• A call to action – we need more postdoc surveys!
    This is a guest post by Harry Williams (BNITM) and Regina Becker (LIfBi) who just happened to publish a comment in Nature’s career column section together with Nicholas Russell from the Max Planck Postdoc Net. Harry and Regina are currently the working group coordinators for
  • Highlights from the Leibniz PostDocs workshop on Lateral Leadership
    This is a guest post by Marta Ferreira Gomes who participated in an online workshop hosted by our network. On April 29th, the Leibniz PostDoc Network hosted an online workshop on Lateral Leadership. The session, „Leading up and horizontally: leadership with supervisors and colleagues“ was
  • Statement from the Leibniz PostDoc Network on the draft bill for the WissZeitVG
    Statement from the Leibniz PostDoc Network on the draft bill for the WissZeitVG This is an official statement by the Steering Committee of the Leibniz Postdoc Network. The steering committee is formed by the two spokespersons, the financial officer and the working group coordinators who
  • Welcome Package 2.0
    This post was written by Dr. Jacqueline Kroh, Dr. Judith Boldt, and Dr. Katarzyna Hnida-Gut from the Working Group Work & Health. We are very happy to announce an updated and expanded version of the Welcome package for PostDocs! Just like the old version of
  • Interdisciplinarity interview #4: Exploring new ways to transfer scientific knowledge
    In this unique edition of the interdisciplinary interview series (see #1, #2, and #3 for the previous editions), we had the privilege of interviewing a dynamic team of four(!) researchers. They shared their experiences from their truly trans- and cross-disciplinary project on science education. The
  • Report from the Diverse Careers Workshop 2023
    This is a guest post by the organisers of the workshop, Dr. Steve Doo, formerly a postdoc at MfN Berlin (now at University of Hawaii), and Dr. Henry Wu, postdoc at ZMT Bremen. Here you can find their previous post that we published last fall
  • 7th Annual Meeting of the Leibniz PostDoc Network
    This is a guest post by our newly elected spokespersons Dr. Mine Altinli (BNITM) and Dr. Peter Arrabiyeh (IVW). The 7th Annual Meeting of the Leibniz Postdoc Network, held on the 16th and 17th of November, was a vibrant exploration of key issues and initiatives.
  • Interdisciplinarity Interview #3: Raman spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool – a stimulus for interdisciplinary collaboration
    Dr. Anja Silge and Dr. Stefanie Deinhardt-Emmer focus on the application of Raman spectroscopy in modern diagnostics from medical and biological imaging perspectives. In part 3 of our interview series, they explain their motivation and provide examples of best practice in interdisciplinary project coordination. Dr.
  • Leibniz Explorations: Diverse Careers Workshop
    This is a guest post by the organisers of the workshop, Dr. Steve Doo, currently a postdoc at MfN Berlin, and Dr. Henry Wu, postdoc at ZMT Bremen. “What would you do if you left academia?” This question, asked of me countless times over the
  • Teaching in Higher Education
    This is a guest post by Leibniz PostDoc Network spokeswoman Marta Ferreira-Gomes. Bridging the Teaching Gap: Empowering Leibniz PostDocs with New Skills In the academic world, PostDocs often find themselves teaching without proper training. Recognizing this gap, the Leibniz PostDoc Network organized an online workshop
  • Effective Networking at our Annual Networking Meeting
    This is a guest post by Leibniz PostDoc Network spokeswoman Marta Ferreira-Gomes The annual networking meeting 2023 of the Leibniz PostDoc Network was held at the DRFZ Berlin on September 21st and 22nd. This year, with the theme “Effective Networking”, the meeting centered on the
  • Join us for the 7th Annual Meeting of the Leibniz PostDoc Network!
    This meeting is the opportunity for us to come together to identify “hot” topics, develop strategies, and maybe even form new working groups for the upcoming year. This event is all about collaboration and empowerment, and your presence will contribute significantly to its success! It’s
  • It’s Postdoc Appreciation Week 2023!
    In case you missed it the PAW just started today. Check out over 100 events on paw-germany.de. We want to especially draw your attention to the two events with contributions from the Leibniz PostDoc Network: The first event: A Panel discussion entitled Postdoc Surveys –
  • Joint Statement of the German Postdoctoral Networks on the Draft Bill for the #WissZeitVG now published
    Joint Statement of the German Postdoctoral Networks on the Draft Bill for the #WissZeitVG now published This post was written by Dr. Marta Fereirra-Gomes (DRFZ) and Dr. Mine Altinli (BNITM), the current spokeswomen of the Leibniz PostDoc Network. As we reported previously (see here, here,
  • #AktionswocheWissenschaft: Action Week around the proposed #WissZeitVG reform
    After a few weeks of silence we are again drawing your attention to the proposed reform of the #WissZeitVG and the #IchBinHanna discussions in German politics and beyond. If you are new to these terms you can check out two of our earlier posts on
  • Interdisciplinarity Interview #2: The different dimensions of power grid resilience
    Dr. Mehrnaz Anvari and Dr. Thomas Vogt focus on the resilience of power grids to extreme weather from meteorological and modeling of complex networks perspectives. In part 2 of our interview series, they report how their approach can be used to improve grid resilience and
  • Reflections on the BMBF panel discussion on future postdoc employment rules
    For this short blog post we collected some of your reactions to the BMBF panel discussion on the WissZeitVG reform on March 30th 2023 (mainly from Twitter). If you need some background on the topic see our previous post. Not every opinion expressed here necessarily
  • Transforming research practices towards environmental sustainability
    Kristine Oevel is a doctoral researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin, where she works in a wet biochemical laboratory. She coordinates the joint Working Group (WG) Sustainability of the Leibniz PhD and PostDoc Networks. The WG has been working on
  • Updates on the proposed WissZeitVG reform
    This blog post is intended to provide resources and information about recent developments regarding the proposed reform of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG). As the public and political debates around the topic are happening in German discussion panels and major German news outlets we provide the information
  • Interdisciplinarity Interview #1: The different dimensions of educational values
    Dr. Jennifer Meyer and Dr. Jan Scharf focus on educational values from a psychological and a sociological perspective. In part 1 of our interview series, they report on the impact they create by combining their disciplines and explain what other scientific fields should learn from
  • Welcome Package for PostDocs now available!
    This post was written by Dr. Katarzyna Hnida-Gut and Dr. Lisa Belkacemi, coordinators of the Working Group Working conditions and Mental Health. UPDATE (2024-04-11): there is a new version of the Welcome Package available. Please also check the new blog post to learn more about
  • Kick-off meeting – Our goals for 2023
    This is a guest post by our spokeswomen Dr. Marta Fereira Gomes (DRFZ) and Dr. Mine Altinli (BNITM). Friday the 13th does not have to be a day of bad luck. For the Steering Committee of the Leibniz PostDoc Network, it was a day to
  • Report of the first Leibniz PostDoc Survey is now online
    This post was written by Dr. Daniela Fiedler and Dr. Thomas Lösch, coordinators of the Working Group “WG1 PostDoc Survey”. Leibniz PostDoc Network members and followers of our Blog or on Twitter might be aware that we’ve been double-jobbing for the last few months (how
  • 6th Annual Meeting of the Leibniz PostDoc Network
    This is a guest post by our newly elected spokeswomen Dr. Marta Fereira Gomes (DRFZ) and Dr. Mine Altinli (BNITM). Our Leibniz Postdoc Network had its 6th Annual Meeting on 16th and 17th of November achieving a record participation. After a short introduction by our
  • The second Leibniz PostDoc Survey is open for participation
    This post was written by Dr. Daniela Fiedler and Dr. Thomas Lösch, coordinators of the Working Group “WG1 PostDoc Survey”. Participants of the Leibniz PostDoc Network and followers of our Blog or on Twitter might be aware that the working group “WG1 PostDoc Survey” is
  • Who are the editors behind the Leibniz PostDoc interview series?
    This blog post is the first part of our second interview series starting in fall 2022. In case you missed it you can find a short overview about the 2021 interview series and links to each individual interview in this recap post from May 2022
  • New call for interview partners from the Leibniz Postdoc Network: the pleasure (and pain) of interdisciplinary collaboration
    Currently, humankind faces a series of immense societal challenges that will shape life on our planet for generations to come. Recent developments reaffirm our conviction that these challenges cannot be addressed without a strong contribution from science. To put it more precisely: interdisciplinary, evidence-based scientific
  • Report from the Networking Meeting 2022 “Media for Scientists”
    Facilitating networking is one of the most important topics of the Leibniz PostDoc Network. Since our annual general meeting has been held online for two years, we have organized a Network Meeting – Media for Scientists on June 22 and 23 in Frankfurt am Main
  • Networking Meeting 2022: Interview with Marta Ferreira-Gomes
    The Leibniz PostDoc Network is organizing a Networking Meeting. This year’s topic will be “Media for Scientists”. We have asked Marta Ferreira-Gomes what postdocs can expect from this meeting and why she thinks media competence is important for a scientist’s career. Marta, thanks for being
  • An update from the communication group
    It’s been a while since we published the last interview in our COVID-19 interview series. We always had planned to publish a short recap post after the series is terminated and – better late than never – here it is! In addition we will also
  • Blog series #12: Multiple burdens: rheumatic diseases during a pandemic
    Dr. Martin Schäfer is a postdoc at DRFZ – German Rheumatism Research Center and works in the field of epidemiology. In the twelfth part of our blog interview series, he describes factors associated with severe COVID courses specifically for patients who have rheumatic diseases. Name
  • Tell about your research – the 2021 Science Communication Day of the Leibiz PostDoc Network
    In 2013, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government famously said that “Science is not finished until it’s communicated”. Professor Sir Mark Walport A track in science communication is increasingly important at every stage of a researcher’s career, from PostDoc to professor, especially when
  • Blog series #11: International cooperation in the time of pandemic
    Dr. Scarlett Sett is a postdoc at DMSZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH and works in the area of science policy. In the eleventh part of our blog interview series, she gives us insight into her work at the interface between
  • Blog series #10: The intricacies of anthropological field work during a pandemic
    Dr. Rapti Siriwardane-de Zoysa is a postdoc at ZMT – Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research. As an anthropologist and geographer, she investigates how coastal cities in Southeast Asia adapt for the future in a warming world. During the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic,
  • Blog series #9: Stress resilience during the pandemic
    Dr. Sarah Ayash is a postdoc at Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research – LIR and investigates stress resilience. In part nine of our blog interview series, she explains how we can positively influence our own resilience. Name / Institute:Dr. Sarah AyashLIR – Leibniz Institute for
  • Blog series #8: How does a pandemic lockdown affect light pollution?
    Dr. Andreas Jechow is a postdoc at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). With a background in optical physics he is investigating the environmental impacts of artificial light at night in a young and highly interdisciplinary research field. Name / Institute: Andreas
  • Blog series #7: Investigating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on higher education across borders
    Dr. Jana Kleibert is a postdoc and junior group leader at the Leibniz-Institute for Research on Society and Space – IRS and does research on transnational higher education. In the seventh part of our blog interview series, she explains how offshore campuses of European universities
  • Panel Discussion “Sustainable Research” held by the Working Group Sustainability
    One of the major guiding goals of the Working Group Sustainability of the Leibniz PhD and PostDoc Networks is to create a sustainable community within and outside of the Leibniz Association. In order to start a discussion, the WG held a panel discussion entitled Sustainable
  • Fit for Teaching – first didactics workshop for Leibniz Postdocs successfully completed
    If you ask a postdoc: “Have you ever been thrown into cold water – and if so: when?” They would probably answer: “Yes, I was asked to teach.” Teaching is a key element of an academic’s job, yet training opportunities are comparatively rare. In an
  • Blog series #6: Health and wellbeing of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic
    Dr. Heide Busse is a postdoc at Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiologie – BIPS and does research on complex public health interventions for health promotion. In a recent study, she looked at changes in health risk behaviors among university students. In the sixth
  • Blog series #5: How COVID-19 affects sustainable transformation
    Dr. Prajal Pradhan is a postdoc at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). He is working on food systems and urban transformation in response to climate change. Name / Institute: Dr. Prajal Pradhan PIK – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Leibniz Section
  • Blog series #4: Coping strategies of families during the COVID-19 pandemic
    Dr. Friederike Blume, Dr. Andrea Schmidt and Dr. Andreas Neubauer are postdocs at DIPF – Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education. For a project on the psychological adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic (PACO) of families, they are working closely together. In part four
  • Blog series #3: How SARS-CoV-2 spreads through the air
    Dr. Ajit Ahlawat is a postdoc at TROPOS – Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig. In his research he investigated the role of aerosol particles in the (indoor) spread of SARS-CoV-2 Name / Institute: Dr. Ajit AhlawatTROPOS – Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research LeipzigLeibniz
  • Blog series #2: The immune response in severe COVID-19 cases
    Dr. Marta Ferreira-Gomes is a postdoc at DRFZ – German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin and does research on B cells. In her studies on severe courses of COVID-19 she encountered an unexpected feature of the immune response. Name / Institute:Dr. Marta Ferreira-GomesDRFZ – German Rheumatism
  • Blog series #1: The Digitalization of Working Worlds
    Dr. Alice Melchior is a postdoc at GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences and does research on digitalization. In her research on the digitalization of working worlds, she finds connections to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first part of our blog interview, she
  • Putting Leibniz-Postdocs in the spotlight. An introduction to our blog series
    In February 2021 we published our call for contributions to a new blog series. The aim of this series is to showcase the diversity of excellent research that postdocs at Leibniz institutes have been contributing to illuminate the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. This week
  • Invitation to a Panel Discussion on Sustainable Research
    The recent changes to our environment caused by human activities are undeniable and have already led to an unprecedented rate of climate change and decline in biodiversity. Furthermore, those changes unproportionally affect vulnerable communities and feed into social injustice. We, therefore, carry a social responsibility
  • Call for Workshops
    The Leibniz PostDoc Network is excited to announce the initiation of a new funding scheme aimed at providing training opportunities for postdocs within our network. As permanent positions are increasingly requiring skills that are outside the normal academic requirements, many auxiliary skills (soft skills) are
  • Open call: new blog series highlighting research of Leibniz postdocs
    UPDATE 12-03-2021: We have now closed the call and we are currently preparing the interviews. Stay tuned! Dear Leibniz Postdocs, one of the main goals of the Leibniz Postdoc Network is to raise the profile of postdocs working at the institutes of the Leibniz Association.
  • 4th Annual Meeting of the Leibniz PostDoc Network
    Dear Leibniz PostDoc Network Community, We are writing to update the community on recent events that have occurred within the Leibniz PostDoc Network. We recently had our 4thAnnual Meeting of the Leibniz PostDoc Network online via Zoom. During the meeting, we had a great turnout
  • The Leibniz PostDoc Survey
    As many of you might already know, the Leibniz PostDoc Survey is currently open for participation and we urge all of you current (and incoming) postdoctoral researchers at all Leibniz Institutes to fill the online form, which you got via our email listserv, if you
  • Update on COVID-19 Actions of the Leibniz PostDoc Network
    Today, we want to provide you with a brief update on the recent efforts the Leibniz PostDoc Network is working on to promote the needs of postdoctoral researchers within the Leibniz Association. A few weeks ago, our two spokespersons—Drs. Gitta Heinz and Lydia Repke—had the
  • Communication of Leibniz President Prof. Kleiner concerning the situation of early career scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic
    Leibniz President Prof. Kleiner addressed a constructive statement to all Leibniz Institutes’ directors on 30 May 2020: Betreff: Zur Situation junger Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen aus den Leitungen der Leibniz-Einrichtungen, die Covid19-Pandemie und die Maßnahmen zu ihrer Eindämmung stellen uns alle vor
  • COVID-19 Actions of the Leibniz PostDoc Network
    As in other fields of work, the COVID-19 pandemic also has a strong impact on science and research. Especially early career researchers and those with (child-)care obligations are severely affected by this unprecedented situation. We addressed this topic among the Steering Group of the Leibniz
  • Starting a new decade with a kick-off!
    At the end of last month, after two days of very productive sessions where the main topics were outreach and visibility, we left the Leibniz headquarters in Berlin with a feeling of content as we were able to start an active campaign to get you,

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