At Bielefeld University, many of the aims of the Tenure-Track Programme have already been implemented. W1/W2 tenure-track professorships have a status equal to the W2/W3 professorships, which offer immediate unlimited tenure. The recruitment of professors as well as other permanent academic staff is undertaken by Bielefeld University on the basis of strategic research and course planning as well as the use of transparent criteria. A systematic recruitment strategy is used as a basis to analyse whether there is an outstanding pool of applicants with a suitable skill set available for vacant professorships and which grade is appropriate to attract them.

The strategic staff development for researchers has a long tradition at Bielefeld University. The extensive training and counselling services for career development and skills acquisition were further extended in 2017. The measures will support researchers particularly in bridging career stages both within and outside the university system, for example, in industry and the public sectors. Bielefeld University will build on these strong foundations with the support of the Tenure-Track Programme funding to develop its personnel structure and career opportunities in a targeted and strategic way.

The granted tenure-track professorships are expected to support the structural development of Bielefeld University in a sustainable way, to significantly raise the University’s research and teaching profile and therefore help to meet the challenges ahead (excellence strategy, collaborative research projects currently in development). It will only be possible to continue to attract the best national and international researchers needed – especially women! – on the basis of competitive resources and the forward-looking staff development strategy which has been recently established.