Workshops

Support for researchers in establishing leadership, applying for funding and career management

My workshops address key issues relating to research leadership, research funding and career management. They run for up to two days and may be delivered on-site and online. Participants are also offered the opportunity to engage in short follow-up consulting sessions with me to explore specific personal issues in more detail.

The workshops cater for an international audience and are usually presented in English. They are highly interactive and employ a combination of pre-workshop activities, theoretical input, plenary discussions, practice scenarios, individual and small group work, experience sharing, coaching elements and expert advice.

Establishing research leadership

How to advance your research career and get funding

Two-day workshop for early-stage postdocs and doctoral candidates in their final year

Becoming a postdoc is a pivotal, yet highly selective career step towards research independence and tenure. Preparing for future research leadership, the workshop helps to assess the current position, align career aspirations with longer-term research goals, and develop a road map for achieving them in the individual setting. It also provides guidance on how to exploit funding opportunities effectively to build resources and capabilities for further career advancement and gain research independence as a principal investigator.

Building and managing your research group

Two-day workshop for group leaders, newly appointed professors (W1/W2) and experienced postdocs

This workshop raises critical awareness on how to navigate research leadership with confidence. By reflecting on different styles of leadership, it provides hands-on tools and techniques to develop a vision and mission, set goals, identify needs, recruit and develop research staff, manage expectations and review progress. It also addresses the challenges of advancing as a principal investigator in a 360-degree leadership context.

Supervising doctoral researchers

Two-day workshop for group leaders and newly appointed professors (W1/W2)

The programme supports doctoral supervisors in developing and reflecting the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills to guide a diverse range of candidates to successful and timely completion. It also explores the changing roles and responsibilities over the doctoral life cycle and provides hands-on tools and recommendations to establish and maintain a positive working relationship with doctoral candidates.

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Funding your research

How to plan and write a competitive research proposal

Two-day workshop for early-stage postdocs and doctoral candidates in the final year

This workshop provides guidance on responding effectively to the complexity of research funding with a focus on the pre-award phase of the grant life cycle. It covers the evaluation, the design of fundable projects from basic research ideas, how to schedule the writing process, core writing techniques and where to find support. Practice scenarios help identify appropriate funding programmes at different career stages and establish a grant track record to build research capacity.

How to prepare a competitive proposal for an ERC Starting Grant

One-day online workshop followed by personal consulting sessions for researchers with typically 2–7 years of research experience after the doctorate, trainer tandem with Brigitte Weiss-Brummer

This workshop provides essential guidance for navigating the ERC application process and successfully addressing the evaluation criteria. It explains unwritten rules and translates ERC-specific terminology for your individual setting. It also covers typical profiles of ERC grant holders, a self-assessment, how to select the appropriate panel and the timing of proposal submission. Personal consulting sessions provide an opportunity for probing further into the feasibility of the research project for ERC funding, reviewing your individual track record and determining the next steps.

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Managing your career

Career strategies and development planning for researchers

Two-day workshop for researchers at all career stages

This workshop focuses on sustainable employability in the world of Work 4.0 and supports researchers in developing a vision for a professional future beyond higher education and public sector research. Career anchors, basic values and personal strengths provide a basis for reflecting on and prioritising job options. The workshop is designed to facilitate career decision-making in an academic and public sector research environment characterised by project funding and temporary employment contracts.

How to play the German research system: hands-on career guidance for early career researchers

One-day workshop followed by personal consulting sessions for early-stage postdocs and late-stage doctoral candidates, trainer tandem with Anke Soemer

This compact workshop provides an overview of the German research and innovation system and explains the particularities of conducting research at higher education institutions and non-university organisations and in the private sector. It also explores the essential professional skills for becoming an independent, internationally visible researcher and raises strategic issues in career development, such as geographic, thematic and intersectoral mobility. Personal consulting sessions help you reflect on your current position, career aspirations, and the next steps in your career development.

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Additional formats, topics and target groups

Specific aspects of research leadership, research funding and career management may also be arranged on request in shorter formats, such as mini-workshops, presentations and webinars.

I also provide tailored workshops on career management and research funding for Scholars at Risk.

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