Call for Applications

Junior Research Groups for International Returning Scholars

Ulm University Medical Faculty | Germany

The Medical Faculty of Ulm University invites applications for two Junior Research Group Leader positions for outstanding early-career researchers currently working abroad that want to establish their own junior research group in Ulm. Ulm University Medicine offers a strong interdisciplinary research environment, excellent core facilities, and targeted support for early career researchers.

Your Profile:

This call targets highly qualified scientists seeking to establish an independent research profile:

• Early-career researcher currently based outside Germany
• PhD awarded within the last 4 years (up to 6 years for medically qualified applicants); periods of parental leave, childcare, and other justified career interruptions will be appropriately considered
• Completion of a postdoctoral phase abroad with clear evidence of scientific independence (e.g. publications, third-party funding)
• Clear motivation and credible perspective to apply for highly competitive funding programmes (e.g. ERC Starting Grants, DFG Emmy Noether Programme, or equivalent international schemes)

Research Areas:

While this is an open topic call, projects should align with the core research strengths of Ulm University Medicine:

• Neuroscience
• Aging Research
• Trauma Research
• Oncology

We Offer:

Successful applicants will receive a competitive start-up package of up to 1.5 M Eur for five years, including:

• Salary for the group leader
• Funding for postdoctoral and doctoral positions
• Project-related resources and full access to institutional research infrastructure

The appointees will be supported by access to an excellent research environment, including on-site state of the art research infrastructure and an outstanding interdisciplinary network of potential cooperation partners. The successful candidates are expected to further develop their scientific programs by participating in competitive funding schemes such as ERC Starting Grants or DFG Grants.

Join us in shaping the future of Ulm University.

For further information:
Dr. Christoph Meier, Ulm University, Center for Research Strategy and Support
christoph.meier@uni-ulm.de
Tel. +49 731 50-33599

We look forward to receiving your application including: CV, research statement of past achievements and future plans (no more than 4 pages, including budget plan) and a list of annotated top 5 publications by March 16th 2026 to christoph.meier@uni-ulm.de.

The University is seeking to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and particularly encourage qualified female scientists to apply for this position. Severely disabled applicants with equal aptitude will be given preferential consideration.