Funding
Viadrina has commited itself to actively promoting a gender and diversity-sensitive as well as family-friendly structure that includes all students and staff.
The respective faculties are, in particular, responsible for the design and implementation of diversity-aware personnel development in the academic field. The objectives and fields of action can be found in the Structural and Personnel Development Concept for the Academic Staff of the Viadrina (SPEK).
The Equal Opportunity Department offers various facilitating and specific support measures to promote the different potentials of all university members at all qualification levels in science and administration and at the same time counteract existing structural discrimination.
As a central support measure in the area of gender equality and gender diversity, Viadrina Mentoring programmes are offered for women and gender-diverse people of all qualification levels.
In 2022, the modular ‘Women in Leadership’ qualification and support programme will be offered for the first time for female Viadrina employees from science and administration in the area of leadership in order to actively promote women interested in occupying leadership positions in the future or in further developing their leadership skills.
Furthermore, the department awards bridge scholarships for doctoral and postdoctoral students as well as postdocs in order to provide targeted support for young researchers with children and care responsibilities. These scholarships serve to bridge situations in which re-entry into a job, continuation or completion of a qualification project are difficult or endangered after a family-related leave of absence or due to family responsibilities.
In addition, women (doctoral candidates, post-doctoral candidates and postdoc researchers) are specifically supported in their academic qualification through qualification scholarships.
Furthermore, funds are regularly allocated for a student assistant fund which supports female academics with extensive committee activities by financing student or research assistants.
A so-called Flexible Fund has also been set up to bridge critical phases in an academic career. The measures of this fund can be adapted to the specific life situation and needs of the person to be supported. Scientists in the qualification phase are eligible to apply. In exceptional cases, students in the final phase can also be considered if they are interested in pursuing a doctorate.
Academic staff (irrespective of the funding of the position) and junior professors are also granted contract extensions due to family phases (so-called family policy component). Separate applications must be submitted for this; the Family Office will be happy to advise on the procedure.
