Dissertation Plus

In Hamburg, the Claussen-Simon Foundation supports outstanding early-career researchers from all disciplines with a two-year scholarship to prepare for an academic career or entry into non-academic professional fields. In addition to financial support for living expenses, the program includes an extensive non-material offering: structured workshops, annual meetings of the scholarship holders, interdisciplinary networking events, and a monitoring system to ensure the quality of supervision. The binding supervision agreement creates a clear framework for collaboration between the doctoral candidate and supervisor and enables regular reflection on progress toward goals, thereby sustainably strengthening the doctoral projects.

Individuals with formal admission to doctoral studies at a university or research institution and excellent academic achievements are eligible for funding. Evaluation is based on scientific excellence and the quality of the supervision agreement. The maximum funding period is generally 24 months, with the possibility of extension by an additional year. Applications must be submitted three times a year during fixed periods (for example, from March 9 to April 9, 2026). Interested researchers can register via a standardized online procedure and submit documents within the deadline to benefit from this long-term career support.