Young Academy demands standard contracts for PhDs

Clearer rules on hiring doctoral candidates would make German system fairer, group argues

The Young Academy, an organisation for outstanding young scholars in Germany, has demanded standardised contracts for PhD students, based on the rights and perks of full-time researchers.

The academy wants uniform, fair financing and length of employment for doctoral students, it said. Up to now, framework conditions for PhDs have been diverse, depending on the institute and their discipline as well as on budgets and funding from external parties.