Actively Recruiting Qualified Woman Academics
The plan to actively recruit qualified woman academics was laid out in the Equal Opportunity Plan. This measure aims to increase the number of women among university instructors and academic staff.
Active recruitment involves systemic research and a targeted approach towards attracting women who are genuine potential candidates in the application process. The basic principles for selecting the best candidate are upheld, as is a regulated selection procedure.
Procedure
- A timely agreement within the selection committee as to who is responsible for actively approaching candidates
- Research on potential candidates should begin at the latest when the call for applications is published
- All committee members are responsible for seeking suitable candidates
- Candidates should be contacted in writing by a responsible committee member and invited to apply
- Research documentation and contract (in the interest of transparency)
A template for a cover letter can be obtained from the Equal Opportunity Office.
Research — Tips & Tools
Social Networks and Academic Societies
Potential candidates can be approached via social networks within the academic community, e.g. through conferences and mailing lists.
You can also ask for contact information for qualified women academics via member lists or the boards of subject-relevant work groups. The call for application can also be shared through these channels.
DFG Review Boards
When carrying out an international search for potential applicants with a specific subject profile, it can be useful to contact the DFG Review Boards (taking any biases into account). As elected subject representatives, DFG Review Board members should have an »especially good overview of their research fields«.
A list of DFG Review Board members can be found here.
Multidisciplinary Databases for Women Academics
- /femconsult
(CEWS — Center of Excellence Women and Science — Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences) - AcademiaNet
(Robert Bosch Stiftung & Spektrum der Wissenschaft) - AKGL — Database of women holding a postdoctoral academic qualification
(AKGL — Working Group for Equal Opportunities Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz) - FEMtech databse of female experts
(Austrian female expert database) - FemDat — Feministische Datenbank für Akademikerinnen
(Swiss female expert database)
Databases for Third-Party Funded Projects
GEPRIS
(Database of projects funded by the DFG)- Cordis
(Database of projects funded by the EU) - ERC — European Research Council
(Database of projects funded by the ERC) - Humboldt Network
(Database of projects funded by the Humboldt Foundation)
Subject-Specific Databases and Network for Women Academics
- WES (Women’s Engineering Society UK)
- INWES (International Network for Women in Engineering and Sciences)
- epws (European Platform for Women Scientists)
- EWM (European Women in Mathematics)
- dib (German Association of Women Engineers)
- VDI Network »Frauen im Ingenieurberuf« (The Association of German Engineers)
- GI-Fachgruppe »Frauen und Informatik« (Gesellschaft für Informatik)
Efas (Ökonominnen-Netzwerk der Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin)
- SWIP Germany e.V. (Society for Women* in Philosophy Germany)
Further Information
For questions regarding active recruitment, contact the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Equal Opportunity Officer, Tina Meinhardt, by phone: +49 (0) 36 43 / 58 42 40 or via e-mail to: tina.meinhardt@uni-weimar.de.
Further information on actively recruiting women academics and on gender-equitable appointment procedures can be found on the following websites (among others):
- Rekrutierung von Wissenschaftlerinnen — aktiv gestalten
(Information portal by /femconsult, CEWS — Center for Excellence Women and Science, gesis — Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences)
- The DFG’s Research-Oriented Equity and Diversity Standards
(DFG — German Research Foundation)
- Appointment Procedure and Active Recruitment: Gender-Equitable Appointment Procedures
(Comprehensive information site from the University of Konstanz)