DZHK Junior Research Group

With the Junior Research Group fellowship, the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) offers an opportunity for early-career researchers to develop an independent research career. The fellowship is directed at postdoctoral researchers from Germany and from abroad with an interest in translational cardiovascular research who want to establish and manage their own project and group, lead their own team and who strive for scientific independence.

Who can apply

Early-career scientists who obtained their PhD no more than six years ago and MDs who graduated from medical school no more than 8 years ago are eligible to apply. At the start of funding, applicants should have at least two years of experience as a postdoctoral scientist and should be able to show successful postdoctoral work through first author publications in high‑ranking peer-reviewed journals.

What we offer

The fellowship will be awarded for up to six years, with an amount of 300,000 euro per year. The research group can be established at one of the DZHK’s 27 member institutions which are located at our seven sites: Berlin, Niedersachsen, Greifswald, Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Heidelberg/Mannheim, Munich and Rhine-Main.

Closing dates

Applications can be submitted at any time. Evaluation of proposals starts at 1st December 2024. Any applications received by 30th November 2024 will be considered.

Application documents

All relevant forms as well as the funding guideline are available on the DZHK grant management system. Please email gms(at)dzhk.de in order to register for an account.

Selection process

The applications are assessed in a multistage process

• DZHK internal assessment (review panel consisting of DZHK Board of Directors, partner site speakers and speaker of the Young DZHK)
• external peer review
• shortlisting and
• selection interviews