum of direct and indirect costs/ program allowance.

Yes, in all funding programs it is possible to indicate individual biographical circumstances of (sub-)project leaders. These include, for example, periods of childcare, care of dependents as well as (health) impairments and periods outside of academia. The SAW will take these circumstances into account exclusively to the benefit of applicants when assessing their previous academic performance.

Yes, it is possible to submit applications for targeted measures to combine family life with an academic career in the framework of the Leibniz Competition. The measures financed in this way should contribute to reinforcing family-friendly working conditions in research. For child- or eldercare measures the following applies: Primary care must already be in place. Financial support for child- or eldercare is available for times when the project leaders are not available for child- or eldercare for project-related reasons.
No money may be paid to the project leaders directly. The so-called Besserstellungsverbot must be observed.
The costs for child- or eldercare may not exceed four percent of the total amount stated in the respective application.

Yes, it is possible to use generative AI models for creation of text or images. Applicants must declare if they used such models – and in what scope – when submitting an application in the electronic application system.

The appointment procedure should be as advanced as possible, but as yet incomplete at the time of submitting the application. An appointment procedure is completed when the candidate assumes office.

The process should have reached a point at which both the university and the Leibniz institute have a discernible interest in successfully completing the appointment.

The Leibniz Association points out that proactive components within the appointment procedure are expressly desired (see also Leibniz Recruitment Standards).

Full proposals in the Leibniz Programme for Women Professors, as in all other programmes, can be submitted at the earliest after the release of the expression of interest. This usually takes place a few days after the submission deadline for the expression of interest.

No. In principle, applications from external candidates with a Leibniz Institute of their choice are also possible. External candidates are recommended to seek long-term matchmaking actions prior to the application in the form of a personal introduction or joint projects with the institute.

Funding starts when the candidate assumes office.

In case of a fixed-term appointment, the Leibniz Institute and the respective university commit to continue funding the position after the Leibniz funding has expired as part of a joint appointment, i.e. to transfer it to at least a permanent W2 professorship, if the interim evaluation by the Leibniz Institute and university has a positive result after 3 years. A corresponding declaration of commitment from the Leibniz Institute and the university will be submitted to the Leibniz Headquarters, at the latest when the project starts.

No.The Leibniz Programme for Women Professors does not have an age limit and no restriction with regard to when the doctorate was obtained.

Periods of child-rearing are taken into account at a flat rate of two years per child under the age of 12. It is irrelevant here whether the candidate has taken parental leave.

Yes, in all funding programs it is possible to indicate individual biographical circumstances of (sub-)project leaders. These include, for example, periods of childcare, care of dependents as well as (health) impairments and periods outside of academia. The SAW will take these circumstances into account exclusively to the benefit of applicants when assessing their previous academic performance.

The Leibniz Association offers successful candidates in the Leibniz Programme for Women Professors participation in its Leadership Academy. Incurring participation fees will be reimbursed, when the candidate was appointed professor and assumed office.

The co-financing amount must be at least 40% of the total costs. Co-financing amount of at least 0.7 million € must be provided in order to apply for the full central funds of 1 million €, so that total project costs of 1.7 million € can be covered. Indirect costs must be considered for the calculation.

Yes. The prerequisite for this is that the Leibniz institute contributes a total share of 40% of the funding for the project. Please note that at least 60% of the funds provided by the Leibniz Competition must be used in the first three years of the project term.

The date on the doctoral certificate is decisive.

Yes. The application is submitted to the Senate Competition Committee (SAW), which decides on whether or not to recommend the application's approval. In the case of two equally excellent applications, the SAW may give preference to a candidate who obtained their doctorate more recently. Child-rearing times are calculated at a fixed term of two years per child under the age of 12. Other individual biographical circumstances can also be taken into account (see the following question).

It is recommended that at least one year of postdoctoral experience is available at the time of application.

Yes, in all funding programs it is possible to indicate individual biographical circumstances of (sub-)project leaders. These include, for example, periods of childcare, care of dependents as well as (health) impairments and periods outside of academia. The SAW will take these circumstances into account exclusively to the benefit of applicants when assessing their previous academic performance.

No. Child-rearing times are calculated at a fixed term of two years per child under the age of 12. Whether or not the candidate took parental leave is immaterial.

The Leibniz Association offers successful candidates in the Leibniz-Junior Research Groups Programme participation in its Leadership Academy. Incurring participation fees will be reimbursed.

In the Leibniz Association’s view, leaders of research groups in the Leibniz Junior Research Group Programme satisfy the prerequisites for classification within salary group 15 TVöD/TV-L. While the decision on classification is a matter for the research institution in each particular case, the minimum classification for LJRG leaders is 14-5 TVöD/TV-L.

The co-financing amount must be at least 40% of the total costs. Co-financing amount of at least 0.7 million € must be provided in order to apply for the full central funds of 1 million €, so that total project costs of 1.7 million € can be covered. Indirect costs must be considered for the calculation.

Yes. The prerequisite for this is that the Leibniz institute contributes a total share of 40 % of the funding for the project. Please note that at least 60% of the funds provided by the Leibniz Competition must be used in the first three years of the project term.

Yes, suitable applicants for the Leibniz Junior Research Groups programme are invited to present their project in person as part of a preselection process. The interviews will take place in July 2025.

Yes. When submitting your application, you must specify whether you are applying for a "high-risk, high gain" project or a project in which the innovative character is derived from the type of cooperation and networking itself.

A project that enables innovations in the sense of a scientific breakthrough, sets in motion fundamental changes in perspective or provides important stimuli for the development of a research field can be considered a "high-risk - high gain" project.

In addition, there are projects in which the innovative character is derived from the type of cooperation and networking itself, whereby the intended research goals could not be achieved in any other way.

For "high-risk-high gain" projects, at least one university or non-university partner must be involved in addition to the applying Leibniz Institute.

In the case of projects that derive their innovative character essentially from the cooperation and networking itself, at least two institutes of the Leibniz Association must be involved, both of which must make a substantial financial contribution. This substantial contribution must be evident in the financial plan of the project, in which funds of at least EUR 200,000 are allocated to the cooperating Leibniz Institute. The cooperating Leibniz Institute may use its application budget for this purpose in the sense of a budget partnership (see also under Budget Partnerships).

A non-lead Leibniz Institute can contribute a share of its application budget in the sense of co-financing in order to underline the importance of the cooperation. The lower limit for this is 200,000 EUR. The maximum amount of 1 million EUR per application cannot be exceeded, even if budget partners are involved. A budget partnership relieves the application budget of the lead institute and enables it to submit further applications.