Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
DFG Emmy Noether Programme
Up to 6 years of funding for early-career researchers to establish an independent junior research group in Germany.
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The DFG Emmy Noether Programme is Germany's flagship early-career funding scheme, designed to let researchers qualify for a professorship by leading an independent junior research group, an explicit alternative to the traditional habilitation route. The award runs for six years, structured as 3+3: an interim report is due six months before the end of year three, and its evaluation gates the second phase. Funding covers the group leader's own position (generally required, with the DFG considering leaders to meet the prerequisites for pay grade E15 TV-L), group personnel, consumables, equipment, and travel, and the DFG states there is no financial upper limit on proposals. Applications are rolling, proposals may be submitted at any time via the elan portal, in German or English, with an average processing time of around eight months. Eligibility normally requires applying within 4 years of the doctorate, in practice 2 to 4 years of postdoctoral experience, extended to up to 6 years of postdoctoral runway for clinically trained applicants (licensed physicians and psychologists), with substantial international research experience expected. Childcare extensions add 2 years per child for women and 1 year per child for men (up to 2 with documented childcare responsibility), capped at 6 extra years. Clinicians can additionally apply for a rotation position, retaining at least 49% of their clinical employment alongside the Emmy Noether group, with DFG funding replacement staff to cover their clinical duties. The programme is explicitly about independence: the applicant must demonstrate a research vision clearly distinct from their PhD or postdoc supervisor's work, the group should normally not be established at the university that awarded the doctorate without good reason, and the host institution must commit in writing to providing infrastructure for the junior group. Around 20% of proposals across all subject areas succeed, and the programme is widely treated as a stepping-stone to a German professorship.
Key facts
- Career stage
- Within 4 years post-PhD (6y for clinicians / licensed physicians)
- Duration
- 6 years, structured 3+3
- Deadline
- None, rolling submission via elan
- Host
- German research institution
- Key requirement
- Independence from PhD/postdoc supervisor
- Decision time
- ~8 months on average
- Success rate
- ~20% across all subject areas
Who is eligible?
- •2 to 4 years of postdoctoral research experience at submission (up to 6 years for clinicians / MDs); proposals may be submitted at any time, there is no call deadline
- •Childcare extensions: +2 years per child (women) or +1 year per child (men), max +6 years total
- •Rotation position available for clinicians to retain at least 49% clinical employment alongside the Emmy Noether group
- •Project carried out at a research institution in Germany
- •Host institution commitment to providing infrastructure
How to apply
1. Prepare the proposal and host commitment
Write the research programme (German or English) against DFG form 50.02, and negotiate the host institution's written commitment to infrastructure for the junior group. Applicants coming from abroad who are not integrated in the German research system attach a letter of intent to continue their career in Germany after the funding. Third-party endorsement letters must not be attached.
2. Submit via elan, any time
There is no call deadline: proposals are submitted rolling through the DFG's elan portal. Funding must start within six months of approval, so time the submission against your current contract, not a calendar.
3. Written external peer review
The proposal goes to written review by external subject experts, the standard DFG individual-grants procedure. Anonymised reviews are shared with the decision. Average processing time is around eight months.
4. Review board and Joint Committee decision
The elected review board (Fachkollegium) comparatively assesses the reviews; the DFG Joint Committee takes the funding decision. There is no interview stage in the regular programme.
5. Interim evaluation at year three
The award is structured 3+3: an interim report is due six months before the end of year three and its evaluation gates the second funding phase.
How proposals are evaluated
- •Scientific quality and originality of the proposed research programme, judged to the standard of a future professorship holder
- •The applicant's qualification for independent group leadership: track record, usually at least two years of postdoc experience, and substantial international research experience
- •Demonstrated independence from the PhD and postdoc supervisors' lines of work, including (normally) a move away from the doctorate-awarding university
- •Credibility of the six-year group plan: positions, mentoring, and the host institution's written infrastructure commitment
Success rate by panel
- All subject areas
- ~20% of proposals funded (DFG FAQ)
- Decision timeline
- ~8 months average from submission to decision; rolling submission means no call-cycle bunching
What sets winning proposals apart
- ✓Frame the programme as your own research line, not an extension of your postdoc project, reviewers read the distinctness of the vision as the core independence signal.
- ✓Make the international experience concrete: name the stays, collaborations, and what came out of them, "substantial international research experience" is an explicit expectation.
- ✓Negotiate a specific host commitment (space, core facility access, teaching integration around the ~2 hours/week model contract), a generic letter reads as weak embedding.
- ✓Exploit the rolling deadline: submit when the pilot data and host package are strong, not when an arbitrary date arrives, but remember funding must start within six months of approval.
- ✓Design year three explicitly: the 3+3 interim evaluation is a real gate, so put a credible, assessable milestone set at the phase boundary.
Common reasons proposals are rejected
- ×Research programme reads as a continuation of the PhD or postdoc supervisor's agenda rather than an independent line
- ×International research experience thin or asserted rather than evidenced
- ×Host institution commitment generic, no concrete infrastructure, space, or integration plan for the junior group
- ×Applicant already effectively holds an independent position (completed or imminent habilitation, junior professorship past positive interim evaluation), which fails the programme's eligibility logic
- ×Group plan without credible positions or mentoring structure, a budget table is not a group concept
Open calls right now
Curious who tends to win this grant?
See past DFG Emmy Noether Programme awardees →Frequently asked questions
+What is the difference between Emmy Noether and Heisenberg?
Emmy Noether (2-4 years post-PhD) is for researchers establishing their first independent research group. Heisenberg (typically 5-12 years post-PhD) is for researchers who already have independence and are transitioning to a professorship. They target different career stages.
+Can a non-German national apply?
Yes. Nationality is not a requirement. The project must be carried out at a German research institution, but the applicant can be of any nationality.
+Is a German-language summary required?
A German-language summary is typically required alongside the English proposal. Most of the evaluation happens in English, but the summary is used for the DFG's internal and public communications.
+How does the Emmy Noether compare to an ERC Starting Grant?
Both target early-career researchers and fund around the same duration. ERC is pan-European and funds researchers in any EU/associated country. Emmy Noether is Germany-specific with stronger integration into the German academic career path (often a path to professorship). Many researchers in Germany hold both over their careers.
+Are there special rules for clinicians or medical doctors?
Yes. Clinically trained applicants (MD / medical researchers) get an extended window of up to 6 years of postdoctoral experience instead of the standard 4. They can also apply for a rotation position, keeping at least 49% of their clinical employment alongside the Emmy Noether group; DFG funds replacement staff to cover their clinical duties during the research time.
+How are childcare and parental leave handled?
The eligibility window is extended by 2 years per child for women applicants and 1 year per child for men applicants (up to 2 with documented childcare responsibility), capped at a maximum 6-year extension overall. This is in addition to the standard 4-year window (or 6-year clinician window).
+Is there an application deadline?
No. The regular Emmy Noether Programme has rolling submission: proposals may be submitted at any time via the DFG's elan portal, in German or English. (Occasional special Emmy Noether calls, such as the AI-methods calls, do use fixed dates, those are separate.) Average processing time is around eight months, and funding must start within six months of approval.
+Does the grant pay my own salary?
Yes, funding the group leader's own position is the norm and generally required. The DFG considers Emmy Noether group leaders to meet the prerequisites for pay grade E15 TV-L, though the employing institution takes the final grading decision. The leader position can be reduced to as little as 50% for care responsibilities.
+What happens if I am offered a professorship during the grant?
Taking a professorship at a German institution keeps the project funds but ends the funding for your own leader position. Leaving Germany ends the funding entirely. In practice a mid-grant W2/W3 offer is a good outcome, the programme exists to get you there.
+Can I apply while based outside Germany?
Yes. Applicants from abroad who are not yet integrated into the German research system attach a letter of intent to continue their research career in Germany after the funding period. The group itself must be established at a German research institution.
Looking for proposal-writing advice?
Read the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) writing guide →Related programmes
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