The dyeing and finishing processes in the textile industry currently require a lot of water—which is an increasingly scarce resource. However, postdoc Dr. Molla Tadesse Abate is seeking to change this: "I aim to significantly reduce water consumption in the dyeing and finishing of textiles and, if possible, to test other processes that do not require any water at all."  

After having been nominated for the Georg Forster Research Fellowship, one of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's prestigious fellowships, he began his postdoctoral research activities at the Institute of Materials Sciences (ifm) at Hof University of Applied Sciences, a place with a long textile tradition. 

Dr. Molla Tadesse Abate’s work is part of a broader collaboration between researchers in Bavaria and Ethiopia. For more information click here.

On your way to a professorship at a german university there are a lot of steps to be taken and a lot of questions to be answered 

• How do I become a professor in Germany? 
• What am I actually qualifying for when I want to become a professor at a German University? 
• Is being involved in the academic self administration part of the secondary tasks a professor has? 
• Why is it part of the job tasks actually cultivating and developing science through research and teaching study but also offering a further education? 
• Can I be considered for a professorship as an internal candidate? 
• Which person on the list later gets the offer for the professorship? 

The German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV) can support you with all these decisions and be your trusted career partner. Watch the videos here.

Leading scholars across virtually the entire range of academic disciplines, excellent research infrastructure, and tailor-made institutional support is what attracts early career researchers to our universities and research institutions at the Research Campus of Central Hessen. From an AI-powered chat bot getting you settled in the region to personal guidance provided to you by dedicated departments for international early career researchers, there are many reasons to consider taking the next step in your research career here. 
Read the interviews with two of our post-docs to learn more about their research, what brought them to Central Hessen, and how the support here is what makes a difference. For more information click here.

"Having direct and unlimited access to one of the top cryoEM facilities in the world was the main reason for me to join."  Dr. Irene Vercellino, junior professor and group leader at Forschungszentrum Jülich, shares her experience as a postdoc in structural biology. Watch the video here and find out more about advanced research opportunities in Jülich here.

Work on your grant proposal on-site and secure funding to stay! 

Are you an international early postdoc looking to secure a postdoc position at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB)? Our Writing Grant Fellowship allows you to experience RUB as your potential future workplace while collaborating on-site to develop a joint funding proposal. 

The fellowship includes a stipend of €4,500 for a three-month visit. The principal objective: securing funding for a longer postdoc stay. There are two calls per year, closing June 15 and November 15. International postdoctoral researchers are eligible to apply if they are affiliated with a research institution outside Germany and received their PhD not more than three years ago. 

As a first step, applicants need to detect a host professor at RUB they would like to work with. The application consists of two parts - one by the hosting RUB professor and one by the international postdoc. For more information click here.

Juggling research and family responsibilities can be demanding – especially during a research stay abroad!  

The Lore Agnes Fellowship has been established to support international female postdoctoral researchers with children. It is endowed with 2,300 € per month to enable the Lore Agnes Fellow to work closely over a period of up to six months with a host at Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) on a research grant proposal. 

The fellowship aims to encourage postdocs to bring their entire families to Bochum while a broad network of closely cooperating institutions and services will help to support the researching parent as much as possible. 

RUB grants one Lore-Agnes-Fellowship per year. International female postdoctoral researcher with child(ren) from all fields and countries are welcome to apply by November 15, 2025. For more information click here.

October 29, 2025. 14:00 - 16:00 h (UTC+1h) online via Zoom 
Get your toolbox ready for pursuing a postdoc career in Germany!  

Embarking on a postdoc journey in a foreign country with a different academic system can be both exciting and challenging. Join the online info session to discover the details of Germany’s research and career landscape and learn about various funding opportunities and essential aspects to consider when writing applications for third-party funding or applying for job positions. 

The infosession provides an overview over the most important aspects of becoming a Postdoc in Germany and offers comprehensive information about: 

• the German career system in research 
• conditions and career factors for a research career in Germany 
• how to get in contact with a German professor 
• funding possibilities for postdocs 

Also, you’ll get an exclusive overview of the research environment at Ruhr University Bochum.  

Register here by October 27! 

15 September 2025, 9-10 am (ET)
Are you an early postdoc interested in expanding your international network? Sign up for an info session on the Research Explorer Ruhr (RER) program, a fully funded opportunity that supports international early postdocs in spending two weeks in the Ruhr area of Germany during summer 2026. 

Through RER, participants get in touch with a host professor at one of the three universities of the University Alliance Ruhr—Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, or the University of Duisburg-Essen—to explore potential research collaborations and develop joint project proposals. In addition to networking opportunities and lab visits, the program includes workshops on writing grant proposals and preparing for competitive third-party funding applications. 

The online info session will provide an overview of the program, including eligibility, application tips, travel funding, and what to expect during your stay. For more information and registration click here.

“As a child, I did my homework by candlelight,” says Dr. Afshan Jamshaid, who grew up in Mattani Peshwar, a small village in Pakistan without electricity. Today, the postdoctoral scientist is on a mission to change how we power our world. 

At the Institute for Photovoltaics at the University of Stuttgart, Afshan Jamshaid is advancing research on transparent perovskite solar cells — a cutting-edge photovoltaic technology combining high efficiency with low production costs and aesthetic versatility. Her work focuses on developing stable, high-performance transparent cells that can transform everyday surfaces, such as windows and building facades, into energy-generating elements. By enabling seamless integration of solar energy into urban environments, her research contributes to making sustainable energy more accessible and innovative in both architecture and daily life. 

“In my home country of Ethiopia, not everyone has access to electricity — but we have sunlight in abundance," says Dr. Asfaw Assegde. "Perovskite solar cells have huge potential to provide affordable, efficient power to off-grid communities." 

A chemist with extensive expertise in materials science, postdoctoral researcher Asfaw Assegde applies his skills to advancing the stability of perovskite solar cells from real-world operating conditions to extreme environments, including high-temperature scenarios reaching up to 200 °C. At University of Stuttgart´s Institute for Photovoltaics, his research focuses on compositional engineering, nanoscale characterization, stability improvement, and environmental sustainability — all aimed at developing solar technologies capable of delivering reliable power anywhere from rural communities to the most demanding climates on Earth.  

Over the course of their academic careers, Afshan Jamshaid and Asfaw Assegde have worked around the globe, from Japan to Belgium. What brought these two bright minds to Stuttgart — and what is it like to work in Germany as a postdoctoral researcher? In the video interview, they share insights into their life in Germany and reveal how they envision their future. Watch the video here.