More doctoral students on full-time contracts, survey finds

German PhD candidates report better working conditions and more secure employment in nationwide questionnaire

The proportion of doctoral researchers with full-time positions has grown, while PhD candidates also spend more hours a week on their projects, an analysis has found.

The National Academics Panel Study (Nacaps) in Germany asked more than 30,000 academics at 60 universities about doctoral studies, career plans and the general living conditions of PhD candidates. It found that, between 2019 and 2021, the proportion of doctoral researchers with full-time employment contracts increased from 33 per cent to 44 per cent.