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The share of women in leadership positions at the Max Planck Society continues to grow

What unites them all is their passion for research. Over the past year, the Max Planck Society has once again increased the proportion of women in leadership positions, welcoming 12 new female directors.

“I am delighted that we have not only finalised many top appointments but that the Max Planck Society is also becoming more female and more international,” says Max Planck President Patrick Cramer. “In terms of equal opportunities, we are on the right track. Four years ago, women led just 18% of our departments. This year, we have already exceeded our own target. I am therefore very confident that we will achieve our goal of 28% female representation at the highest management level by 2030-and we may even reach gender parity at the Group Leader level by then.” The Max Planck Society recognised early on that equal opportunities and diversity are fundamental building blocks for cutting-edge research. As part of its voluntary commitment, the MPG has therefore set internal benchmarks to ensure that every vacant leadership position is filled in alignment with these targets.

The glass ceiling is starting to crack

The Max Planck Society has not only met but even exceeded its self-imposed gender diversity targets at the highest leadership levels over the past year. This is particularly evident at the director level, where the 2025 target of 24.6% female representation was already reached in 2024. At the research group leadership level, the goal set for this year had already been achieved by the end of 2023. By the end of 2024, 69% of all Max Planck Institutes will have at least one female director-an 11% increase from the previous year.

The Max Planck Society remains dedicated to attracting and appointing highly qualified women to leadership roles, particularly in historically male-dominated scientific fields. The additional commitment to ensuring that each institute has at least one female director is proving to be a successful strategy. These positive developments stem from comprehensive talent development initiatives, a significant surpassing of internal recruitment targets-especially through the hiring of outstanding international female researchers-and strong leadership advocacy for gender diversity. Enhanced internal monitoring processes and a focused approach on gender-equitable hiring practices have further driven this progress.

Recognition and support for female scientists

The ultimate goal is to reach a point where voluntary commitments to increasing female representation in leadership roles are no longer necessary-once the infamous glass ceiling has been shattered. Until then, the Max Planck Society remains committed to supporting talented female researchers through a range of long-term initiatives, such as the Minerva Fast Track programme. This career initiative is designed for outstanding female scientists who are considering long-term career planning after completing their doctorate. Eligible candidates must have earned their PhD within the past two years or have just completed their first postdoctoral position. The programme provides funding for up to four years, with the goal of preparing participants to apply for a Max Planck Research Group on an open-topic basis. Another example of sustainable career development is the Lise Meitner Excellence Programme, which is specifically designed for female research group leaders. Every female scientist who is selected for this programme is offered the opportunity to take part in a tenure-track process. This year, one of the newly appointed directors emerged from such a programme-demonstrating its success in fostering top female talent in science.