The postdoc phase is characterized by the desire to position oneself as an independent researcher. You can find specific funding opportunities for postdocs on the funding advice pages. The Research Funding team at the Department for Research and Transfer can advise you on applying for research funding, your own position or your own junior research group.

Many postdocs want to network themselves and their research internationally; during this phase, they usually change universities or research institutions for a longer or shorter stay in order to further develop their personal profile.

Whether it's to the University of Oldenburg or to the rest of the world: the Department for Research and Transfer and the International Office support international academics who are interested in a research or teaching stay in Oldenburg. For Oldenburg academics, they offer advice on applications and information on routes abroad.
Here you will find an overview of national and international research funding organizations and their measures to support individuals, scientific networking, mobility and projects.

The Welcome Service of the International Office offers advice on all non-academic topics (e.g. visa, accommodation, etc.) to all international doctoral candidates and postdocs.

In the postdoc phase, the focus is not only on research but also on topics such as career development, strategic planning of the next steps and various challenges during the academic qualification period. The University of Oldenburg offers a wide range of free mentoring and coaching services to support its postdocs during this phase.
Here you can find an overview of all offers:

Mentoring Programmes „Progressio” and „Pespectives”

Individual coaching

Postdoc representation

The Postdoc Representation at the University of Oldenburg is an informal interest group made up of the university's postdocs.
The team of the Postdoc Representation is the central point of contact for all postdoc concerns. The representatives in turn approach the Vice President for Academic Career Paths with their concerns and represent the status group of postdocs in university exchange formats. They also organise networking events and take part in events such as the Postdoc Appreciation Week week.

The University of Oldenburg currently has one postdoc representative who is committed to the interests of postdocs. You can contact Dr Sarah-Indriyati Hardjowirogo with any concerns relating to the postdoctoral career phase by sending an email to [email protected].

Profile of Dr Sarah-Indriyati Hardjowirogo

If you are interested in joining the team of the Postdoc Representation, please contact Susanne Elpers, the Graduate Academy or the Postdoc Delegation. 

Staff Council

The Staff Council represents the interests of the employees of the University of Oldenburg. Academic staff can contact the Staff Council with questions about employment contracts, among other things. In addition, the Staff Council bundles relevant current information and offers advice and assistance on the following topics:

• Collective labour agreement (TV-L) and the transitional regulations (TVÜ)
• Appraisal system
• Transfer of leave in the event of illness

In addition, the Staff Council refers to other important information for academics at the University of Oldenburg, such as recruitment guidelines, service agreements and other regulations.

Representative for Employees with Disabilities

The Representative for Employees with Disabilities of the University of Oldenburg represents the interests of all employees with a severe disability and their equals and provides them with advice and assistance.

The tasks of the Representative for Employees with Disabilities elected by employees with severe disabilities at the University of Oldenburg are as follows

• Promoting the integration of severely disabled persons
• Representation of interests
• Counselling and assistance for the severely disabled

Commission for Research Impact Assessment and Ethics

The Commission for Research Assessment and Ethics of the University of Oldenburg advises and assesses ethical aspects and impact assessments of research projects. The deadlines for the submission of proposals must be observed for the assessment of research projects.

The newly founded German Postdoc Network is a network for postdocs from universities and research institutions in Germany. The network is a contact point for postdocs from all disciplines and institutions, pools data on postdocs and their needs, coordinates working groups and offers an independent platform to develop and implement innovative models for recruitment, training and career transition in cooperation with research institutions and partners from industry and the public sector.

The HWK's postdoctoral programme supports researchers in the early stages of their careers in all disciplines. As a fellow, researchers gain access to HWK events and the international network and can ultimately organize an international workshop with the support of the HWK.

Application for the Postdoc Programme