Helmholtz Investigator Groups (Standard Track) & Helmholtz Innovation Exploration Groups (Pilot Track)

Standard Track

The Helmholtz Investigator Groups program aims to win the best international and national recognised researchers (2 to 6 years of academic age) for a first leadership position in science. It offers Helmholtz Investigator Group leaders the opportunity to establish their own independent research group at a Helmholtz Center in cooperation with a partner university. As an Investigator Group leader, they can access the research infrastructure, grow to their full potential as a leader in science as well as strengthen and further develop their networks in the scientific community.
The focus of the group

Pilot Track

The Helmholtz Association introduces a new pilot track designed to support outstanding postdoctoral researchers who seek to develop the earliest scientific foundations required for future application, industry cooperation or spin-off creation. The track focuses on the (pre-)validation phase in which first scientific results, technical hypotheses and prototypes are built to a level that enables credible pitching to venture capital or industrial partners. This phase precedes market-oriented activities supported by other Helmholtz transfer programs such as Helmholtz Enterprise.