FAQ - Elite Programme - Baden Württemberg Foundation

The Elite Programme supports excellent young academics who wish to pursue a career at the university after completing their doctorate. They should demonstrate an aptitude for an academic career that is clearly above average, e.g. an outstanding doctorate, research activities abroad or involvement in the university's academic management.

The maximum funding amount for a project is €200,000 for personnel, travel, material and investment costs. The postdoctoral position may not be paid from the funds of the Elite Programme.

The personal contribution must be paid by the institutes/faculties. A confirmation from the head of the institute/dean of the faculty is required.

The project description can also be written in English, but the application form should be completed in German.

Yes, that is not a problem. However, the certificate must be available at the planned start of the project.

Employment at the university hospital is not an obstacle.
Please note that your project must not fall within the scope of clinical research, i.e. there must be no doctor-patient relationship.

No, there is no age limit for an application.

A junior professorship is not an exclusion criterion for applying to the Elite Programme. However, whether a project application can prevail among the competitors is decided on the basis of the recommendation of the panel of experts. In addition to the criteria specified in the call for applications, other aspects and framework conditions are also taken into consideration.

The selection interviews of the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung will take place in autumn 2025. Selected projects can be launched in January 2026 at the earliest and no later than 6 months after acceptance into the programme.