Awards and Successful Grant Applications
In recent years, the University of Bonn has been extraordinarily successful in participating in federal and state-level initiatives and programs fostering equal opportunities and gender equality.
Women Professors Program
In 2008, the federal and state governments initiated the Women Professors Program, with the aim of increasing the percentage of women professors and strengthening the structures relating to gender equality at institutions of higher education. This program is now in the third period of funding (PP III).
The University of Bonn has successfully participated in all three phases. It received positive approbation for its gender equality concept (PP), its documentation concerning the implementation of the gender equality concept, as well as its current gender equality future concept.
During the first phase of the program (2008-12), the University successfully applied for funding for three regular professorship, and during the second phase (2013-17), funding was granted for three professorships to be created. During the third phase, the University was granted a total of 2.5 million Euro as initial funding for two future professorships and one regular professorship.
An evaluation report on the Women Professors Program (German) was published by CEWS (Center of Excellence Women and Science) in 2017.
State Program for Gender Equity in Higher Education
The State Program for Gender Equity in Higher Education was launched in 2012 by the then Ministry for Innovation, Science and Research – now the Ministry for Culture and Science.
In addition to strengthening the gender equality officers at institutions of higher education, it is designed to support early-career researchers and to advance gender studies.
The University of Bonn was granted additional funding for two junior professorships each in the program’s first and second phases.
DFG Research-Oriented Standards on Gender Equality
In 2008, the members of the DFG passed the Research-Oriented Standards on Gender Equality (later: Research-Oriented Standards on Equity and Diversity), with the aim of significantly increasing the representation of women scientists at all career levels.
Against the background of set personnel-related and structural standards for consistent gender equality policy, the agreements (2009), interim reports (2011) and final reports (2013) were evaluated by a DFG working group.
With its final report, the University of Bonn was classified “Stage 3” (“A convincing general concept has largely been implemented.”).
Between 2014 and 2016, further developments at the institutions of higher education regarding the Research-Oriented Standards on Gender Equality were checked by a purely quantitative reporting system. In 2018, the institutions reaffirmed their commitment to the DFG standards, the implementation of which must now be documented by a qualitative reporting system including certain focus topics.
Focus topics 2018-2020:
Recruitment procedures for attracting women researchers
Relieving women scientists to free them for committee work
DFG Summary and Recommendations 2020
Focus topics 2020-2022:
Increasing the percentage of women at the postdoctoral level
Diversity management at institutions of higher education
Further Reading
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Diversity in Higher Education (German)
Ministry of Culture and Science NRW
Equal Opportunities for Different Genders (German)
DFG (German Research Association)
Equal Opportunities and Diversity