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In 2023, the Zukunftskolleg’s management commissioned the Staff Unit Quality Assurance of the University of Konstanz to evaluate the five funding instruments at the Zukunftskolleg for postdoctoral researchers: (1) Mentorship, (2) Independent Research Grant, (3) Interdisciplinary Collaborative Projects Programme, (4) Transdepartmental Collaborative Teaching Programme and (5) Intersectoral Cooperation Programme. The focus of the evaluation was more on the perspective of postdoctoral researchers in the departments of the University of Konstanz who are not fellows at the Zukunftskolleg and less on the perspective of the funded fellows of the Zukunftskolleg. The nature of the evaluation was primarily formative and intended as a means of making data-based decisions for possible changes to the above-mentioned funding instruments. The guiding questions of the evaluation were:
1. How do early career researchers at the University of Konstanz assess the funding instruments of the Zukunftskolleg for postdoctoral researchers? What changes would they like to see in the existing funding instruments?
2. Are there overlaps to funding instruments of other units at the University of Konstanz (e.g. Committee on Research, International Office, Equal Opportunities Office) and if yes, which kind of overlaps?
3. Which additional funding instruments are interesting for early career researchers?
For the evaluation, quantitative as well as qualitative research methods were applied. The evaluation was based on the following sources of data and data collection methods:
- Document analysis (calls for funding, website of the University of Konstanz)
- User statistics provided by the Zukunftskolleg
- Postdoc Survey 2023 (number of responses with regard to the specific items 53 – 146)
- Five semi-structured interviews with administrative staff responsible for funding instruments (International Office, Equal Opportunities Office, Research Support, clusters)
- One focus group interview with two early career researchers who used at least one Zukunftskolleg funding instrument + one additional written feedback report from a participant who could not attend the focus group
Assessment of funding instruments
Figure 1: Use of Zukunftskolleg Funding Instruments
Source: User statistics provided by the Zukunftskolleg
* Absolute number of all leading project members (duplications if the programme was used more than once)
Figure 1 shows how often and by whom the different Zukunftskolleg funding instruments were used. In sum, 245 postdoctoral researchers not affiliated to the Zukunftskolleg profited from its funding instruments. In 2021 and 2022, around 7% of all postdoctoral researchers at the University of Konstanz received funding from the Zukunftskolleg. In the period since 2014, the Independent Research Grant was the funding instrument with the highest number of users (n = 53). Least frequently used was the Transdepartmental Collaborative Teaching Programme (n = 15).
Figure 2: Awareness of Zukunftskolleg Funding Instruments
Source: Postdoc Survey 2023, filter: People who are not members of or affiliated to the Zukunftskolleg
Question: "Do you know about Zukunftskolleg funding instruments (e. g. Mentorship, Independent
Research Grant)?" (Illustration: Frequency of mentions in %)
In the Postdoc Survey 2023, the respondents who were not affiliated to the Zukunftskolleg as fellows had to answer the question whether they know its funding instruments (see Figure 2). The results clearly show that the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments are not sufficiently known among postdoctoral researchers outside the Zukunftskolleg. 42% of the respondents stated that they know the funding instruments. A more detailed data analysis shows major differences between subjects (Psychology: 86% know ZuKo funding instruments (n = 7), History, Sociology, Sport Science, Empirical Education Research: 24% (n = 17)). In addition, awareness of the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments is rather high among researchers in the advanced postdoctoral phase (55%), among postdoctoral researchers from European countries other than Germany (58%) and especially among postdoctoral researchers in the Collective Behaviour cluster (73%). Nevertheless, the small numbers must be taken into account (see Figure 2).
Figure 3: Use and Awareness of Zukunftskolleg Funding Instruments
Source: PostdocSurvey 2023, filter: People who are not members of or affiliated to the Zukunftskolleg
Question: "Which of the following Zukunftskolleg funding instruments do you know about and which ones
have you already applied for?" (Illustration: Frequency of mentions in %)
Number of cases: University of Konstanz: n = 53 - 58
In a follow-up question, those researchers who said they knew about Zukunftskolleg funding instruments were asked which one(s) they are aware of and which one(s) they have applied for (see Figure 3). The answers to these questions show a rather close similarity to the user statistics presented above (see Figure 1). Nearly all knew the Independent Research Grant and almost 80% knew the Mentorship Programme. Less than 50% were aware of the Transdepartmental Collaborative Teaching Programme or the Intersectoral Cooperation Programme. A more detailed analysis of the various programmes shows that there are some differences between the different groups of people. For example, the Mentorship Programme is least known in the two clusters (Inequality: 57%, Collective Behaviour: 63%) and is most frequently used in the departments of Faculty 2 (18%), among German researchers (14%) and among researchers who earned their doctoral degree in Konstanz (18%). The Independent Research Grant is of special interest for early career researchers in Faculty 1 (34% applied) – researchers in Faculty 3 applied less frequently (13%) and none of the researchers of the “Inequality” cluster applied for it. Data analysis also reveals that only a small minority (5%) applied for more than one funding format.
In the focus group interview, all interview partners knew that there were more funding programmes at the Zukunftskolleg than the one(s) they had experienced themselves. However, they were not able to name all five programmes (correctly) or describe these programmes in detail. The information on the programmes presented on the Zukunftskolleg website was assessed as sufficient. One out of three persons explained that they had learned about the funding instruments at the time of applying for the University of Konstanz. The additional funding by the Zukunftskolleg was perceived as positive for Konstanz as a location. This indicates that the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments can be an attractor for the University of Konstanz in terms of the recruitment of excellent researchers.
Experiences with Zukunftskolleg funding instruments
Table 3: Experiences with Zukunftskolleg Funding Instruments
Sources: Focus group interview + interviews with administrative staff (see *) + Postdoc Survey, filter: People who
have applied for funding. Questions: "What was good about the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments?" and
"What specific changes should be made to the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments?"
Asked about their positive experiences with the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments, 15 respondents entered free text in the Postdoc Survey 2023 (see Table 3). In combination with the answers from the focus group interviews and the interviews with administrative staff, it appears that the majority recognizes Zukunftskolleg funding as a great opportunity for postdoctoral researchers. Four people explicitly mentioned the transparent application process and good communication. With regard to recommendations toward the set-up of the funding programmes, there is no clear picture. Four people recommended opening up funding programmes in order to recruit doctoral students, who are better qualified and more independent than regular student assistants. Two people wished to open up the eligibility rules so that doctoral students themselves could apply for the Zukunftskolleg’s funding programmes.
In the focus group interview, all interviewees remarked that the effort required to apply was reasonable (“less effort is not really possible”, “reasonable effort in the context of the University of Konstanz”) and the financial support was adequate (“more is always better, but a good starting point at the beginning of an academic career”). Only one out of three people stated that the Zukunftskolleg research funding was decisive for their scientific career. It was mentioned that the Zukunftskolleg funding is less relevant for junior professors and more relevant for researchers who are starting to develop an independent research profile. One interviewee stated that the Zukunftskolleg’s funding helped a lot to increase one’s own self-confidence. This point was also highlighted in one of the interviews with administrative staff (“Zukunftskolleg’s funding encourages postdoctoral researchers to apply for the Young Scholar Fund”, “great chance to get a taste for pilot projects and self-employment, e.g. project management”).
Overlap to other funding instruments
Apart from the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments, there are 31 other funding programmes for postdoctoral researchers at the University of Konstanz. Some of these programmes are only open to specific target groups, e.g. cluster members, females. Although the funding volume varies between the funding instruments, a certain overlap can be seen between the funding instruments of the Zukunftskolleg and of other units at the University of Konstanz. The overlap is not visible in both directions because the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments focus more on interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Still, projects that are not funded by the Zukunftskolleg have a chance in the application process of other units.
Outlook
Table 5: Ideas for Further Funding Instruments for Postdoctoral Researchers
Source 1: Individual interviews with administrative staff (see *), question: "Have you heard from young researchers whether, and if so, which support instruments are lacking at the University of Konstanz or could be further developed in order to better prepare young researchers for an academic/non-academic career?"
Source 2: Focus group interview, question: "Which funding instruments are lacking at the University of Konstanz?"
Source 3: Postdoc Survey 2023 (filter: People who are not members of or affiliated to the Zukunftskolleg; question: "What instrument for research funding is missing at the University of Konstanz or the Zukunftskolleg? Please enter your ideas here")
Own aggregated compilation
In both the interviews and the survey respondents were asked whether they saw a need for further funding instruments for postdoctoral researchers or whether they had heard about them in their professional context. An overview of the answers is presented in Table 5 . The most prominent aspects are funding for one’s own position or funding for employing a doctoral student. Funding for mobility ranked third. In the survey, several people were of the opinion that there is no need for further funding instruments at the University of Konstanz. One person said that it would be helpful if the website with the funding instruments for postdoctoral researchers was more user-friendly (navigation). Another person wished for more flexibility in the handling of the funding instruments, e.g. in terms of eligibility.
Main findings and recommendations
1. Postdoctoral researchers who have experienced the Zukunftskolleg funding instruments are often very satisfied with it. In the course of the evaluation, only a few recommendations for change were mentioned. The two recommendations named most frequently were the desire to use the funding for doctoral students or predocs in order to recruit more qualified staff, and to open up access to the funding programme for doctoral students. The Executive Committee could consider these two points.
2. The Zukunftskolleg funding instruments are not all equally attractive to postdoctoral researchers (see Figure 3), and some people question the relevance of these instruments for the career prospects of postdoctoral researchers. As an Institute for Advanced Study aiming to encourage early career researchers for an academic career, this is especially true for the Transdepartmental Collaborative Teaching Programme and the Intersectoral Cooperation Programme. The Executive Committee should consider whether these programmes (TCTP, ICP) are still necessary, whether the money would be better invested in one of the other programmes or if the other programmes could be handled in a more flexible way to subsume their goals (innovative teaching, collaboration with the non-academic sector).
3. Although all Zukunftskolleg funding instruments were established more than eight years ago, they are not yet very well known among postdoctoral researchers (see Figure 2). There is still a need for regular information on the Zukunftskolleg’s funding programmes (also on eligibility) in the departments.
4. There is some overlap between the funding programmes of the Zukunftskolleg and those of other units at the University of Konstanz. For most of the interview partners, this was not regarded as problematic since every unit has a special focus. The challenge for users to find the right funding instrument for their own research project was addressed in very few cases. The Executive Committee could try to initiate a process (on behalf of the Vice Rector for Research and Academic Staff Development) involving all units responsible for funding programmes in order to coordinate the funding programmes from a more user-centred perspective. It could be helpful to significantly reduce the overall number of funding programmes at the University of Konstanz and make them more flexible to meet different needs and objectives.
5. There is a lack of coordination between the different units at the University of Konstanz that are in charge of funding programmes for postdoctoral researchers. The Zukunftskolleg could play an even more active role in fostering this collaboration. It could at least regularly inform the other units and the clusters about its funding formats and calls, and it should respond appropriately in order to minimize the submission of multiple applications to different units.