Regrettably many women go a different path than the jump from postdoc to professor and then leave science. The SFB 1280 supports female scientists on a structural and more important on an individual level. We can build on a network of interventions of our universities and supporters. The committee for equal opportunities of the SFB 1280 has made it their aim to address the real injustice in the everyday lab work and works on the level of the affected. The coordination office of the SFB 1280, in its linking role, monitors and fosters equality in the collaborations. It is in close contact with the board and the constantly evolving equality bodies of the universities.
A successful equal opportunities policy leads to tremendous benefits: equal opportunities affect the quality of research, as talents can be drawn from a larger population
DFG, 2008, Research Orientated Standards on Equality
The mentoring³ of the Research Academy Ruhr is focused on female doctoral students and postdocs with and without habilitation. For two years they are supported by an established scientist and coached in a group.
The coaches advise the participants in career planning and convey their knowledge of structure and rules in the science business. Seminars to acquire key skills and with career specific contents also belong to the program. Active networking with female scientists in the ruhr area is an additional aim of the program.
WomenTor from the RUB is a mentoring program from women for women and is directed at female junior professors. It takes into account the special situation of having a position of a university teacher and being in a qualification phase at the same time. With an experience professor from another faculty as a mentor, individual topics are reflected and networking between new and established professors is supported. Intimate discussions also support the networking and exchange of junior professors.
The mentoring program mINKLUSIV from the RUB aims at young scientists with disabilities. The aim is to create a setting in which scientists with disabilities can participate equally in research and teaching.
MARA – the Marburg University Research Academy at the Philipps-University Marburg aims to assist doctoral students and postdocs in creating individual career strategies and decision making regarding the career path following the doctorate. Practical insights into fields of work outside of universities allow a better orientation in the great number of career opportunities, for example in the economy, research or science management.
The Leibniz-Mentoring-Programm is catered towards scientists of the IfADo who are aiming for a professorship or leadership position after their dissertation. It relies on the three pillars of further training, networking, and support along the way and assists scientists to steer their career in a certain direction, to establish field specific networks and to confidently perform leadership positions.
Our funder, the DFG, has created a blueprint on how to strategically reduce the disparity between men and women in leadership positions in science with the Research-Oriented Standards on Gender Equality. The universities involved in the SFB 1280 have committed to these standards. At the same time the DFG has equipped the SFB with funding to produce concrete solutions on a personal level.
With this funding we e.g. support the participation of seminars, coaching or networking events. Through the support of our universities and other cooperations we can offer young scientists great possibilities, with individual requests always being considered.
To look up: The DFG’s Equality Standards (German) >>