Junior Research Groups at the HZDR

Helmholtz Young Investigators Groups

With the Helmholtz Young Investigators Groups, the Helmholtz Association fosters the early academic independence of excellent young researchers and offers them secure career prospects.The young scientists receive up to €300,000 in funding per year for five years, which allows them to set up and lead their own research group. Currently, there are the following Helmholtz Young Investigators Groups working at the HZDR:

• Dynamic Warm Dense Matter Research with HIBEF (since 2016) 
  Head: Dr. Dominik Kraus
• Ultrafast X-ray Methods for Laboratory Astrophysics (2018 - 2024)
  Head: Dr. Katerina Falk

HZDR's Junior Research Groups

At the HZDR, qualified young postdocs have the opportunity to become head of a young investigators’ group with an own budget at their disposal. The groups are expected to finish their work within five years, with evaluations after three and five years conducted by a commission of HZDR scientists. Currently, there are the the following groups:

• BioKollekt (since 2018)
  Head: Dr. Franziska Lederer
• Laser-electron Acceleration (since 2015)
  Head: Dr. Arie Irman
• Laser-ion Acceleration (since 2015)
  Head: Dr. Karl Zeil
• Application-oriented Laser-plasma Accelerators  (since 2017)
  Head: Dr. Josefine Metzkes-Ng

Young Investigators Group funded by the DFG (Emmy Noether Program)

• Spin Waves Bridging Spintronics and Photonics (since 2014)
  Head: Dr. Helmut Schultheiß

• Towards Fluid Dynamics of Foam and Froth (Start: 05/2020)
  Leiter: Dr.-Ing. Sascha Heitkam

Completed Junior Research Groups

• Spin-torque Devices for Information-Communication Technology (2014 - 2018) - Head: Dr. Alina Maria Deac
• MicroSalt: Microorganisms in salt formations of potential nuclear waste repositories and their interactions with actinides (2014 - 2018) - Head: Dr. Andrea Cherkouk
• Structures and Reactivity at the Aqueous/Mineral Interface (2013 - 2018) - Head: PD Dr. Moritz Schmidt
• Measurement Techniques for Liquid Metal Flows (2012 - 2017) - Head: Dr. Thomas Wondrak
• Magnetization Dynamics and Magnetostatic (2010 - 2016) - Head: Dr. Kilian Lenz
• Ion Beam Processed Functional Materials for Spintronics and Photovoltaics (2011 - 2016) - Head of the Helmholtz Young Investigators' Group: Dr. Shengqiang Zhou
• Computational Radiation Physics (2010 - 2016) - Head: Dr. Michael Bussmann
• Tumor Specific PET Tracers (2009 - 2015) - Head: Dr. Reik Löser
• Reactor Physics (2012 - 2015) - Head: Dr. Emil Fridman
• Transport Phenomena in Nanostructures (2009 - 2012) - Head: Dr. Artur Erbe
• Terahertz Quantum Dynamics (2009 - 2011) - Head: Dr. Dominik Stehr
• Nanoscale Organic Composite Materials/NanoBio (2008 - 2011) - Head: Dr. Katrin Pollmann
• Nano Spintronics (2007 - 2011) - Head: Dr. Heidemarie Schmidt
• Neutron-induced Processes (2005 - 2009) - Head: Dr. Arnd Junghans
• Material Physics with Highly Charged Ions (2005 - 2009) - Head: Dr. Stefan Facsko
• Nanoscale Magnetism (2004 - 2005) - Head: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Fassbender
• Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry (2002 - 2007) - Head: Prof. Dr. Frank Wüst
• Radiation-induced Cell Damage (2002 - 2007) - Head: Dr. Jörg Pawelke
• CFD Development (2002 - 2005 und 2006 - 2011 ) - Head: Dr. Dirc Lucas and Dr. Thomas Höhne
• Semiconductor Spectroscopy (2002 - 2004) - Head: Prof. Dr. Thomas Dekorsy