With respect to the integration of women in academic fields, Germany can be seen as the caboose on the train when compared with the rest of Europe ( 
Statistikportal CEWS). Likewise, Germany is the country with the highest number of female professors who have no children ( Research and Training Network "Women in European Universities").
A number of reasons can be given for the under-representation of women in academic fields, but in addition to these, especially with respect to higher career levels in academia and sciences, one idea continues to reappear in the academic debate: A structural incompatibility between academic work and motherhood is postulated along with the accompanying negative expectations of availability. In Germany this view continues to persist despite the high proficiency level of female academics with children, and the entirely different situation of female academics in other countries. The low number of children of academics reflects the deficiencies in the real conditions in Germany of balancing academia and parenthood.
The current situation represents a restricting of opportunities for academics and scientists to arrange their family obligations with their academic work. Such limitations also imply a location disadvantage in the international competition for the best academics.
This situation provides the starting points for the research project: The limited flexibility of the German academic system with respect to the compatibility of professional academic work and family responsibility and the particularly low number of both female professors with children and junior researchers with children in European comparison (Junge Elternschaft und Wissenschaftskarriere).
