What the tenure-track professorship offers you
- Independence in research and teaching: A tenure-track professorship allows you to research and teach independently at an early stage of your academic career. You will receive appropriate funding for this.
- A reliable career perspective: The tenure-track professorship is initially limited to six years, but includes the binding prospect of a permanent professorship in the event of a positive evaluation. The value of the subsequent position is already determined when the position is advertised.
- Clear requirements and transparent performance evaluation: Clear performance requirements are defined at the time of appointment, which must be fulfilled in order to be appointed to a tenured professorship. As part of the tenure evaluation, these criteria alone are used to determine whether the requirements for the permanent professorship have been met, with external involvement.
- Attractive development opportunities: Tenure-track professors are supported in their academic development throughout the tenure-track phase through mentoring and receive targeted support in their career planning through counselling and further training opportunities.
- Family-friendly working conditions: Tenure-track professorships are extended in the event of the birth or adoption of one or more children. Childcare periods are taken into account in the tenure evaluation.
Tenure-track procedure
Humboldt-Universit?t actively promotes young academics through tenure-track professorships. It has offered the tenure option since 2005 and has introduced the tenure track in all faculties since 2018. The federal-state programme supports this project with 24.5 million euros for 26 professorships. This strengthens academic independence and increases international appeal. One goal is to fill 50 per cent of the lifetime professorships with women. Find out more about the individual phases of the tenure-track procedure.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
"Tenure-track involves the prospect of obtaining a permanent position (tenure) after successfully proving oneself in a temporary position.
The tenure-track professorship model, borrowed from the US education system, regulates the process of appointment to a fixed-term position and transfer to a lifetime professorship after a successful tenure evaluation.
At Humboldt-Universit?t, junior professorships and fixed-term W2 professorships initially limited to six years are advertised with a "genuine" tenure track. This means that tenure-track professors are given the binding prospect of being offered a permanent professorship immediately after a successful probationary phase. The decision on whether to grant tenure is made as part of the tenure evaluation solely on the basis of the performance requirements agreed at the time of appointment.
In accordance with §100, §102a and §102c of the Berlin Higher Education Act, in addition to the general employment requirements, a completed university degree, pedagogical aptitude and aptitude for academic work, usually through the outstanding quality of a doctorate, must be demonstrated.
In the case of junior professorships, as a rule, no more than six years may lie between the last doctoral examination and the application.
Applicants for a tenure-track professorship should have changed universities after completing their doctorate or have worked in academia outside Humboldt-Universit?t for at least two years.
Additional academic achievements may not yet exist at the time of appointment (§ 102a BerlHG).
Applications should be sent to the dean of the faculty in which the professorship is to be filled, stating the reference number. The documents to be submitted (usually CV in tabular form, certificates, list of publications, exposé on the professorship if applicable, teaching concept if applicable) and contact details are listed in the job advertisement.
Appointees conclude an appointment agreement with the university in which the specific performance requirements to be met during the fixed-term tenure track phase are listed. The basis is the framework catalogue of performance requirements for the tenure evaluation, on the basis of which the appointment committee selects and further specifies the professorship-specific criteria during the appointment procedure. If the specified criteria and other requirements for appointment are met, as determined during the tenure evaluation, the professor is appointed to a permanent professorship.