What are TRAc Projects?

Postdocs have the possibility to connect to the University of Bamberg with self-funded third-party projects via the Graduate Centre Trimberg Research Academy ("TRAc Projects").

Such a formal assignment of research projects to TRAc offers a affiliation to the university (incl. infrastructure, presence on the websites, status as a member) while maintaining a high degree of independence and autonomy of the research projects. This instrument is therefore particularly suitable for

  • experienced postdocs
  • interdisciplinary research projects that are geared towards interdisciplinary or interfaculty cooperation with different chairs or institutes
  • heads of junior research groups
  • research projects of scientists who already fulfill all requirements to be appointed to a permanent professorship.

If you are in the final phase of your doctoral project or have completed your doctorate, have already raised third-party funds for a research project as a postdoc, or have submitted a corresponding application and would like to be affiliated with the University of Bamberg, please contact TRAc's postdoc advisory service:

Dr. Martin Rehfeldt
Dr. Antonia-Widmer Leitz

Phone: 0951-863-3500
E-Mail: postdoc.trac(at)uni-bamberg.de

If you are planning to apply for external funding and would like to be affiliated with the University of Bamberg, you may be interested in the Docks for Postdocs! programme, in which you will already be supported in the application process. We will be happy to advise you on this as well.

Support by TRAc

The TRAc Projects are assigned to the Trimberg Research Academy without any hierarchical relationship, so that they enjoy maximum independence on the one hand, but also support from the TRAc team on the other. The TRAc staff offers the following services for the TRAc Projects:

  • Coordinated forwarding of requests for infrastructure (space, telephone, IT technology) to the responsible offices (space management, computer center, etc.) so that the TRAc Projects receive a workstation equipped according to their individual needs as quickly as possible. However, when planning the project (especially in terms of time), it should be noted that both the purchase of new equipment and the provision of suitable office space may take some time because these steps can only be initiated once the project has been approved.
  • Creation and maintenance of the internet presence of the TRAc Projects on the pages of TRAc
  • Information on internal university procedures (e.g. ordering office supplies, hiring support staff) and the respective responsible university offices
  • Creation of letter templates and business cards in TRAc's corporate design
  • Advice (on scientific career prospects, possible third-party funding sources for follow-up projects, etc.)
  • Possibility of participation in the TRAc qualification program for both project leaders and project staff members

TRAc staff also support TRAc Projects with any other questions that may arise and, if necessary, help to find the appropriate contact person. However, they cannot continuously replace a secretariat given TRAc's limited staff capacity and diverse tasks. If the day-to-day administration of the project is likely to be more extensive, it should therefore be considered to plan a solution for this already at the time of application (e.g., auxiliary staff funds, if the third-party funder provides for this).

Follow-up projects

If the project leader plans to acquire a new externally funded project after completion of the current project, he/she can retain the status as a TRAc Project for a maximum of one year for the application phase until approval.

If the acquired project is funded by the DFG, the project leader can receive 25% of the program allowance, currently 22%, to prepare a new externally funded project. E.g., this can be used to finance an own part-time position for a limited period of time. In the case of a DGF project with a volume of 250,000 euros, 13,500 euros would thus be available, from which, as a rule, a 50% position in pay group E 13 can be financed for 4 months, for example. This offers the possibility to fully concentrate on writing a new third-party funding application.