Klaus Tschira Boost Fund (KTBF) Scholarship

The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund is a joint program by GSO and Klaus Tschira Stiftung that offers flexible funding and career development to promote researchers in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geosciences, Mathematics, Neurosciences, and Physics. The program provides support for independent, explorative, risky, and interdisciplinary projects, as well as collaboration building and targeted professional development.

The program addresses postdoctoral researchers who are employed at listed German research and university organisations and who plan non-clinical research in one or more of the specified areas. Applicants must not yet have a permanent position or tenure option, and must not have acquired further substantial funding as defined in the programme information.

Eligibility is assessed based on the applicant’s employment status and research focus, as well as constraints on career stage and additional substantial funding. If the application is successful, the fellow and host institution agree to the Conditions of Grant Approval, and the fellow is expected to attend the Welcome Event and the four-part career development workshop series.

Funding can be requested for a period of up to 24 months and can be used for all types of costs, with a limit of no more than €67,000 gross for the fellow’s salary for the duration of the project. Funding must be requested by the institution and made freely available to the fellow, used as in the submitted and approved budget plan, and documented via a yearly use of funds (Verwendungsnachweis) submitted to GSO.

• Employment: employed at a state-funded (public law) university or state-funded (public law) university of applied sciences (= öffentlich-rechtliche Universität oder HAW), at a Bundesamt or Bundesanstalt (Ressortforschung), at a Fraunhofer, Leibniz, Max Planck, Helmholtz, or DLR institute, or at EMBL in Germany at the latest at the start of your project.Research type: conduct non-clinical research.Research areas: one or more of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geosciences, Mathematics, Neurosciences, and Physics.Career stage: do not yet have a permanent position or tenure option.Additional funding: do not have acquired further substantial funding (see pdf Program Information for details).Position exclusions: Junior group leaders or junior professors cannot apply for funding for their own position.Funding entitlement: no legal entitlement to funding; funding is subject to availability of funds from Klaus Tschira Stiftung.

• Flexible funding for independent, explorative, risky, and interdisciplinary projects.Support in building (international) collaborations and networks.Targeted workshops, coaching, and peer support on professional and personal development.Participation in a 4-part career development workshop series: Linking Purpose and Career (6h in-person workshop in June 2027), Being an Effective Manager, Practicing Self-Care, and Assessing your Capacity to Lead (each 3,5h online, one session per month).Free access to GSO’s career advice & coaching services.Membership in an exclusive alumni network.Up to €115,000 funding for a period of up to 24 months.Salary cost cap: no more than €67,000 gross for the fellow’s salary for the duration of the project.

1. Upload the application via GSO’s online application form.Submit the application by the application deadline.

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