German Postdoc Network

Postdoc Careers in Germany: Key Insights from the #BuWiK 2025 Report The BuWiK 2025 Report is out, shedding light on the career landscape for researchers in Germany. But what does it mean for postdocs? ?? ?? Job insecurity remains a major challenge, with fixed-term contracts still dominating the field. ?? New career pathways—such as tenure-track positions—are gaining traction. ?? Gender disparities and work-life balance continue to shape academic careers. ?? Internationalisation is increasing, impacting mobility and competition. We’ve pulled together the key takeaways specifically for postdocs—check out the link in the comments! ?? ?? What are your thoughts? Do these findings reflect your experience? Let’s discuss! ??

?? Power Abuse in Academia: Responses and Prevention Power imbalances, lack of transparency, and limited accountability—these structural issues in academia can enable unethical behavior, from bullying to exploitation. But how can we address these challenges effectively? Join us for a Lunch Talk with Prof. Daniel Leising (TU Dresden) as we explore how power abuse manifests in academic settings, what emergency responses are available, and what reforms are needed to foster a healthier research culture. Prof. Leising is also a supporting member of Germany's Network against Power Abuse in Science (MaWi), an excellent resource if you’d like to read further on this topic ?? ?? Date: 26 March ? Time: 1–2 PM ?? Location: Zoom This is an opportunity to discuss a critical but often taboo topic. Let's work together to build a more supportive and transparent academic environment. ?? Sign up, bring your questions, and be part of the conversation! #ResearchCulture #Academia #PostdocLife

?? Navigating EU Research Funding as a Postdoc? Are you a postdoc in Germany looking for funding opportunities? The EU’s research funding landscape can be complex—but that’s where the Kooperationsstelle EU der Wissenschaftsorganisationen (KoWi) comes in! What KoWi offers: ?? ?? Advice on EU research funding, including MSCA Fellowships & ERC Grants ?? Tailored guidance for researchers, EU liaison officers & administrators ?? Proposal proofreading, workshops & strategy sessions to boost your success Why should you connect with KoWi? ?? ?? Stay ahead with insights from key EU institutions ?? Get hands-on support to navigate funding programs ?? Increase your chances of securing research funding We recently explored key EU funding takeaways with Byron Schirbock from KoWi in one of our lunch talks—there’s so much to learn! Are you making the most of the opportunities available? ??

Throwback to our first Town Hall Meeting! Last week, we had the pleasure of bringing together over 40 active members of our network for our first GPN Town Hall meeting. Our working groups presented their objectives and the progress they’ve made so far—it was inspiring to see so many important topics advancing and our community growing! A big thank you to everyone who presented and shared insights into their work. ?? But this is just the beginning. There’s still a lot of work ahead, and we’re looking for more postdocs to join us! ?? If you’re interested in shaping the future of our network, contributing your ideas, and collaborating with peers, our working groups are open for new members. This is your chance to get involved and make an impact! You can find more information about our working groups in the first comment below. ??

?????? ?????????? ???????? ???? ?????? #???????????????????????????????? ????????????! ?? It was a joy to welcome Dr. Tina Scheibe, Science Manager at the Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences, to share her career journey and insights on the field of Science Management. ???????? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???????? ????????-??????????: ??The profession of #ScienceManagement is a rapidly growing field, driven by changes in universities and research centers with diverse tasks depending on the specific position. ??Tina's journey from marine biology researcher to Science Manager is a testament to the diverse career paths available to postdocs, many skills that she learned as a postdoc helped her to succeed in her current role. ??Skills and competences required in Science Management include strong communication, leadership, and project management skills. Being able to speak German is almost always necessary?in this area. ??Courses and trainings can help you to prepare for your future job in this field, many institutions offer a good onboarding. ??The work-life balance for Science Managers is much better compared to postdoctoral researchers, there are offers for part-time jobs, the payment is according to the TV?D or TV-L. If you missed the talk, check out some of ????????`?? ???????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? on necessary skills, leaving research and the future of science management ?? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ??????????! Our #BeyondThePostdoc series continues with more talks and insights from experts in the field. Stay tuned for updates and join us for our next talk! #PostdocLife #CareerDevelopment #NetworkingOpportunities

??Calling All Postdocs in Lower Saxony – Let’s Connect! Are you a postdoc in Lower Saxony looking to connect with peers across institutions and disciplines? While some cities already have strong local networks, a regional postdoc group does not yet exist – and we want to change that! We invite you to an informal online meeting on March 7th, 1-2 PM (Zoom, https://lnkd.in/etbfTJfD) to discuss how we can establish a self-organized regional network. Our goal is to bring together postdocs from different cities, research institutions, and fields, while also connecting with existing local structures. This meeting is open to all postdocs, postdoc coordinators, and supporters in the region. Together, we will: ? Assess the current landscape of postdoc networking in Lower Saxony ? Exchange ideas on what a regional group could look like ? Identify a team interested in shaping and launching this initiative We, the GPN, are here to support the process – but this will be your network, shaped by and for postdocs in the region. Join us and be part of building something new! Looking forward to the discussion. #PostdocNetwork #LowerSaxony #ResearchCollaboration #AcademicNetworking Graduiertenakademie LUH Georg-August-Universit?t G?ttingen Universit?t Osnabrück Carl von Ossietzky Universit?t Oldenburg Technische Universit?t Braunschweig MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FUR SONNENSYSTEMFORSCHUNG Max-Planck-Institut für Multidisziplin?re Naturwissenschaften Leuphana Universit?t Lüneburg Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung Stiftung Universit?t Hildesheim Technische Universit?t Clausthal (TU Clausthal, Clausthal University of Technology) Universit?t Vechta Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsmedien | Georg-Eckert-Institut Max-Planck-Institut für Dynamik und Selbstorganisation TIB – Leibniz-Informationszentrum Technik und Naturwissenschaften und Universit?tsbibliothek Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM

Are you looking to enhance your leadership abilities and take your career to the next level? The Leadership Academy organised by the German Scholars Organization e.V. (GSO) and funded by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung is a great opportunity for German-speaking early and mid-career researchers across all disciplines?? Make sure you check out the call below ?? The deadline is April 22, 2025.

Congratulations to all the selected projects through the #MarieSk?odowskaCurieActions COFUND call. ?? The #EuropeanCommission will provide €104.8 million to fund 27 COFUND projects, 12 doctoral training programmes and 15 #postdoctoral fellowship programmes of outstanding quality. ?? ? The next call for 2025 is already open for submissions and will close on 25 June 2025. So have a look if your project is eligible: https://lnkd.in/dCQiQpVj? #HorizonEurope #MSCA

?????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????? #???????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????? ??????????????! Before our talk, we had the chance to ask Tina Scheibe a few questions about her role as a #ScienceManager in #Academia and the different sub areas that you can work in. Check out the video below ?? For everyone who is now intrigued to learn more about Tina`s career path register for our upcoming talk: ?? Thursday, 27 February 2025, 1-2 pm (CET) ?? Zoom (registration link in comments) We'll be sharing more of Tina's insights and experiences soon, so stay tuned!

Final call: Don’t miss out! ?? Join us for the 3rd episode of our "Meet Your Future You" event series: Germany’s research funding landscape ?? Register now: https://sohub.io/2frr ?? 25th February 2025 ? 4 PM CET ?? Online via MS Teams Discover key funding opportunities for your research career in Germany! Get insights from experts and ask your questions live. ?? Important: After registering, make sure to save the event link in your calendar—otherwise, it will disappear! #MeetYourFutureYou