Career promotion for Young Scientists
The SFB 1280 is powered by talented young scientists. As a part of the SFB, they write their dissertations, are involved in the conception as postdocs and habilitate on their way to a professorship. In the SFB 1280 a very vital young scientist culture is maintained. The post docs and doctoral students exchange ideas and experiences and from these new productive ideas evolve in all areas of the collaboration. Horizontal and vertical linking is essential for a constructive and supportive exchange beyond career levels and for mutual support.
The young scientists working in the SFB have their own voice and can actively shape the collaboration. They have own funds and responsibilities and carry out autonomous symposia and workshops. Every quarter proceedings or events are discussed and planned. The SFB 1280 is obliged to support their young scientists. More yet they hope that as many as possible find their path in science and try to aid them in on their way.
I. Offers for training and mentoring for the Young Scientists
The SFB 1280 Extinction learning generates a wide selection of further training for Young Scientists in the network of the university partners, always open for the needs for each and every one. From individual career planning or negotiation training for junior professorships to refreshing Excel courses, the SFB 1280 possess a large variety through the cooperations of the SFB. All courses regarding career development always integrate the sensibilisation for the topics equality and tolerance. The participation is usually free and available for all Young Scientists.
@MushonZer-Aviv, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The training program of the administrative department for organizational and professional development of the RUB is available for all members of the SFB 1280 and offers a truly immense program variety; from writing research applications, the individual possibility of research support to courses on graphic processing programs there is a lot on offer. Always worth a look. >>
The Research School of the RUB is a general graduate school for all doctoral candidates of the Ruhr University, open to guests from the UARuhr collaboration and the entire SFB 1280. The Research School offers valuable program additions: It offers support in research management as well as career goal independent counseling through workshops. Topics are for example successfully raising external funds, writing of applications or visits to companies in the economy. The certificates for successful participation in the events can be awarded additionally to the IGSN and BIOME. >>
Initiative „Career Development and Equal Opportunity Measures“
To accomplish the Research-Oriented Standards on Gender Equality the SFB 1280 is working with other research collaborations and the department for professional development of the RUB to develop a concept program for equal opportunities and career development for female young scientists and gender sensibilisation of young scientists in general. The training in this aims to make gender specific behavior transparent in the academic day-to-day proceedings while conveying career relevant key skills. A nice side effect of these meetings is the interdisciplinary exchange and networking of scientists beyond their own field of expertise. >>
The Bildungsakademie of the University Hospital Essen offers possibilities especially for the clinical environment and for topics such as law, quality management and many more.
The Center for Higher Education Development and Quality Enhancement of the University Duisburg-Essen offer courses on topics such as science development and university didactics which are also open to externals. In the planer you can find upcoming events with an indication whether it is available for externals.
The Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund have information for scientist at every career level for practical assistance, support programs and networking.
The series ‘Forschung fördern‘ at the TU Dortmund offers changing presentations about external funding every second Tuesday per month in the Rudolf-Chaudoire-Pavillon.
The education program Designing and Managing Research Projects (EMF) is catered towards Young Scientists that are planning to apply for external funds in the near future. The aim of the program is to convey knowledge and skills for financing own research and developing an own profile. At the end of the program the funding applications of the participants are internally reviewed.
Support on an individual level is given by MARA: This program offers doctoral candidates and postdocs an initial consultation tailored to their individual needs in matters pertaining to the doctoral or postdoctoral phase and beyond.
The ScienceCareerNet Ruhr is a career development program for young scientists of the UA Ruhr alliance (Ruhr-University Bochum, Technical University Dortmund, University Duisburg-Essen). There are several target audience orientated event series. The spring and fall academies (Frühjahrs- und Herbstakademien) are open to all. The Frühjahrsakademie is aimed at those interested in doing a doctorate and at those that have just decided to start their doctoral studies. The aim is support in the decision making phase and the beginning of the doctorate process.
The Herbstakademie offers doctoral students of the UAR universities the possibility to further develop their interdisciplinary competences, to exchange ideas and experiences with other young scientists and to network to further their career.
Special offers of the graduate schools
The general Research School of the Ruhr-University offers a practical collection of training, with courses such as writing applications or visiting possible employers. All doctoral candidates can complete an additional qualification in the Research School, but also in the field specific IGSN or BIOME.
The graduate school IGSN (International Graduate School of Neuroscience) offers students a widely accepted ‘Ph.D. in Neuroscience’. Besides mentoring scientific work the members are offered neuroscience specific education and soft skill courses.
The graduate college BIOME (Graduate School of Biomedical Science) for physicians and biologists at the university Duisburg-Essen offers a focus on behavioural and clinical neuroscience since the introduction of the SFB 1280. The BIOME makes it possible to get a doctorate in science (Dr. rer. nat.) in clinics. BIOME offers members a wide variety of workshops.
For postdoctoral researchers
The competition for positions in science is hard with the final aim being a professorship. The SFB 1280s offer close cooperation along with room to sharpen scientific profiles along with skill training to compete on the job market. In this phase of job development you need not only excellent research but actually a lot of strategic planning and negotiation skills.
Research Academy Ruhr, the events of the career forum are popular opportunities for junior postdocs to discuss relevant questions regarding career development in science and industry with high ranking experts. The forum caters for postdocs with or without habilitation.
Research Academy Ruhr, the CoachingPLUS is an offer for postdocs and junior professors for seminars and coaching aimed at their respective fields.
Research Academy Ruhr, the open summernight invites postdocs and junior professors to an informal gathering with keynote speeches and discussions, with the opportunity for exchange and networking.
RUB, a large part of the series “career development and equal opportunities” from the SFB 1280 addresses the needs of postdocs.
UMR, MARA is a program by the small university with a rich tradition in Hesse which values individual support.
Mentoring
Having a role model that can help during some of the career lows is what the SFB 1280 offers with the mentoring programs. It involves mutual trust, in which the situation of the mentee can be critically looked at within their own four lab walls and which can guide career development. In a mentoring tandem usually everything except technical questions can be addressed. The universities of the SFB 1280 have great sensitivity for successful mentor and mentee constellations. The SFB 1280 works closely together with university staff positions. In 2018 it is a member of the forum mentoring.
Upon their own request, young scientists also developed SFB internal peer mentoring in 2018. They can rely on the safety of their own network to connect horizontally and gain advice for the neuroscientific world. In the SFB 1280 every young scientist is invited to choose a professorial support from the SFB, something that is very important to the board since the existence of the extinction group from 2013 on.
The university Marburg offers personal individual consultation for doctoral students and postdocs with MARA.
Mentoring as a strategy to strengthen female leaders is very successful. Thus, the variety of offers that female scientists can choose from is great.
The calendar – Everything at a glance
It is difficult to keep track of the number of possibilities. In order not to miss an offer, a calendar has been set up for the Young Scientists, which compiles a selection of the training dates and interesting events.
II. Finances: Money for publications, trips, and lab visits
Science has to be discussed and published. The SFB 1280 invests a great part of the funds reserved for trips, lab visits or publication fees, in to young scientists. At the same time the SFB management actively motivates doctoral students to look and apply for own funding. This mix of safety and commitment regularly leads to superb results.
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>> Focus Treasure Chest
Creativity in science develops according to the bottom up principle. The SFB 1280 is convinced of this and gives out some support for own projects of Young Scientists. This addresses a very sensitive problem, as doctoral students have near to no other possibilities to gain funding for their own experimental ideas. The Treasure Chest applications are critically and constructively examined by the board. If approved, the applicant is responsible for managing their probably first own funding – of course with the helping hands of the administration as support.
For the SFB 1280, this investment is definitely worthwhile: successful treasure chest applicants have a strong tendency to share their treasure with other young scientists. By working together, they can lead their project to success and add their interesting publications to the SFB. Both effects which will definitely aid in a career in science.
III. Own responsibilities
We call our Young Scientists: They design and are responsible for our international symposium, have a voice on the board, participate in the general meeting, represent the SFB 1280 at conferences and showcase it to media and own a seperate budget. These are some of the possibilities of Young Scientists, whose perception always confront them with a lot of responsibility. Organizing a congress off the ground together will not make someone only experience exciting days and crisis-free cooperations. But when the task is done, they are always a great result richer and more self-confident in the end.
<< On the left the logo of the Young Scientists of SFB 1280.
>> Focus symposia and events
On their own initiative, the Young Scientists organize a variety of interesting events at irregular intervals. There are open working meetings on topics that concern them, such as the “Gender Debate Day” on the occasion of Michelle Craske’s visit. They are currently planning an open space methods workshop next summer. In between, there are frequent visits to each other’s laboratories, during which the possibilities for cooperation are explored.
