The 2030 Female Professors Programme: The University of Freiburg has received funding for equity projects
Freiburg, 14/01/2026
Through the 2030 Female Professors Programme, the University of Freiburg can allocate around €2.1 million to measures promoting gender equality, such as transitional funding for female researchers in the postdoctoral phase and the expansion of coaching, family services and gender equality monitoring.
The federal and state governments are supporting the three applications submitted by the University of Freiburg as part of the 2030 Female Professors Programme. It will receive around €2.1 million over the next five years for measures to promote gender equality. This is based on the success of its “Equality Concept for Parity,” which the University of Freiburg had developed for the first selection round of the 2030 Female Professors Programme in 2024. “The funding will help us to continue implementing and advancing our equality concept. This brings us an important step closer to our goal of a gender-equal university,” says Prof. Dr Sylvia Paletschek, Vice Rector for University Culture at the University of Freiburg.
“The funding will help us to continue implementing and advancing our equality concept. This brings us an important step closer to our goal of a gender-equal university.”
Prof. Dr Sylvia Paletschek
Vice Rector for University Culture at the University of Freiburg
Strengthening equality locally while expanding structures
One focus of the planned measures is on the postdoctoral phase, during which many female scientists continue to leave academia. The University of Freiburg therefore intends to provide transitional funding, for example to give female researchers the opportunity to apply for a postdoctoral project or to complete a habilitation.
In addition, a fund for decentralised gender equality measures is to be set up. Faculties and other organisational units can apply for funds from this to promote gender equality projects on site, for example to raise awareness of gender equality issues, make STEM subjects more attractive to women or promote women’s careers in science. In addition, the University of Freiburg is setting up a family services project to organise childcare hours in the University’s own daycare centres and is expanding the existing CORA coaching programme for female researchers.
Furthermore, the University of Freiburg intends to further develop its gender equality monitoring and controlling so that we can evaluate data in an even more differentiated manner and consider it in an intersectional manner – i.e. in the interaction of various diversity characteristics. In this way, we are creating an evidence-based foundation for advancing our equity and diversity strategy in an even more targeted manner in the future.
The 2030 Female Professor Programme
The 2030 Female Professors Programme is the largest joint funding instrument of the federal and state governments to increase the proportion of women in professorships and leadership positions at universities. Universities apply with an “equality concept for parity” that includes a situation analysis and measures based on it to promote gender equality. Concepts that receive a positive assessment are eligible for additional funding, including for the first appointments of female professors and for structural measures to promote gender equality.
The University of Freiburg has consolidated its goals and measures in its equality concept for parity, which was developed and published as part of the 2030 Female Professors Programme. It forms the strategic framework for the projects that have now been approved and for further development towards a gender-equal university.