Academic career paths leading to professorship in Germany have undergone significant changes in recent years. The nationwide Tenure Track Programme, together with the introduction of the Junior professorship in 2002, has fundamentally changed and reshaped the paths to professorship. The declared aim of these reforms is to make academic careers more transparent and more predictable.
But what do academic careers leading to a professorship actually look like and what are the working and living conditions of professors in Germany? So far, little is known about this, since there is no comprehensive data source that allows the analysis of career trajectories and professional situation of professors in Germany. The prof*panel was originally established as part of the DZHW research group “Tenure Track”. Its aim was to create the first nationwide database that makes it possible to study the diversity of academic careers leading to professorship. Following the completion of the research group, the prof*panel has continued as an independent longitudinal panel study at the DZHW.
Using a longitudinal design with regular follow-up surveys, the prof*panel collects information from professors across Germany about their career trajectories as well as their professional and personal situation. This makes the prof*panel the first and only nationwide panel study for professors in Germany, allowing the analysis of professors over an extend period of time.
Who is surveyed?
The prof*panel focuses on professors at German universities. The sample was drawn using the university lecturers' directory of the German University Association (DHV).
In addition to full professors, tenure-track and junior professors were invited to participate in the survey. This makes it possible to examine how these comparatively new types of professorships fit into the overall structure of academic career paths and professorial positions in Germany. Temporary/probationary professors, associate professors, and S-professors were also invited to participate.
What are participants asked about?
Since the launch of the prof*panel, three survey waves have been conducted. The study aims both to capture developments over time and to address emerging questions relating to the German higher education and research system. To achieve this, a core set of topics is collected in every survey wave, while individual waves also include specific thematic modules.
Recurring topics include participants’ professional situation, academic performance, working conditions and resources as well as their family situation. The first survey, conducted in 2022, focused primarily on collecting key baseline information, including sociodemographic characteristics. In addition to participants’ current professional position, detailed information was collected on their previous career path and their route to a professorship. The other waves introduced additional themes, including creativity, personality traits, health and experiences of abuse of power with academia.
By combining a longitudinal design, a broad range of topics and a nationwide sample covering all academic disciplines and professorial appointment types, the prof*panel enables comprehensive analyses of the university professoriate in Germany. It therefore provides a unique foundation for research on academic careers, working conditions and the ongoing transformation of the German higher education system.
