Working Groups

For the period of 2024 – 2025, there are seven working groups that focus on current topical issues within the network. They suggest and implement next steps concerning the following topics:

  1. Survey
  2. Communication
  3. Infrastructure
  4. Work & health
  5. Career development
  6. Diversity and Inclusion
  7. Sustainability

The core topics covered in the working groups may change over time, new topical focuses can be suggested at every annual meeting and will be voted on. Working groups are open to all postdocs in the Leibniz Association. If you want to join a working group, please do so by contacting the spokespersons and the working group coordinators.

1. Survey

The goal of WG 1 is to collect and provide data on Leibniz PostDocs to get an idea about who Leibniz PostDocs are and how they are doing at their Leibniz Institutes. We regularly administer surveys, analyze and publish the results, as well as present the results in the Leibniz Postdoc Network, at meetings, or conferences. In summer 2020, we administered the First Leibniz PostDoc Survey and in winter 2022/23, we ran the Second Leibniz PostDoc Survey (see Internal resources). Additionally, we are currently running the Third Leibniz Postdoc Survey which aims to gather information about the heterogeneous group of Leibniz PostDocs concerning their backgrounds, interests, career plans, and needs. With all these questions, we hope to provide evidence on topics that currently matter for Leibniz PostDocs.

Group members:

Dr. Altaaf Mechiche-Alami | Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
Dr. Theresa Nutz | GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (GESIS)
Dr. Emilio Perez-Bosch Quesada | Leibniz Institute for High Performance Microelectronics (IHG)
Dr. Paula Torre Zaffaroni | Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)

Alumni:

Dr. Harry Williams (BNITM), Dr. Mine Altinli (BNITM), Dr. Johannes Breuer (GESIS), Dr. Verónica Díez Díaz (MfN), Dr. Daniela Fiedler (IPN), Dr. Tamara Heck (DIPF), Dr. Gitta Heinz (DRFZ), Dr. Sabrina Hempel (ATB), Dr. Thomas Lösch (DIPF), Dr. Lydia Repke (GESIS), Dr. Lena Roemer (GESIS) and Dr. Gundula Zoch (LIfBi), Dr. Sabrina Sobieraj (IfADO)

2. Communication

The working group Public Communication and Advocacy develops and communicates a shared denominator for the heterogeneous interest group of postdocs. Our intention is to raise the profile of postdocs at the Leibniz Association (and beyond) inside and outside of academia.

Group members:

Dr. Hatice Genc | Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF)
Dr. Julia Jungbluth | Leibniz-Institut for Composite Materials (IVW)
Dr. Shyam Krishnan | Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI)

Alumni:

Dr. Mine Altlini (BNITM), Dr. Elizabeth Pavez Lorie (IUF)

3. Infrastructure

The general aim of this working group is to conceptualise, set up and maintain the communication infrastructure of the Leibniz PostDoc-Network and to expand the reach of the network. We maintain the website, advertise the communication channels like the listserv, and reach out to the PostDoc representatives at the individual institutes. As Felix describes it, this is the “machine room” of the network.  Our goal is to reach every PostDoc within the Leibniz society, so that they can experience the benefit of the network.

Group members:

Dr. Roxana Cremer | Leibniz-Institut für Troposphärenforschung (TROPOS)
Dr. Felix Victor, Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)

Alumni:

Dr. Johanna Callhoff (DRFZ), Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh (IVW)

4. Work & health

The Working Conditions and Mental Health working group has two main aims: First, we want to address and advocate for key issues postdoctoral researchers face when working at Leibniz Institutes, such as mental health and wellbeing issues, contract issues (i.e., WissZeitVG, Einstufung), and working issues that are particularly exacerbated by the pandemic (i.e., care obligations, contract extensions, social isolation). Based on our international experience, we aim to develop new resources for postdoctoral researchers that help them settling in in Germany. This includes developing a welcome package for Leibniz PostDocs and providing an overview of important official documents that international postdocs need (English versions), resources for networking during the pandemic, and beyond.

Group members:

Dr. Jacqueline Kroh | Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi)
Dr. Praveen Kumar |Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB@TUM)
Dr. Daniel Felipe Saldivia Gonzatti | Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)
Dr. Francesca Vulcano | German collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ)
Dr. Axel Schulz | German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ)

Alumni:

Dr. Jacqueline Malchow (DSC), Dr. Malgorzata Kogut-Günthel (LSB@TUM), Dr. Lisa Belkacemi (Leibniz-IWT), Dr. Marlene Mauk (GESIS), Dr. Nathalie Topaj (ZAS), Dr. Gillian Dornan (FMP), Dr. Mine Altlini (BNITM), Dr. Andreas Weich (GEI), Dr. Katarzyna Hnida-Gut (IHP), Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh (IVW)

5. Career Development

The Career Development working group has one main goal: To offer support for the development of essential skills for postdocs. This includes training opportunities on, for example, grant writing, project management, or communication. Hereby, we want to make use of the size and heterogeneity of the Leibniz Association and establish collaborations to make these courses available to a broader audience.

Group members:

Dr. Sabrina Hempel | Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)
Dr. Yvette Meissner | German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin (DRFZ)
Dr. Rajini Nagrani | Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research & Epidemiology – BIPS (BIPS)
Dr. Agata Olszewska-Widdrat | Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)
Dr. Justine Tanoey | Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research & Epidemiology – BIPS (BIPS)
Dr. Tanja Tu | Institute for German Language (IDS)

Alumni:

Dr. Marta Ferreira Gomes (DRFZ), Dr. Sina Fackler (LIfBi) and Dr. Christina Stehle (DRFZ), Dr. Peter Amer Arrabiyeh (IVW)

6. Diversity and Inclusion

This working group is dedicated to issues of diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality with regard to the functioning of the Leibniz PostDoc Network and the Leibniz-wide workplace. On the one hand, we want to increase the awareness, acceptance, and importance of the differences between individuals within the Leibniz Association. On the other hand, we want to encourage an atmosphere that enhances mutual respect, active participation, and diverse contributions among Leibniz employees. We plan to implement concrete and sustainable practices of inclusion that will address intersectional inequalities.

Group members:

Dr. Rita dos Santos Natividade | Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB@TUM)
Dr. Christine Chiriac | Leibniz Institute for Educational Media (GEI)
Dr. Altaaf Mechiche-Alami | Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)

Alumni:

Dr. Marion Henkel (INP), Dr. Rebea Kleymann (IGB) and Dr. Kingsly Chuo Beng (IGB)

7. Sustainability

The sustainability working group is a joint group with the Leibniz PhD Network, being coordinated by Kristine Oevel from the PhD Network.

For more information https://leibniz-phd.net/wg-sustainability/

Alumni:

Elif Köksoy (DSMZ)