The prof*panel —
That is why we would like to ask you, as professors.
What is the prof*panel?
The prof*panel is a new survey study at the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies. In a longitudinal design, i.e. with regular follow-up surveys, professors from all over Germany are surveyed about their careers and professional situation. This makes the prof*panel the first and only nationwide panel study for professors.
Who will be surveyed?
In the first phase of building the new database, the prof*panel is focusing on surveying professors at universities. The sample of contacts is based on the university lecturers' directory of the German University Association (DHV). In the future, it is planned to include professors from universities of applied sciences in the prof*panel.
In addition to full professors, tenure-track and junior professors are also invited to participate in the survey. This enables statements to be made about how these types of professorships, which are still comparatively young and newly established in Germany, fit into the overall structure of professorial status positions and professorial career paths. Temporary/probationary professors, associate professors, and S-professors are also among those invited to participate.
You would like to participate in the prof*panel? Then please contact us, either directly at or personally with one of the project staff.
That is why your participation is important...
Participation in the prof*panel is of course voluntary. However, with your participation, you will be making an important contribution to science policy and society, as it will be possible for the first time to describe the professoriate in Germany and their careers.
The data collected also form an important basis for the work of your colleagues in science and higher education research. The prof*panel data is made available to the scientific community in a carefully anonymised form via the Research Data Centre of the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies.
News from the project
We are currently analyzing the data from the first wave of the survey regarding various influencing factors (e.g., tenure track/junior professorship/deputy professorship, parental leave, gender, personality) on career trajectories to full professor (tenured). A first data teaser can be found here.