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Against the backdrop of educational expansion and knowledge economies, doctorate holders are seen as a core potential for economic growth and innovation in general. However, there is a considerable need for adequate data to gain empirical knowledge on the individual and structural determinants as well as the (long-term) career effects of obtaining a doctoral degree. Therefore, the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) has recently implemented a new multi-cohort panel survey, the “German National Academics Panel Study” (Nacaps); its aim is to improve the German database on doctoral candidates and doctorate holders. As of July 2020, the first wave of Nacaps cohort 2018 is available via the Research Data Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (FDZ-DZHW) for scientific research and teaching purposes. This contribution introduces the overall study design with a comprehensive description of sampling strategy, access to respondents and response rates as well as the topics covered in the study and the theoretical constructs. Furthermore, we explain data access and anonymisation measures, enabling users to comprehend the data packages available for secondary analysis. We then illustrate the analytical potential using (international) mobility and health as examples. We close with some general remarks on the strengths and limitations of the Nacaps data and provide a forecast for upcoming waves and cohorts.