Basic Clinician Scientist Programme
of the Medical Faculty of Ulm University
Modern university medicine needs physicians who conduct research. They bridge the gap between patient care and scientific knowledge.
NEWS
This year's call for applications for the Basic Clinician Scientist Program has been published.
Application deadline: January 7, 2027
For more information, please see further down on the homepage.
The Medical Faculty of Ulm University and the South W眉rttemberg Regional Medical Association have signed an agreement under which doctors conducting patient-centred research can, as part of the Medical Faculty鈥檚 Clinician Scientist Programme, have up to twelve months of research time credited towards their specialist training 鈥� instead of the previous six (click here for the press release).
Dr. Carolin Seeling (Department of Internal Medicine III) is a participant in the Basic Clinician Scientist Program and, with her pitch at the Young Researchers' Science Day on October 21, 2026, won a travel voucher to attend conferences or visit collaborative partners.
Congratulations!
The news archive contains older press releases, reports and notes about the Clinician Scientist Programme and the clinician scientists at Ulm University.
Contact
Center for Research Strategy and Support
Ulm University
Helmholtzstr. 22 / room 1.49
89081 Ulm, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)731/50-33634
___________________________________
Please send any amendments (e.g. reallocation of funds, deadline changes, pauses) to:
aenderungsantraege_nachwuchsfoerderung.medizin(at)uni-ulm.de
Programme Overview & Call for Proposals Information
Current Call for Proposals
dated November 2, 2026, for the 2027鈥�2030 funding period
Application deadline: January 7, 2027
Planned start of funding: May 1, 2027
Guidelines (in German only)
Applications must be submitted exclusively through the application portal of the Medical Faculty. All documents and forms relevant to the call for applications are available for download there.
The application process consists of two stages. After reviewing the written applications (Stage 1), the Clinician/Medical Scientist Board will decide which applicants will be invited to present their projects (Stage 2). This presentation round is expected to take place in mid-March 2027. As soon as a date has been set, it will be announced here.
NEW: Recognition of Research Activities by the District Medical Association of South W眉rttemberg:
As part of the Basic Clinician Scientist Program (CSP), the District Medical Association of South W眉rttemberg now recognises up to 12 months of research activity during specialist training. This is based on a formal agreement with the Medical Faculty of Ulm University.
A prerequisite for recognition is that the research is patient-oriented; pure basic research is not eligible. In addition, certain requirements must be met, which are associated with specific obligations. Detailed information can be found in the information sheet.
Important Notes:
- If you wish to make use of this option, please ensure that you contact the CSP coordinator, Ms Lysann Palkowitsch, before submitting your application documents.
- The application for recognition of up to 12 months can only be submitted in the context of the application for the Basic Clinician Scientist Program, i.e. prior to participation in the program. Retrospective applications are not possible.
- This agreement can initially be implemented on a pilot basis only for the faculty鈥檚 own Basic Clinician Scientist Program.
The Basic Clinician Scientist Programme (Basic CSP) at the Medical Faculty, Ulm University, is a structured programme designed to support early-career doctors who wish to combine their clinical training with a scientific career. During their specialist training, participants are granted partial exemption from clinical duties to carry out their own research projects. The aim is to systematically develop an independent research profile that leads to the acquisition of third-party funding, high-quality publications and a long-term foothold in academic Medicine.
The programme is aimed at physicians with a PhD who are engaged in scientific research whilst undergoing specialist training 鈥� preferably in their 2nd to 6th year of training. Specialists without significant clinician-scientist experience may also apply, preferably to the Basic CSP. The funding is structured over three years and includes a 50 per cent exemption from clinical duties for research purposes, which can be flexibly distributed across the three years. In addition to the research leave, participants benefit from a structured curriculum comprising a series of seminars, CSP retreats, membership of the Baden-W眉rttemberg Clinician-Scientist Network, as well as interdisciplinary continuing education courses and seminars on key competencies.
A central element of the programme is an intensive supervision and mentoring scheme: each clinician scientist is supported by two supervisors (one experimental and one clinical) as well as an independent mentor. Together, they draw up an individual qualification and career development plan. An interim evaluation in the second year ensures that project progress, qualification and continuing education remain closely interlinked.
In the Basic CSP, the Medical Faculty funds not only the clinician-scientist position (50%) but also consumables and travel funding. As a rule, a maximum of four positions can be awarded in the Basic CSP each year.
The application process consists of two stages: following the submission of written documents, selected applicants are required to present their project in the form of a scientific talk followed by a discussion. A decision on admission to the programme is made on this basis.
Documents/Forms for downloading (in German only)
The interim evaluation takes place during the second year of the CSP. To this end, the clinician scientist must submit their Interim Report to the Coordination Office no later than 3 months before the end of the second year of the CSP. The report is reviewed by the Clinician/Medical Scientist Board. The interim report should be based on the milestone plan/career development plan originally submitted and prepared in collaboration with the mentors. Any deviations from the original milestone plan/career development plan must be supported by a convincing rationale. Ideally, the clinician scientist should contact the Coordination Office in a timely manner (approximately 4鈥�5 months before the end of the second CSP year) to discuss and plan the interim evaluation process. If timing permits, the interim evaluation may be expanded to include a presentation by the clinician scientist of their project during the CSP/MSP retreat.
Interim reports starting with the 2026鈥�2029 funding period will be submitted via the application portal of the Medical Faculty.
CSP participants agree to submit a brief Final Report no later than six months after the end of the funding period, listing any publications, conference presentations (posters and talks), and third-party funding secured.
Starting with the 2026/2029 funding period, final reports will be submitted through the application portal of the Medical Faculty.
ProTrainU
The Graduate & Professional Training Center Ulm (ProTrainU) is the central point of contact for supporting early-career female researchers at the University of Ulm鈥攊ncluding in the areas of general advising and career development. ProTrainU also offers numerous training programs and courses on interdisciplinary skills (e.g., key competencies, communication, project management). Take advantage of these opportunities to enhance your professional profile and advance your career!
CSP Platform
A shared, secure folder is available in the kiz to facilitate collaboration and networking among clinician scientists. Users log in with their individual kiz accounts. The folder is accessible only to clinician scientists funded through the CSP. Among other things, the seminar schedule for the independent CSP seminar series is also stored here.
Further internal funding opportunities for clinician scientists
In addition to the Clinician Scientist Programme, there are further in-house funding opportunities available which provide targeted support for the scientific careers of doctors and are integrated into the 鈥淯lm Career Track鈥�, which enables a transparent and predictable academic career path.
Start-Up Funding Programme of the Medical Faculty (Bausteinprogramm)
Successful clinician scientists from the Basic Clinician Scientist Programme can apply for specific funding for equipment and/or staff for their research through the Bausteinprogramme (Clinician Scientist Module).
International Mobility Fund of the Medical Faculty
The International Mobility Fund supports grant holders on the Ulm Career Track during short research visits of up to three months at international host institutions. The aim is to acquire new methods, establish robust international collaborations and become involved in internationally recognised research environments 鈥� as an integral part of scientific career development. The Medical Faculty generally covers up to 15,000 EUR per stay; applications may be submitted at any time. Each year, the faculty allocates a total of 100,000 EUR to the International Mobility Fund.
Advanced Clinician Scientist Programme of the Medical Faculty
Successful specialist doctors have the opportunity to apply for the Advanced Clinician Scientist Programme 鈥� ideally following on from the Basic Clinician Scientist Programme.
Scientific Consultant Positions at the Medical Faculty (Wissenschaftliche Oberarztstellen)
To strengthen translational research, the Medical Faculty of Ulm University and the Ulm University Medical Center wish to offer established clinician scientists the option of a senior scientific consultant position that combines clinical practice and research in the long term.
Retreats
Every two years, we take a break from the daily grind and head off on a retreat! Together with colleagues from the Medical Scientist Programme and other clinician scientist programmes in the area, we meet 鈥� usually at Villa Eberhardt in Ulm 鈥� to facilitate exciting projects, new ideas and plenty of discussion. Among those taking part are, for example, clinician scientists from the Else Kr枚ner Research Training Group POTENTIAL, the or the .
Our scientific early-career researchers present their work in talks or poster presentations. This gives you a good insight into the research currently being carried out in the Clinician Scientist Programme. Alongside the programme, there鈥檚 always plenty of time for a relaxed get-together 鈥� ideal for networking, initiating collaborations and simply exchanging ideas in a pleasant atmosphere.
A look back at our retreats
Baden-W眉rttemberg Clinician-Scientist Network
Network of Clinician Scientist Programmes in Baden-W眉rttemberg
Special funding stream for university medicine (in accordance with the University Funding Agreement, HoFV II)
The Baden-W眉rttemberg Clinician Scientist Network brings together the Medical Faculties , , , and Ulm, as well as the . The network supports clinician scientists from all partner institutions and shares the common goal of promoting translational medicine through close collaboration between clinical practice and research. Clinician scientists from all institutions meet annually at different locations for the Clinician Scientist Baden-W眉rttemberg Networking Event. On 4 July 2025, the meeting took place in Ulm.
A look back at past meetings:
2026 Freiburg (online)
2025 Ulm
2024 Heidelberg
2023 罢眉产颈苍驳别苍
2022 Mannheim
