Freie Universität provides targeted support for next-generation academic and scientific talent through a number of measures:

• broad spectrum of doctoral programs
• seven graduate schools approved in 2006, 2007, and 2012 as part of the Excellence Initiative jointly sponsored by the German federal government and the governments of the individual states
• programs supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG), including DFG research training groups and Emmy Noether groups of junior scholars
• appointment of junior professors

Independent research by outstanding scholars and scientists as part of groups of junior academic talent has been supported by various aid organizations in recent years, including the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and a number of private foundations.

Doctoral Programs and Individual Doctorates

Freie Universität Berlin offers doctoral candidates the opportunity to pursue their studies individually or as part of a program. Dahlem Research School (DRS) at Freie Universität was created to function as a center for various doctoral programs. Doctoral candidates at the DRS benefit from outstanding instruction and supervision alongside financial aid opportunities and the chance to attend interdisciplinary courses that provide key skills for working in academia or in other professions.

Freie Universität offers various structured doctoral programs, including those within DFG research training groups and various existing graduate schools, five graduate schools approved under the joint Excellence Initiative of the German federal government and the governments of the states, and within collaborative research centers. Alongside the University of Heidelberg, Freie Universität is the most popular destination in Germany for international doctoral candidates.