Without Tenure Track
Assistant professorships without tenure track take on tasks in research and teaching within their institute or in another organizational unit. At least fifty percent of their working time is reserved for their own research. The aim is to acquire additional scientific qualifications with a view to a future career in academia. The duration of employment of an assistant professorship without tenure track is limited to four years, regardless of employment level.
Prerequisites for employment
Applicants for an assistant professorship without tenure track (without TT) must possess the following professional qualifications:
- Completed habilitation, an equivalent scientific qualification or a promising habilitation project.
- At least a year spent at a different, ideally foreign university or several years of highly qualified professional work.
Tasks
Assistant professors without tenure track principally take on teaching and research tasks within their institute or another organizational unit. The scope of the teaching load will be agreed upon in each individual case; four semester hours per week are considered a benchmark. In principle, courses are to be conducted in German. In research, assistant professors without tenure track carry out their own research with a view to their scientific qualification and in consultation with the faculty concerned.
Other possible tasks include promoting early-career researchers, services, leadership, self-management as well as quality assurance and quality development, and public relations.
Grantees with assistant professorship title
Some highly competitive grants, esp. SNSF and ERC (namely, Starting Grants) encompass the awarding of the assistant professor title. These grantees have an outstanding academic record and lead their own research project and research group. The title of assistant professor is awarded by the Executive Board of the University of Board for the duration of the grant and associated activities at the university.