The University of Cologne (UoC) regards the recruitment, support and development of highly qualified researchers from young talents to distinguished professors as the key for its excellence in research and teaching. The UoC’s program “UoC on Track – Strategies for the Promotion of Excellent Young Researchers“ (UoC on Track) will be instrumental for the UoC’s long-term development as an internationally renowned research university by implementing and furthering dependable, innovative and transparent career-paths for excellent young researchers. It will, in particular, further the UoC tenure-track program beyond its status quo both qualitatively and quantitatively towards a university-wide qualification path for the recruitment of full professors. When fully established the UoC will sustain 60 tenure-track professorships, 27 of which are funded by the current program and will be established permanently by the UoC.
The UoC will foster its tenure-track professorships for young researchers (as well as its other independent young researchers on alternative career paths) with comprehensive measures regarding e.g. research support, teaching didactics, personnel and career development as well as a variety of programs aiming at family support as well as equal opportunities. Moreover, “UoC on Track” will be embedded into the UoC’s overarching personnel strategy for researchers aiming at
- the diversification of the personnel structure,
- the promotion of specific, clearly structured and transparent career paths and
- the further improvement of working and life conditions.
This comprehensive strategy addresses professors, permanent staff as well as young researchers and their career options. Finally, the UoC will further support “UoC on Track” and its overall personnel strategy by implementing 100 additional permanent positions, thereof about 70 professorships and 30 permanent staff positions, in order to enhance the career chances of young researchers in particular and to better balance the UoC personnel structure in general.