Equal Opportunity and Family Support (Archive)

Improving Equality

With its institutional strategy, Heidelberg University has visibly contributed to ensuring equal opportunity for men and women. Within the framework of the Excellence Initiative, one in three positions for postdoc researchers, junior research group leaders, assistant professors and research assistants was staffed with a woman. Furthermore, one in two start-up professorships and 42% of the professorships supported by the Excellence Initiative were awarded to female scientists.

This success is based on infrastructural measures and specific Excellence funding instruments, which the University was able to allocate to qualified female scientists. One of these instruments is the Dual Career Service that caters to the special situation and needs of dual career couples and helps the partners of newly appointed professors find suitable employment. Another measure is the Olympia Morata Programme that uses Excellence funds to support four female scientists with a PhD per year during their habilitation or similar qualification process at Heidelberg University. The Clearing Service Academia and Family backs up researchers during parental leave by giving continuing support for their qualification projects and career planning.

The University has also introduced additional services that aim at helping scientists combine a career and family; e.g. it has established the Family Service and further developed the childcare facilities on campus.