Become a Supervisor

If you are keen to supervise a PhD candidate in one of the GAUSS doctoral programs, you need an examination accreditation for GAUSS.
There are two different types,

  • the general examination accreditation (“Allgemeine Prüfungsberechtigung”, APB) and
  • the individual examination accreditation (“Einzelprüfungsberechtigung”, EPB).

In the following you will find further information about the prerequisites and the application process.
In September 2018, the GAUSS Board provided a detailed guideline on the prerequisites for an examination accreditation (German , English ).
Please follow this link for a full list of GAUSS academics currently holding an examination accreditation. New doctoral projects that are going to be supervised by employees with a non-permanent contract ending within two years after the start of the project require a written confirmation by a substitute staff member in case the supervision cannot be continued after leaving Göttingen.

  • General examination accreditation (Allgemeine Prüfungsberechtigung)
  • In principle, all permanent staff of the university professorial group (“Mitglieder der Hochschullehrergruppe”), who are a member of one of the mathematics and natural science faculties in Göttingen, are automatically holding the general examination accreditation (APB) in the respective faculty program(s).
    Another option to receive the general examination accreditation for a GAUSS program is if you have undergone for the current post a like-wise procedure considered equivalent to a professorial appointment or scientifically independent achievements in the area of mathematics or natural science. Scientific Independence can be demonstrated by at least one successful funding application(s) as the principal investigator, an independent publication record (as main author and without the group leader as co-author), and supervision of at least three dissertations in a mathematics or natural scientific area.

    • Application form for general examination accreditation (German , English )

  • Individual examination accreditation (Einzelprüfungsberechtigung)
  • If you are not a member of the above group, it is still possible to supervise doctoral candidates by applying for an individual examination accreditation. Usually issued over a period of up to five years after the first EPB was granted, these accreditations for individual examinations contribute to the additional scientific development and qualification of early career researchers, but also enable academics who are not a member of one of the GAUSS faculties to participate in the doctoral examination.

    Generally, there are four different groups eligible to apply for an individual examination accreditation:

    (A) Referees:

    1. University professors from non-Göttingen mathematics and natural science faculties
    2. Early career researchers at the Göttingen Campus
      The prerequisite for the accreditation is proof of scientific independence in mathematics or natural sciences, which can be documented by either at least one successful funding application as principal investigator, or an independent publication record (as corresponding author and without the group leader as co-author).
    3. Academics at the Göttingen Campus
      The prerequisite for the accreditation is proof of scientific independence in a mathematics or natural research area, which can be documented by at least one successful funding application as principal investigator and an independent publication record (as corresponding author and without the group leader as co-author).

    (B) Members of the examination committee:

    1. Early career researchers and academics at the Göttingen Campus and external scientists
      To become a member of an examination committee in GAUSS, you need to apply for the individual examination accreditation and proof your scientific independence. Eligible documentation is either at least one successful funding application as principal investigator or pertinent expertise on the topic of the dissertation for which the individual examination accreditation is applied for.
    Examination committees should include maximum three examiners from the same working group in order to ensure the independence of the judgement. Deviations should be explained on the application form for individual examination accreditation.

    • Application form for individual examination accreditation (German , English ). Please submit the application form signed by the program head to the GAUSS Office.


    The short version of the application for individual examination accreditation can be used if a full application for individual examination accreditation has been approved in the past. Only in these cases the deciding panel has already access to the required information. The short version can also be used for persons with a general examination accreditation in other programs or full professors of other universities.

    • Short version of the application form for individual examination accreditation(German , English )


    In all cases, the GAUSS managing board is considering and approving the applications submitted by the different programs. However, the board can delegate the decision to the programs. Representatives of the areas informatics, psychology and geography should be consulted in case of applications from these areas.