Doing a Doctorate in Germany: Study on working conditions and career paths

26 February 2019, by Daniel Meßner

Photo: UHH/Wohlfahrt

Researchers have conducted a nationwide study to gather comprehensive data on working and living conditions for doctoral candidates and doctoral graduates.

For the first time, researchers have conducted a nationwide study to gather comprehensive data on working and living conditions for doctoral candidates and doctoral graduates. Over 50,000 doctoral candidates nationwide have been invited to take part in an online survey.

“We know too little about working conditions throughout doctoral studies and the subsequent career paths of those have completed a doctorate,” says Elena Nendza, managing director of the Hamburg Research Academy (HRA). “There are many ways of doing a doctorate in Germany. The Nacaps Study should reflect this diversity.” Nacaps stands for National Academics Panel Study. It is being conducted by the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (Deutsche Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung, DZHW). Universität Hamburg is one of the partner institutions supporting the study.

Nacaps: representative study on doctoral candidates

The results of the study will be published in academic journals and evaluated by participating universities. “This should lead to improved conditions for doctoral candidates and allow us to provide more specific support for early career researchers,” says Nendza. Universities and policymakers will use the findings to review the efficacy of their own services and programs.

Participants in the longitudinal study will be contributing to the only representative academic study on doctoral candidates and graduates in Germany. Thus, Nendza is calling on all doctoral candidates at Universität Hamburg to take part. “Even candidates who think they have taken an unusual path to doctoral studies should take part. Only the broadest possible participation will complete the picture of doctoral studies in Germany. This also applies to anyone who came to Germany just to do their doctoral studies or plans to leave Germany when they finish their doctoral studies.”