DZIF Academy
Educating and training the next generation of researchers in infectious diseases is the aim of the DZIF Academy. Highly attractive educational programs for students and postgraduates are fundamental for excellent basic, translational and clinican scientists.
Using a multidisciplinary training approach, the Academy programs are designed to promote career opportunities for young scientists in the fields of clinical infectious diseases, microbiology, virology, immunology and molecular medicine. It also supports female scientists and young parents during critical phases of their career.
„All of those funded by the DZIF Academy so far have gained a permanent foothold in infection research.“
At the same time, Academy programs allow trained clinicians to sharpen their scientific profile in parallel to specializing in infectious diseases and to qualify for an academic career. For this, the DZIF Academy closely collaborates with the German Societies for Infectious Diseases (DGI) and Pediatric Infectious Diseases (DGPI) and will award the DZIF certificates “Excellence in Infectious Diseases” and “PhD in Infection Research”.
Programs for the promotion of young scientists
With its funding programs, the DZIF Academy aims to inspire young researchers for infection research and offer them long-term research perspectives.
Applications for the MD program are made via the PhD programs at the DZIF sites. Laboratory rotations can be applied for throughout the year. Applications for the Maternity Leave Program may be submitted any time during maternity- and/or extended parental leave or, at the latest, three months after returning to work.
The next deadline for the other programs is September 17, 2025.
More information and the calls for the programs can be found in the following overview of all DZIF Academy programs.
Career advancement
- Programs for medical students (MD Program)
The DZIF Academy supports the overall DZIF objective of attracting young students into infection research by sponsoring up to six MD students per DZIF partner site and year. The purpose of the DZIF MD Program is to support medical students interested in performing an experimental study and joining a structured doctoral program to obtain their MD. Because of the individuality of their programs, all DZIF sites have established their own structured doctoral programs that enable medical students to complete a doctoral thesis in infection research.
The DZIF MD Program grants funded students twelve to eighteen months of release from the routine medical curriculum in order to achieve full-time dedication to thesis-related research in a DZIF project. Interested candidates should please contact their local DZIF site manager or the DZIF Academy in order to receive more information.
- Clinical Leave Program
The overall goal of the DZIF Academy is to close the gap of multidisciplinary training approaches within infection research in order to master the biological complexities associated with infectious diseases. The DZIF Academy will fund up a 1 or 1.5-year clinical leave of absence for doctors in their clinical training. Those funded in the last application period can each apply for a one-time, six-month extension. The DZIF-funded clinical leave should be used to conduct an experimental or clinical research project at a DZIF site, to publish projects and/or to apply for an additional grant (e.g. DFG).
- MD/PhD Program
Reflecting its dedication to training next-generation Clinician Scientists, the DZIF Academy annually awards full-time funding for three years (in exceptional cases as part time with a longer duration) in order to enable MDs the opportunity to obtain an additional doctoral degree at one of the DZIF partner sites.
- Programs for Advanced Clinician Scientists
The aim of the program is to establish a structure after specialist qualification that enables the successful combination of tasks in research, teaching and patient care in university medicine. The target group is research-oriented medical specialists who have already successfully embarked on an academic career path with the intention of taking on a management function or professorship in the future. The 50% release from clinical work is intended to enable the sponsored persons to develop in a science-oriented manner.
- Maternity Leave Program
To facilitate the re-entry of female scientists after maternity leave or extended parental leave, the DZIF Academy has established the Maternity Leave Program. The program encourages female DZIF project leaders or staff in DZIF-funded projects to continue their career in infection research part-time or full-time.
Training and travel grants
- Short-term training program for early career scientists of DZIF African Partner Institutions
The aim of the short-term training program is to contribute to the qualification of young African scientists from African Partner Institutions (APIs) within the framework of DZIF-funded projects. The content of the modules can be adapted to specific needs and requirements.
Short-term training program for early career scientists of DZIF APIs
- Laboratory Rotations
High quality research in infectious diseases requires the combination of classical (protein chemistry, molecular genetics and medical microbiology) and advanced state-of-the-art technologies (imaging methods, proteomics, structural biology, next generation sequencing, RNAi based high throughput approaches, systems biology, bioinformatics etc.). The DZIF Academy will fund laboratory rotations in order to foster a deeper understanding of these methods and help master targeted applications.
- Travel Grants
The DZIF Academy funds participation in national and international workshops and conferences for young scientists who want to present their research at scientific events outside the DZIF network. Only the first or last authors of the presentation of a current DZIF-funded project can apply. The travel grants are not intended for DZIF-internal events.
Are you a DZIF Academy fellow or alumni?
Join our “DZIF Academy fellows” LinkedIn group and be a part of the community! This group offers the opportunity to network and exchange ideas. Ask questions, share your successes, express your opinions and give each other tips!
Prizes
The DZIF awards annual scientific prizes to raise the visibility of infection research in Germany. The DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research honours special scientific contributions in the field of translational research. The prize is endowed with 5,000 euros. The DZIF also sponsors doctoral prizes, which are awarded jointly with professional societies. They are endowed with up to 1,500 euros.
The DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research 2024 was awarded to Prof. Peter. G. Kremsner (center). Prof. Jan Rupp as coordinator of the DZIF Academy and the chairman of the DZIF Executive Board Prof. Dirk Busch (right) presented the certificate at the Joint Annual Meeting of DGI and DZIF 2025 in Munich.
Awardee Prof. Dr Dr h. c. Ralf Bartenschlager (center) receives the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research 2023 from the Chair of DZIF´s Executive Board Prof. Dr Dirk Busch and Dr Nadja Käding from the DZIF Academy at the annual meeting 2023.
In 2022, Prof. Gérard Krause received the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research.
In 2021, the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research went to Prof. Ulrike Protzer.
The 2020 awardees are Stephan Becker and Gerd Sutter. They could only accept the prizes online, as the annual conference had to be cancelled due to Corona.
- DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research
Prize winners
2024: Peter G. Kremsner, University Hospital Tübingen and Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné
2023: Ralf Bartenschlager, Heidelberg University Hospital
2022: Gérard Krause, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
2021: Ulrike Protzer, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Munich
2020: Stephan Becker, Universität Marburg, and Gerd Sutter, LMU München
2019: Gülşah Gabriel, Heinrich Pette Institute, Hamburg, and Stefan Niemann, Research Center Borstel
2018: Volker Lohmann, Heidelberg University Hospital, and Marylyn Addo, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
2017: Andreas Peschel, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT)
2016: Florian Klein, University Hospital Cologne
2015: Markus Gerhard, Technische Universität München
2014: Stephan Urban, Heidelberg University Hospital
- DZIF/DGI Dissertation Prize
The German Society for Infectiology e. V. (DGI), together with the DZIF, is offering three dissertation prizes. The prizes are endowed with 500 euros each and are awarded once a year.
Prize winners
2024: Saskia Dede Davi, Ivo Röwekamp, Laura Thümmler
2023: Maria Pfefferkorn, Maja Reimann, Lukas Weiß
2022: David Martin, Thomas Müller, Lara Thieme
2021: Jenny Lam, Sebastian Theobald, Melanie Wittner
2020: Felix Köhler, Elena Muscolino, Yassir Adam Shuaib
2019: Ramona Businger, Juan Ruiz-Moreno, Till Omansen
2018: Daniel Todt, Surabhi Goyal, Florian Lempp
2017: Johanna Galaski, Steffen Wiegand, Shuting Xu
2016: Stephanie Pfänder, Jan Naujoks, Angelique Hölzemer
2015: Jara Joedicke, Stephanie Jung and Zuguang Wu
2014: Jan-Moritz Doehn
- DZIF/DGHM Dissertation Prize
Prize winners
2024: Elias Eger
2023: Christine Dunker
2022: Anne Kathrin Lößlein
2021: Manuela Tietgen
2020: Jennifer Rebecca Richardson
2019: Tom Zortel
2018: Tobias Dietsche
2017: Sandrine Brugiroux, Angela Kling and Viktoria Liss
2016: Wiebke Behrens and Alexander Westermann
2015: Anna Müller, Irma Haben and Matthias Merker
2014: Ivo Finsel
- DZIF/GfV Dissertation Prize
Prize winners
2025: Caterina Prelli Bozzo
2024: Ombretta Colasanti
2023: Rayhane Nchioua
2022: Lorenz Ulrich
2021: Kevin Ciminski und Alexander Lercher
2020: Boris Bogdanow
2019: Manuel Albanese
2018: Étori Aguiar Moreira
2017: Florian Lempp
2016: Stephanie Pfänder
2015: Michaela Gerlach
2014: Yuchen Xia
Training & Coaching
The Academy additionally supports scientific progress and the training of next-generation scientists by enhancing scientific exchange and collaboration between partner sites through workshops, schools and coaching.
Schools and Workshops
- Summer Schools with a theoretical focus
- Autumn Schools with a translational and clinical focus
- Workshops of DZIF infrastructures
Individual and group coaching in science communication
DZIF researchers in Germany have the opportunity to benefit from exclusive coaching programs led by DZIF guest lecturer Dr Paul Charlton.
The following programs are available:
- Excellence in International Science Communication (EISC): A specialised communication program for scientists, taking place three times a year at various DZIF locations in hybrid form.
- Individual Coaching: Personalised support for preparing conference presentations, keynote speeches, grant applications, PhD defences, and more.
Upcoming dates for the EISC program:
- Q1 2025 – Hamburg (completed)
- Q2 2025 – Braunschweig
More information about the EISC program
Interested? Contact Dr Paul Charlton.
