Habilitation

Find a mentor in the Department of Biology who works in the field in which you would like to obtain your Habilitation. A mentor must be either a professor or a member of the Department of Biology who has completed a Habilitation.

As a rule a Habilitation requires at least eight peer-reviewed publications in journals, and you must have been the first or senior author for at least 50% of these. The publications must cover one subject area and may not have been a part of the candidate’s PhD. Where necessary, candidates should supply a description of their own contributions in accordance with Section 2 subsection 2 of the Habilitation Regulations (Habilitationsordnung, HabilO).

The Habilitation thesis should contain the following:

• preface
• list of publications and manuscripts that are a part of the Habilitation thesis
• acknowledgments (if applicable)
• Meaningful, cross thematic research report 
• tabular CV and proof of scholarly activity (publications, lectures and posters, and reviewer activities)
• appendix (publications and manuscripts)
• sworn declaration

Submit an informal admission application for the Habilitation procedure. Please address this to the head of the Department Council Biology and submit it along with the following supporting documents to the Academic Office of the Department of Biology (Section 2 subsection 2 HabilO):

• curriculum vitae
• dissertation
• doctoral diploma (please bring the original to the academic office; they will make a copy there)
• Habilitation thesis in quintuplicate (no spiral bindings)
• USB-Stick with the Habilitation thesis as an pdf-file (not more than 10MB please)
  
• statement as to whether or not you have already applied for the Habilitation elsewhere
• list of publications
• if applicable, a request to submit the Habilitation thesis in a language other than German (Section 2 subsection 3 HabilO)

The Department Council Biology makes a decision within two months after receipt of the application and required supporting documents.

Prior to the meeting of the Department Council, you must hold a half an hour presentation on your research area and then answer questions for about fifteen minutes. Next events of the meeting, you will find here. Please register at Mr. Brändel(%20markus.braendel"AT"uni-hamburg.de) no later than two weeks before the meeting you want to attend.

Subsequently, the department’s extended board will make a decision regarding the initiation of the procedure and appoint a five-member Habilitation Committee consisting of professors or members of the Department of Biology who have completed a Habilitation.

The Habilitation Committee reviews the Habilitation thesis and orders three independent reviews, which should be submitted to the committee within three months. A reviewer must be either a professor or a researcher who has completed a Habilitation. At least two of the reviewers should not be members of Universität Hamburg (incl. UKE and professors appointed jointly with Universität Hamburg). You have the right to suggest a reviewer.

After receipt of the reviews, the Committee draws up a report and submits it to the Department Council (formal review).

You will be informed of the decision in writing and receive your Habilitation certificate  at the academic office. The certificate is signed by the dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences as well as the chair of the Habilitation Committee, and it bears the Universität Hamburg seal.

The Habilitation thesis or, in the case of a cumulative Habilitation, the articles submitted but not yet published should be published within two years after the Habilitation. This may be done in parts and, if applicable, together with the other researchers who were involved.

After publication, three printed copies of the Habilitation thesis or the articles that had not yet been published when the Habilitation thesis was submitted should be delivered free of charge to the Department of Biology.