Bundesverband Promovierende

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Bundesverband Promovierende

We represent over 103 000 doctoral researchers | 36 member representations | 77% of doctoral researchers with elected representation.

09/05/2026

We want to hear from you! We are currently running a short survey to learn which workshops and events would be most helpful for doctoral researchers across Germany. Your answers will be a guide for us to shape our future training program.

Whether you are interested in skill building sessions, community events, or new formats that support your PhD journey, this is your chance to tell us what you need.

Your voice helps us create offerings that are relevant, accessible, and empowering for the entire PhD community. Find more information on our website promovierende.de

31/03/2026

Our new blog post takes a closer look at the question whether the scientific spirit dies when your working time is tracked, while avoiding to fall into simple yes or no answers.

Working time regulations are meant to protect workerss. But when they are applied without understanding how scientific work actually happens, they can create new problems. Research is not routine labor. Ideas do not follow schedules. Creativity does not appear on command. And deep thinking rarely fits neatly into fixed time slots.

At the same time, doctoral researchers need fair contracts, real protection and clear structures that prevent exploitation. The challenge is finding solutions that respect both realities, provide protection, and allow enough freedom.

As the Bundesverband Promovierende we argue for an honest approach to this complicated discussion. On the one hand the European and German Law is quiet clearly stating that time tracking ist needed. On the other hand a punching card solution is not fitting modern research.

Read the full blog post on our website promovierende.de

26/03/2026

We just published a new blog post on our website about one of the most urgent issues facing early‑career researchers: mental health.

Across Germany and beyond, doctoral researchers report overwhelming pressure, insecurity, and isolation. Recent investigations and new studies, even within the journal 'nature', make it clear:

👉 These challenges are systemic, not personal.
👉 Good supervision, fair working conditions, and real support structures matter.
👉 International and marginalized researchers are hit even harder.

As the Bundesverband Promovierende, we’re committed to pushing for:
✨ Better supervision standards
✨ Secure and fair employment conditions
✨ Low‑threshold support options
✨ Stronger communities and peer

What are your opinion or experiences with this topic?

❤️

18/03/2026

Why does one anonymous review hold so much influence over academic careers?

Our new blog post takes a closer look at how the peer review system shapes who gets published, who gets funded, and who gets to stay in academia. The pressure to publish or perish is already intense, but when a single reviewer can delay or derail months of work, the system becomes even harder to navigate, especially for early‑career researchers.

We explore how overloaded reviewers, inconsistent expectations, and opaque decisions create barriers that often feel arbitrary. And of course, we talk about the cultural phenomenon of Reviewer 2, whose harsh or dismissive comments have become a shared experience across disciplines. If you have ever felt discouraged by a review that seemed more like gatekeeping than constructive feedback, this piece will resonate.

Read the full article on our website promovierende.de and tell us your thoughts.

10/03/2026

Does your university really know you?

Many doctoral researchers feel invisible in their own institutions, scattered across faculties, working on diverse contracts, and often missing from official communication channels.

But here’s the twist: universities often don’t even have a complete list of their doctoral researchers. No central database. No unified communication. No reliable way to reach everyone.

And the result?
📩 Important info never arrives the doctoral researchers.
🗓️ Events organise for them go unnoticed.
🤝 Support structures to help with problem in the doctorate remain unknown
📉 Representation have a hard time to reach their doctoral researchers.

Our latest blog post dives into why this happens and what needs to change so doctoral researchers can finally be seen, heard, and supported.

👉 Read the full article on our website promovierende.de

26/02/2026

Reaching doctoral researchers requires more than a single communication channel. They are a diverse group with different schedules, habits, and levels of institutional connection, which means information often fails to reach them unless it is delivered through several coordinated pathways.

Email lists remain a basic tool, but they frequently miss large parts of the community because not everyone is added, inboxes are overloaded, and important messages get buried in general university traffic.

Social media can extend visibility, yet its impact depends heavily on algorithms, disciplinary cultures, and the capacity to maintain accounts consistently; decentralized platforms are gaining interest, but they are not a universal solution.

Local, in‑person presence continues to be one of the most effective ways to connect: posters, info stands, events, and informal gatherings create touchpoints that digital channels cannot replace.

Collaboration with graduate centers, equality offices, student councils, and staff councils multiplies reach and reduces the burden on individual groups, making communication more sustainable.

How do you bring all these elements together at your university to create a communication ecosystem reaches doctoral researchers reliably? Let's discuss and share some ideas.

To read more on this check out our new blog post on our website: https://www.promovierende.de/2026/02/how-do-you-reach-your-doctoral-researchers/

11/02/2026

On 11 February, the UNESCO highlights the structural conditions that continue to shape scientific careers under the theme “From vision to impact: Redefining STEM by closing the gender gap.” Despite formal equality, informal hierarchies, dependencies, and exclusive communication cultures still determine who is heard, supported, and visible in academia.

A closer look at academic career paths shows how uneven access to networks, mentoring, and institutional support continues to affect women. The story of Rosalind Franklin, whose crucial contribution to the discovery of the DNA double helix remained unacknowledged for decades, reminds us how power structures shape scientific recognition. As the Bundesverband Promovierende, we work to challenge these inequalities and strengthen the visibility of female researchers through our project “Conversations with Doctoral Researchers – Women Discuss Their Science”.

👉 Lets strive together for a research culture where women can pursue scientific careers with equal opportunities and recognition.

24/12/2025

We wish all of you a wonderful time in the end of the year and would like to thank you for the great times we had with you. We are looking forward to the upcoming times in 2026: there are still a lot of things to do!

❤️

28/05/2025

Join Our Team and make an impact!

The Bundesverband Promovierende is looking for passionate volunteers to help shape our online presence. If you are interested in website management, social media strategies, or digital engagement, this is your chance to contribute to a community that supports doctoral candidates across Germany.

If you are Interested? Send us a DM or email us at [email protected].

Adresse

Schloßplatz 4
Erlangen
91054

Webseite

https://www.promovierende.de/

Benachrichtigungen

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