Corona-related extension options

As usual, requests for contract extensions are directed to the HR department by the head of working group.

The overall statutory maximum employment limit for those who were or are still employed at a time between

• March 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020 and / or
• October 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 for their qualification according to Section 2 (1) WissZeitVG

is extended by 6 months / 12 months to 6 years and 6 months / 12 months or to 12 years and 6 months / 12 months.
Further information from the HR department

The various third-party funding organisations have taken numerous measures to respond to delays and changes in the course of projects caused by pandemics. Delays in project implementation can often be taken into account by extending the duration, for example in the case of federal, EU and, under certain conditions, DFG funding. In some cases, additional funds for job extensions can be applied for or approved funds can be used more flexibly.

If additional funds are available, the superior can submit a corresponding extension request to the HR department. Superiors may contact the respective funding agency via the responsible staff member in the research administration.

• Extension by up to 12 months due to corona-related restrictions (Section 45 (6a) LHG)
• Extension by one year due to childcare / care for relatives (Section 45 Paragraph 6 LHG)
• Consideration in interim evaluation and final evaluation procedures for junior professorships, tenure-track professorships, junior lectureships, tenure-track lectureships

• Scholarships awarded by the university: Please contact the office within the university that awarded the scholarship.
• Scholarships by external funding agencies: Please contact the funding agency.
• In addition, all doctoral scholarship holders have the option of applying for completion funding by the AFF (see next section).

Supervisors can apply for dissertation completion grants (50% TV-L E 13 staff position for up to three months) to support their doctoral researchers in the final stage of their thesis work. Proposals usually form part of the AFF annual or supplementary call, but can also stand alone.

The dissertation completion funding is open for doctoral researchers in budget and third-party funded positions as well as doctoral researchers whose scholarships are running out. The completion funding can only be realized as a position. The approval is subject to personnel law aspects.

You can find more information and the respective form here (AFF funding programmes / dissertation completion funding).

Due to the pandemic, the legislature and several third-party funders created the possibility of a contract or scholarship extension. In individual cases, however, the funds for such an extension are not available. Therefore, for junior researchers with a doctorate, in pandemic-related hardship cases, funds for the extension of 6 months are made available at the request of the supervisor. The extension can only be realized as contract, the latest end date being December 31, 2022. The approval is subject to personnel law aspects. Further prerequisites are that teaching and / or research have been affected by the pandemic and that a temporary academic activity (with a contract, civil servant contract or scholarship) was pursued at the university at least since April 1st, 2020. Applications for the financing of the contract extension in pandemic-related hardship cases may be submitted to the Division of Financial Affairs with the form “Corona-compensation/Funds for the extension of pandemic-related hardship cases” after confirmation from the Human Resources Division regarding the legal possibility of extension. The deadline for applying for an extension in pandemic-related hardship cases expired on June 30, 2021.