Equal Opportunity Fund

Since 2012 the University of Hamburg Equal Opportunity Fund aims to provide funding for projects in the areas of equity (gender equality, diversity and the compatibility of work/study and family) relating to structural and/or conceptual innovations and to help the University of Hamburg attain its goal of equal opportunity as detailed in Section 3 subsections 4 and 5 of the Hamburg Higher Education Act (HmbHG). The fund is announced annually with €60.000. 

The following projects and activities are eligible for funding:

• Projects (courses, conferences, exhibitions, research applications, etc.) relating to gender, diversity, and combining family and career. 
• Completion scholarships for female researchers to complete their doctoral dissertation or Habilitationen (postdoctoral qualifications) (max. 6 months). Precedence will be given to dissertations relating to gender/diversity as well as to applications from young female researchers with children or a relative requiring care. The amount of the completion scholarships depends upon the guidelines for granting Universität Hamburg scholarships (currently €1,365 per month plus lump sum for materials in the amount of €103 per month plus child care supplement of €400 per month + €100 per month for each additional child for female PhD Students).
  • Directive for the Awarding of Scholarships at Universität Hamburg (excluding UKE) (PDF)
  • Guidelines on the Directive for the Awarding of Scholarships at Universität Hamburg (excluding UKE) (PDF)
  • Appendix Overview of University of Hamburg Scholarships (PDF)
• Measures to facilitate the reconciliation of career and family both for individual researchers (e.g., student support for young researchers with children or a relative requiring care) as well as those designed to make the University more family-friendly as a whole

In particular, funding from the Universität Hamburg Equal Opportunity Fund is to be used

• for projects for which no funding is available from other sources,
• to provide one-off supplementary support, and
• to apply for external (start-up) funding for projects.

Funding for projects should not exceed €5,000 (except for completion scholarships). Approvals of more than €2,000 require the consent of The Equal Opportunity Committee.

As the chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee of the Academic Senate, Universität Hamburg’s equal opportunity commissioner is responsible for approving funding.

Eligible applicants are:

• All members of Universität Hamburg (excluding UKE).

• Applications from technical, library and ad-ministrative employees are only permitted on behalf of academic staff.

Please send your application to the Equal Opportunity Commissioner at University of Hamburg, i.e., the chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee: chancengerechtigkeit"AT"uni-hamburg.de. 

The application must contain the following elements: 

• Application form (will be published with the call for applications)
• letter with an explanatory statement 

If applying for project funding, please also include:

• detailed project description, including the names of the responsible person(s) and those involved in the project as well as a description of project aims, with reference to the requirements detailed in these funding guide-lines
• detailed budget plan, including information on all other funding
• statement as to what extent the application has already been submitted elsewhere or declaration that no other funding has been granted or planned

If applying for a scholarship, please also include:

• tabular CV
• brief description of the research project (max. 2 pages)
• detailed schedule for the funding period
• statement as to what extent the application has already been submitted elsewhere or declaration that no other funding has been granted or planned
• Expert review from the supervisor. Supervisors are asked to send the form directly to chancengerechtigkeit"AT"uni-hamburg.de 
• if applicable, birth certificate of the child(ren)
• if applicable, evidence or self-disclosure of disadvantage with regard to educational and participation opportunities

If applying for student support, please also include:

• explanatory statement of how funding will help you combine your career with family life
• if already known, the name(s) and date(s) of employment of your future employee(s)
• if applicable, birth certificate of the child(ren)