CZS Endowed Professorships at Universities

The Carl Zeiss Foundation awards endowed professorships in STEM subjects at universities in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia as part of its funding program. The aim of the program is to attract outstanding scientists and thereby sustainably strengthen the research and innovation capacity in these federal states. W3 professorships are funded over a period of up to ten years and supplemented with funds for scientific and technical staff, material and investment resources, as well as resources for science communication and outreach. Additionally, the funded institutions receive an overhead allowance amounting to 20% of the approved funding sum.

Eligible for funding are public and state-recognized universities located in the three aforementioned regions. The maximum funding amount is €5 million over the entire duration of up to 120 months. The allocation is carried out through an open, competitive selection process accompanied by external reviewers. A continuous submission mode without a fixed deadline allows for flexible project planning. Universities can thus gradually establish and fill endowed professorships to permanently strengthen and internationally enhance their teaching and research in the key areas of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and engineering.