Guidance, Skills & Opportunities for Researchers e.V. (GSO)

📣 Call for Applications: GSO Leadership Academy 9 Apply for one of 25 fully funded #fellowships for the 9th GSO Leadership Academy – an interactive program designed to give you the tools, network, and mindset for effective leadership in research and other sectors. ✅ What’s in the Curriculum? The GSO Leadership Academy is a hands-on training with practical insights and expert-led workshops. Across two in-person phases in Berlin and Heidelberg, you will: ➡️ #Learn #Leadership as #Dialogue & Leading without Authority – Develop essential skills in asking the right questions and active listening. Understand lateral leadership and influencing without hierarchy. ➡️ Gain #strategic #decision-making skills – Use Lean Strategy tools to shape your research and career direction. ➡️ Master #communication & #negotiation – Explore lateral leadership and Harvard-style negotiation techniques. ➡️ Handle challenges – Develop tools for #conflict #resolution, feedback culture, and for navigating #career #transitions. ➡️ Get individual coaching – Clarify #personal #career #questions in one-on-one coaching sessions. ✅ Beyond the training program:  You’ll also take part in #excursions and #discussions with leaders across all sectors. Past guests have included experts in science policy and research communication as well as university presidents, and researchers working in the business and nonprofit sectors. Funded by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, we are awarding 25 Fellowships for outstanding academics. Each fellowship is covering travel, accommodation, and participation costs. Who Can Apply? ✅ German-speaking researchers from #all #disciplines (German citizenship is NOT required, but you need to be able to follow the program in German) ✅ Currently conducting research outside of Germany or have been living in Germany (again) for no longer than 18 months. ✅ Demonstrated commitment to pursuing leadership roles in academia, industry, or other sectors. 📅 Application Deadline: April 22, 2025 🔗 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dWKEiqm In the picture: Our Leadership Academy 8 alumnus Max Birk Know someone who should apply? Pass it on! The program is funded and made possible by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung.

📣 News Of Our KT Boost Fellows - From Coffee Breaks at Conferences to the HANNOVER MESSE Stage Last year, when we spoke with Jingyuan Xu, Head of the ZEco Thermal Lab at Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) and #KTBoost Fellow, she shared how small moments often shape a research career: ➡️ “My first steps into networking began with attending conferences… Starting these relationships can be as simple as a conversation during a coffee break.” Through early interactions, Jingyuan built professional relationships. Recognition followed - most recently, an invitation to speak at a leading industry event! 📍 Today, Jingyuan is at Hannover Messe, presenting her work on Elastocaloric Technology - a promising step toward sustainable cooling and heating solutions. ➡️ Her talk: Elastocaloric Technology: Pioneering Sustainable Cooling and Heating Solutions for a Greener Future https://lnkd.in/e5Xx3BUd Congratulations, Jingyuan! 👏 If you're at Hannover Messe, don’t miss her talk - and take the chance to connect.

📣 Fifteen Bold Ideas. One Boost for Each: Meet the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellows 2025 Why do some birds and mammals help raise others' offspring – and how can this knowledge be shared with a broader research community? Can neural networks enhance resource management and natural hazard prediction? How might liquid crystals revolutionize the treatment of skin infections? These are just a few of the scientific questions our #2025 #Klaus #Tschira #Boost #Fellows will explore. Over the next two years, they will push boundaries and gain academic independence through the Fund. ➡️ The new Fellows will begin their projects between April and October 2025. Now in its sixth year, the KT Boost Fund – a collaboration between the Klaus Tschira Stiftung and GSO* – provides postdoctoral researchers in the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science with the freedom to think boldly at a crucial career stage. ➡️ By supporting ambitious, exploratory, and interdisciplinary projects, the program helps postdocs shape their careers and sharpen their profiles. But the Boost Fund is more than just funding. As 60 Fellows so far have attested, the "Boost" is strengthened by career development opportunities and a supportive peer community of Fellows and Alumni. ➡️ This year’s selection process was again highly competitive, with over 300 applications: ✅ 16.4% of applicants reached the final round; only 4.82% received the grant ✅ 113 reviewers from 13 countries contributed to the selection process Who Are the 2025 Fellows? ✅ 15 researchers, from early postdoc to group leader, with most in their early postdoc years ✅ 60% with an international background ✅ Representing 7 universities and 6 non-university research institutions across 10 German states – RWTH Aachen University and Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS) each receiving two fellowships. ➡️ Why This Matters The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund invests in the next generation of scientific leaders, giving them the freedom to develop their research vision, build interdisciplinary networks, and gain early independence. Past Fellows have: ✅ Secured faculty positions at leading research institutions in Germany and abroad ✅ Established new industry collaborations ✅ Obtained competitive research grants based on their Boost-funded projects None of this would be possible without the support of the Klaus Tschira Foundation, as well as the reviewers, selection committee, and partners. ➡️ What’s Next? In the coming weeks and months, we’ll introduce more of the 2025 Fellows – highlighting their research, ideas, and the challenges they are tackling. #KlausTschiraStiftung #GSO #KTBoost #ResearchFunding

📣 Save the Date on April 8: GSO x ONE EIGHT ZERO° Webinar on Transferable Skills Identify What You Already Bring: What if your next career move didn’t start with learning something new - but with recognizing what you already know? In this interactive webinar, Anne Schreiter, Ph.D. guides you through identifying your transferable skills - those overlooked but #highly #valuable #abilities that make transitions possible. ✅ This workshop in collaboration with ONE EIGHT ZERO° is for researchers considering new roles, changing sectors, or pursuing more autonomy in careers - for #PhD holders, #postdocs, #early #career #researchers, and anyone rethinking the professional path. It will help you: ➡️ Recognize strengths that go beyond your academic title ➡️ Communicate your experience clearly - on paper and in person ➡️ Find the strategies to position yourself in the job market Date: April 8, 2025 Time: 5–6 PM (CEST) Fee: €20 | Reduced GSO-rates available on request, just send us a message! Registration: Link in the first comment!

Join the TwentyOne Skills Webinar: “How to Walk the Talk - Wirkungsmessung im Wissenschaftsmanagement" At GSO* we care deeply about supporting researchers. To make sure our programs actually have an impact, we systematically measure their effectiveness - even as a small nonprofit juggling strategic and operational responsibilities. How do we do it? Join the TwentyOne Skills Workshop: ➡️ How to Walk the Talk - Wirkungsmessung im Wissenschaftsmanagement Date: March 31, 2025 Time: 11:00–12:00 CEST Format: Online via Zoom In this session, Anne Schreiter, Ph.D., Executive Director of GSO*, will walk participants through a hands-on example: the #Leadership #Academy for #Researchers. She’ll share how our team used freely available tools to systematically evaluate the impact of the program — from the first concept to making use of the results. ✅ Anne will also reflect on the challenges, key conditions, and a few surprises we encountered along the way. ➡️ This session is designed as a workshop-style exchange. We warmly welcome participants to share their own experiences and insights around impact evaluation. ➡️ To join: Please contact Marius Kursawe with a short message. Please Note: This event is intended for staff at universities, research institutions, and foundations only and will be held in German.

Keeping Up with the Boost Fellows: Dr. Renate Sachse at TU München Birte Seffert arrived in Munich only a short train ride from the previous stop on the road trip. She sat with Renate Sachse at Technische Universität München to talk about #interdisciplinary #research and why getting involved in academia beyond research is worth it. Renate´s background as a civil engineer is somewhat unusual for the Boost Fund since the program does not address the engineering sciences. Yet, her project is a wonderful example of interdisciplinary research which the Boost Fund seeks to support by #linking #engineering to #biology and #computational #modelling. Renate looked at soft robots and their potential to offer safer, more adaptable solutions than rigid conventional robots when interacting with humans. #Soft #robots are used in medicine & health care, search & rescue and agriculture, to name a few examples. But designing soft robots remains a challenge: ➡️ How do you create a structure that moves softly and adaptive, without harming humans? ✅ Renate´s approach: Learn from biological movements and use computational mechanics methods and machine learning in a bionic design process. Think of the Venus flytrap storing energy in its leaves and releasing it when snapping shut in response to a biological stimulus. ✅ Her approach not only helps optimize the movement of soft robots but also enables a fascinating “reverse engineering” perspective: By designing and studying optimal #robotic #motions, we gain new insights into biological movements themselves. ➡️ Renate’s Advice for Researchers in Interdisciplinary Fields ✅ Embrace Openness: „Listen to what others say, understand their ideas, and then translate them into your own scientific language." ✅ Keep a strong disciplinary foundation: “Interdisciplinary work is exciting, but knowing where you ‘belong’ academically is crucial for your career. A clear disciplinary home provides stability, professional recognition, and a network.” ✅ Learn to balance depth and breadth: “In interdisciplinary projects, you sometimes have to trade detail for broader impact. It’s a compromise you need to be aware of.” ✅ Strategically choose your academic ‘audience’: “Funding agencies and journals are often discipline-specific. Know where your research fits best and build your presence in that field.” ➡️ Why Get Involved in Academic Services such as Scientific Associations? Renate is an #active #member of her #professional #society, which she sees as both an #opportunity and a #responsibility - read more about the reasons for getting involved in academic services - and how Renate gained freedom while researching. ___________________________________________ #KlausTschiraBoostFund is joint program by GSO and Klaus Tschira Stiftung offering flexible funding and career development to promote researchers in the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science. ➡️Link to the article in the first comment! #ktboost #GSO

Save the Date on April 1: GSO x HTW Berlin #Webinar – #HAW Professorships: A Practice-Oriented Career Path Germany’s Universities of Applied Sciences (HAWs) offer a unique career path. As a professor, you can craft innovative curricula, merge theory with practice, and inspire students in applied fields - all while engaging in research and industry partnerships. #Join our #webinar, in collaboration with Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin - one of Germany’s largest HAWs - as we clarify common misconceptions and outline the formal requirements for a HAW professorship. However for some the path could be unclear: ➡️ What are the challenges of an HAW career? ➡️ What to expect with the triple qualification? ➡️ What makes HAWs an exciting and viable option for postdocs and professional? ➡️ What to expect from the selection process? ➡️ What are the most effective strategies for creating a successful application? Anne Schreiter, Ph.D. moderates the discussion alongside Prof. Dr. Helena Mihaljevic, Professor of Data Science and Analytics, and Prof. Dr. Tine Lehmann, Professor of International Business and Study Programme Director, who will both share insights on transitioning between industry and academia, different career pathways qualifications, and the opportunities that come with an HAW professorship! When & Where: 📅 April 1, 2025, from 12:00 to 1:15 PM (CEST) 📝 Register via the first link in the comment!

AlumNode Workshop for Our Alumni: Leadership in Academia: How Do You Lead When There’s No Playbook? ➡️ What makes an effective leader in research? How do you navigate supervision challenges in diverse teams? And what leadership strategies actually work in academia? ✅ These are the questions we’ll inspect in our upcoming #Leadership & #Supervision in #Academia #workshop, designed for #PhD students, #postdocs, and team leaders. ✅ The Workshop offers both group discussions and personalized #coaching to help researchers develop essential leadership skills. Our host Matteo Garavoglia, a Professor of Practice and Research Director at Tsinghua University, as well as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford. With leadership training experience across four continents, he brings valuable insights on academic leadership and supervision. With the workshop you will: ➡️ Understand the theory underpinning team dynamics. ➡️ Explore the role played by intercultural issues and using them to the team’s benefit. ➡️ Avoid common leadership “mistakes” and developing a “leadership toolbox”. ➡️ Adopt different leadership strategies to match the team’s requirements. ➡️ Find out about your own psychological profile and what kind of leader you are likely to be. When? 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮 & 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟯, 2025 - 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (CEST) 🔹 April 2 – A deep dive into leadership theory, team dynamics, and practical strategies for academic supervision. 🔹 April 3 – Individual one-on-one coaching sessions, providing tailored guidance on your specific leadership questions. How to Register: ➡️ Request to join the AlumNode group and share your #motivation for attending. Here is the link to the group: https://lnkd.in/eNnYEVEz ➡️ Select your preferred #coaching #slot for April 3 (sessions run every 20 minutes from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. CEST). This workshop is free of charge, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱. Your registration is binding, as we cover the costs (€100 per participant). Looking forward to seeing you there! #AlumNode #Workshop

What Does a Successful Research Career Look Like? For many PhDs and postdocs, the path seems clear: publish, apply for grants, secure a faculty position, repeat. But what if #success in #research didn’t have to mean chasing the next tenure-track opening? What if it could mean launching a research-driven business, leading a nonprofit, or shaping policy from outside the university walls? A growing number of PhD-trained scientists are forging careers outside traditional academia—not as a backup plan, but as a deliberate choice. A wonderful Nature Magazine #Careers Feature explores some of the experiences of PhD-trained researchers who have built their successful careers outside academia: ➡️ Jennifer Lavers left the university system to establish Adrift Lab, an independent research group studying marine pollution. One of the unexpected rewards? Close, long-term relationships with funders who have joined field excursions, worked alongside students, and become part of the lab’s community. ➡️ Reilly Dibner turned her expertise as an ecologist into a science-animation and voice-over business called Ecosystem Films. She discovered her surprisingly transferable skills - grant writing, project management, and the ability to quickly learn new techniques - all of which help her run a successful company. ➡️ Anna Ortega wanted to continue her research in wildlife biology without committing to government or university roles. Instead, she co-founded the Western Wildlife Research Collective, a consulting firm analyzing wildlife data for labs and conservation groups. ✅ Why are they doing it? ➡️ To stay close to family while continuing their research ➡️ To have more autonomy over the projects they pursue ➡️ To work at the intersection of science, industry, and public impact ➡️ Because stable academic jobs are increasingly rare The transition isn’t always easy - funding models, networking, and institutional structures still favor the traditional route. But these researchers are proving that success in science & research can take many forms. Drop your thoughts below - have you considered a nontraditional path? Or taken one yourself? What advice would you give others?

📣 You Can’t Apply - But You Might Just Get Nominated: The Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize First, a huge shoutout to Lia Lang, who is taking over the coordination of the Karl Heinz Beckurts Foundation! An important role, tied to a serious legacy: Karl Heinz Beckurts, a scientist who was tragically killed in a terrorist attack in Munich in 1986, left behind a foundation that has since honored groundbreaking work at the #intersection of #science and #industry. ➡️ This is not an applicant prize. #Nominations must come from #universities and other #institutions of higher learning, non-academic #research institutions, scientific and technical professional #associations, - previous recipients of the Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize - and commercial #enterprises. The donor is Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft. ➡️ Now, let’s get to the prize: €30,000 is up for honoring outstanding and proved innovations and achievements #bridging #science and #industry - but not in a submit-your-own-brilliance kind of way. ➡️ So if you know a researcher whose innovation is not just impressive but proven - meaning it’s out in the real world making a difference - this is your moment to push their name forward. ✅ Deadline extended (from March 15): now March 30, 2025 (You’re welcome, last-minute nominators.) ✅ Award ceremony: November 17, 2025, Heidelberg ✅ How to nominate? A max. 10-page proposal, CV, and endorsement from a sponsoring organization (link in comments) Let’s make sure the best minds in science - #both #men and #women - get the recognition they deserve. Spread the word!