A tenure-track professorship in Germany includes the assurance up front of a lifelong professorship after successfully completing a fixed-term probationary period. A lifelong professorship is always linked to civil servant status or a permanent position. A fixed, basic funding allocation for teaching and research gives scientists certainty.

Many universities offer extensive human resources development measures to provide support during the tenure-track professorship. For example, mentoring programs assign experienced specialists or managers (mentors) to help young scientists (mentees) in developing their own profile. Integrating tenure-track professors into the professorial staff is a matter of high importance to universities. Young scientists are increasingly being accompanied and supported by their universities with support measures and offers tailored to their needs.

In Germany, each parent can take up to three years of parental leave. The state pays tenure-track professors parental allowance for up to 14 months, regardless of citizenship, when they care for their child after birth. Universities also support professors and their working partners with special offers. The term of a tenure-track professorship can usually be extended due to the birth or adoption of a child. This supplements existing regulations such as maternity leave, parental leave or part-time work granted by the German government.

International scientists find a broad-based research infrastructure and research landscape in Germany - with excellent universities, internationally renowned research institutions such as the Fraunhofer Society, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Leibniz Association and Max Planck Society, as well as an industry with a strong focus on research. In the 2022 “Nature Index”, which ranks the scientific publication performance of research institutions and universities, Germany ranked first in Europe and third worldwide. Germany is among the countries with the highest investment in research and development. The share of gross domestic product (GDP) spent on research and development was 3.13 per cent in 2022. Additionally, there are many attractive options for obtaining additional third-party funding from private or public sources.

Germany is a value-based democracy and one of the world’s safest and freest countries. In addition to freedom of speech and freedom of the press, Germany’s constitution guarantees scientific freedom for all researchers in Germany. The Academic Freedom Index 2024 ranks Germany 11th among 179 nations in terms of scientific freedom.

As a modern immigration country, Germany is attractive to scientists from all over the world. Research institutions in Germany are internationally oriented with a high proportion of foreign researchers, numerous international collaborative projects and global networks. Around 63,100 scientists with foreign citizenship worked at German universities in 2022, including around 3,900 with a professorship. With a residence permit for Germany, international researchers can also work in other EU countries. Many universities offer welcome centres, university-run language courses or mentoring programs for tenure-track professors from abroad.

Germany is among the world’s countries with the highest standard of living. The UN’s Human Development Index HDI 2021 ranks Germany 7th out of 193 countries. Child care in Germany is inexpensive by international comparison. Public education is free in Germany.

Germany offers a stable, extensive social security system that also benefits scientists. Statutory social insurance (health, pension, accident, nursing care and unemployment insurance),which provides security fpr employees, is a key element of the German welfare state. Tenure-track professors who are civil servants are entitled to corresponding benefits under civil service pension law and social security law.