Information on the Position Paper on Structure of Academic Careers of German Council of Science and Humanities
In July 2025, the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) has published a position paper proposing a significant overhaul of how careers in German academia are structured. The goal is to make the system more attractive, transparent, and internationally competitive — especially for those, such as postdocs, working in early career stages.
The paper has been examined in detail by the German Postdoc Network, who published a helpful summary and explanation with particular attention paid to its implications for postdoctoral researchers and others in the “Recognised Researcher” (R2) phase of the European research career framework.