How to become a professor at TU Darmstadt

W2 assistant professorships with tenure track are an attractive entry point for becoming a full (tenured) professor. It offers considerable autonomy and great scope for personal development. Following a doctorate and typically an initial postdoctoral phase, it is the W2 assistant professors’ responsibility to establish an academic research group, develop a strong academic research profile, earn high visibility in their respective academic research community and to become highly competent lecturers. A six-year tenure track professorship ending with a positive tenure decision will immediately advance to a full professorship.

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Principles: Quality assurance, transparency and procedural reliability are the principles of assistant professorships with tenure track at TU Darmstadt.

Based on its experience to date, TU Darmstadt has updated its Tenure Statutes (opens in new tab). These Statutes for TU Darmstadt provide an individual target agreement and a series of feedback-meetings to support a positive evaluation of the tenure track. Tenure is granted if the assistant professor has met the targets agreed and fulfils the personal requirements as expected during the tenure track period.

Implementation: New assistant professorships with tenure track are filled for a term of six years as W2 professorships.

In case of a positive tenure evaluation, such a fixed-term professorship usually turns into an open-ended full W2 or W3 professorship. The teaching load of assistant professorships with tenure track is limited to 4 contact hours per week (SWS). We expect excellent English skills by appointment and good German skills after three years as well. You can expect an attractive, negotiable W2-based salary.

Support: TU Darmstadt supports its assistant professors with tenure track in wide-ranging ways.

As an assistant professor with tenure track, you can benefit from many services at TU Darmstadt, such as a special mentoring programme, a wide range of programmes to develop your teaching skills including the design and evaluation of your teaching contents offered by the Centre for Educational Development and Technology (HDA), the personal growth and development programmes offered by the Organisational and Human Resources Development (POE), and various events for networking and discourse. The [Family Service and the Welcome Centre will help you when moving to Darmstadt (with your family and from abroad). The Language Resource Centre offers German courses (possibly for family members, too).

Budget for staff and equipment: The budget for staff and equipment depends largely on the area of research.

Generally, there is a staff budget for at least one doctoral candidate position and administrative support. Depending on the area of research, the professorship is also provided with financial resources to invest in equipment etc. and a dedicated budget. Institutes and research groups requiring larger computing capacities can use the Lichtenberg Cluster at TU Darmstadt.

Your application: You have successfully completed a higher education Master’s degree programme and have subsequently contributed independently and innovatively to academic research and teaching during an excellent doctorate? You are an extremely talented and aspirational researcher and scientist, and you have the potential to become an academic researcher of international renown within the 6-year qualification phase? If so, we invite you to send in your application to open positions!

In general, your application should include the following: A strong cover letter, CV including your academic research path, an outline of your intended teaching and research activities, a publication list, copies of relevant transcripts of records and certificates, an overview of your teaching activities including teaching evaluations to date. Here you will find the currently advertised professorships. As an assistant professorship is organised as a qualification professorship in accordance with Section 70 [HessHG (opens in new tab)] (Hessisches Hochschulgesetz – Universities and Higher Education Act of the State of Hesse), your academic research activities during and after your doctorate should not last more than nine years and your doctorate should not be older than four years. In addition, you should have pursued your doctorate at a university other than TU Darmstadt or should have been active as a researcher outside of TU Darmstadt for at least two years.

With a full professorship at TU Darmstadt, academic researchers of great renown with a strong research profile achieve excellent contributions to advance scientific knowledge and to shape global change sustainably. They lead an academic research group, and have the laboratories, the required materials and equipment at their disposal to pursue their academic and research goals freely and independently. They also heavily influence the next generation of expert scientists and researchers. They develop a long-term academic research programme or establish new developments. They engage in knowledge transfer with social and business partners (opens in new tab). They actively shape their academic research and teaching community at TU Darmstadt and in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region.

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Implementation: Full professorships are filled at TU Darmstadt as W2 or W3 professorships.

You can expect an attractive W-based salary at W2 or W3 level. Full professorships have a teaching load of 8 contact hours per week (SWS). We expect excellent English skills and after a few years at the latest, good German skills as well.

Support: TU Darmstadt supports its professors in wide-ranging ways.

As a professor, you can benefit from many services at TU Darmstadt, such as seminars on the role of a senior manager, a wide range of programmes to further develop your teaching skills including the design and evaluation of your teaching contents offered by the Centre for Educational Development and Technology (HDA), the personal growth and development programmes offered by the Organisational and Human Resources Development (POE), and various events for networking and discourse. The Family Service and the Welcome Centre will help you when moving to Darmstadt (with your family and from abroad). The Language Resource Centre offers German courses (possibly for family members, too).

Budget for staff and equipment: The budget for staff and equipment depends largely on the area of research.

Generally, there is a budget for staff comprising at least one doctoral candidate position as well as administrative and – depending on the field of research – technical support. Depending on the area of research, a professorship is also provided with financial resources to invest in equipment etc. and with a dedicated budget. Institutes and research groups requiring larger computing capacities can use the Lichtenberg Cluster at TU Darmstadt.

Your application: You have established yourself as an experienced researcher by way of a successful academic career or extraordinary research achievements in a professional career? You have a relevant research profile, an extraordinary reputation as a researcher and are widely known internationally? If so, we invite you to send in your application to open positions!

In general, your application should include the following: A strong cover letter, CV including your academic research path, an outline of your intended teaching and research activities, a publication list, copies of relevant transcripts of records and certificates, an overview of your teaching activities including teaching evaluations to date. Appointment procedures usually take place in the sequence listed below. Here you will find the currently advertised professorships. The prerequisites for employment are in accordance with the Sections 67 and 68 HessHG (opens in new tab) (Hessisches Hochschulgesetz – Universities and Higher Education Act of the State of Hesse).