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

📣 Leadership in research and science is more than a “nice to have” — yet it’s still too often treated as such. It might sound like a buzzword, but if we want to improve the research system and help shape resilient, future-ready societies, we need more than excellent research alone. ✅ We’ve taken that mission seriously. Since 2016, we've supported over 200 researchers in reflecting on what they stand for, what they truly want to contribute — and equipped them with the #tools, #skills, and #networks to put those insights into action. That’s more important than ever, especially as science comes under growing scrutiny. Now in its ninth year, the GSO Leadership Academy welcomes 25 new fellows from 10 countries and 12 disciplines. The 2025 cohort includes researchers: • engineering materials that mimic biological tissues, • decoding mechanisms of child immunity, • exploring right-wing extremism through movement theory, • and strengthening corporate accountability in global supply chains. Others work at the frontiers of #quantumcomputing, #AI, #neurodiversity, and #digitalhealth. Some focus on fundamental #physics and #chemistry; others advocate for mental health and equitable access to education and mentorship. Many are already shaping institutional change — from #openscience and research #integrity to social justice, #inclusion, and #climate responsibility. ✅ What they share: The idea that leadership isn’t a buzzword — it’s a responsibility. And that’s what we hope they carry forward into their institutions and communities. We thank the Klaus Tschira Stiftung for funding this program, our selection committee for their time and dedication, and all applicants who showed interest in and commitment for the program's cause. The #LeadershipAcademy is a joint and unique initiative by GSO – Guidance, Skills and Opportunities for Researchers e. V. – in cooperation with the Klaus Tschira Stiftung. #GSOLA #LSA9

📣 Register now for the webinar "Career Opportunities in Germany for International Researchers" on June 11! This free session is for #internationalpostdocs, #PhDs, and #earlycareerresearchers looking to continue or reorient their #academiccareers in #Germany. ➡️ The German academic system can be complex: What are typical career milestones? How do applications work? What funding is available? And what paths exist beyond the professorship? Hosted by Anne Schreiter, Ph.D., webinar offers a realistic, research-based perspective on academic careers in Germany – for international researchers: ✅ Academic career paths and key milestones ✅ Application processes and funding options ✅ Alternative roles beyond the professorship ✅ Smart strategies for positioning and networking When: Wednesday, June 11 - 4:30pm-6:00pm Register here: https://lnkd.in/eu8yg3dq A recording will be available to all registered participants.

What Does Academic Kindness Actually Look Like? Supportive environments. Fairness in authorship. Space to grow – and space to fail. We talk a lot about making academia “better.” But what does that mean in practice? What structures support real collaboration and care? What needs to change — and what structures support or block it? These were the questions at the center of this year’s Annual Event hosted by the PostDoc Office in Graz. The topic: #academickindness. Not as a soft skill or add-on, but as a foundation for good #leadership, healthier #institutions, and #sustainable research careers. Here is some food for thought you shouldn’t miss: ✅ Does Academia sometimes create accidental leaders? What needs to be done here? ➡️ Researchers aren't often promoted on their ability to lead people, navigate conflict, or support others. Without the right support, this leads to #burnout, #frustration, or lost #potential. The Supervisor Network in Graz offers a counter-model: peer mentoring, structured feedback, and a safe space to practice and grow into the role long before tenure. ✅ Kindness is not about being nice. It’s about structure. ➡️ Whether someone feels safe enough to speak up, take risks, or support a team depends less on personality and more on systems. #Evaluation metrics, #jobsecurity, and clear #communication channels all shape what is possible. #Carework is foundational to knowledge production, but it often goes unnoticed — especially when done by the most precarious or marginalized. ✅ Institutions have a role to play. ➡️ Funding bodies should be (and are) rethinking what “excellence” looks like. When researchers leave academia not for lack of skill but because of #toxic working conditions, it’s a loss for the system — and one that leadership #practices and #accountability structures can help prevent. ✅ Leadership isn’t always tied to title. ➡️ From lab heads to postdocs running multi-institutional projects — many lead without formal #authority. What matters is creating #clarity, #trust, and shared #values. There is a need to speak about it rather than around it, and to build #cultures where learning to lead is part of the work, not something extra. Thank you PostDoc Office for this wonderful input! 👉 What does academic kindness look like in your world? And what makes it possible?

📣 Welcome #KTBoost Fellows (in Berlin)! The new Boost cohort is here - and so is the community behind it. Last weekend, the new cohort of the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund came together in Berlin - not just to mark the start of their projects, but to connect with those who’ve walked similar paths. ✅ Some joined for the third year in a row — bringing partners, kids, and a sense of continuity that’s hard to build and worth holding onto! This two-day format laid the groundwork for a supporting #peercommunity, starting with honest questions: ➡️ How much time have you spent outside of academia since high school? ➡️ Would you rather collaborate with someone brilliant but disorganized, or reliable but uncreative? ➡️ Unlimited research funding but no time to use it — or unlimited time with minimal funding? ➡️ Hit "Reply All" with a meme or fall asleep on camera during a meeting? The answers showed us how varied (and valid) research careers can be — with detours through military service, #parenthood, #industry, or long stretches #abroad. In the #WorldCafé that followed, fellows built on each other’s experience: ✅ Recruiting PhD candidates has no perfect formula — it requires trial, error, and transparency. ✅ Public visibility remains complicated — but can empower researchers to set the tone and reach audiences on their own terms. ✅ Leading a group means navigating expectations while staying open to collaboration. ✅ And in a spontaneously added session by Vahid: What is success? → According to him, maybe it's the ability to fully enjoy a good cup of tea — with or without a #NobelPrize. Because the tea doesn’t know. 😉 A big thank you to our returning Boost Fellows who've hosted the tables — Deniz Kumral, Dr. Maria-Elena Vorrath, Hilary Noad, Marcel S. Pawlowski, . And to Dr. Saskia Haupt from the Klaus Tschira Stiftung for welcoming everyone on behalf of the foundation. ➡️ The second day focused on purpose and career, guided by KONU trainers Judit Teichert and Gentry Doane. New Fellows reflected on #ambition, #strengths, and #doubts — not to “optimize” themselves, but to name what actually matters in their professional journey. ✅ What we’re taking with us: 🔸Community doesn’t start at the end of a grant. It starts now. 🔸Research careers are full of decisions that don’t fit into a CV. 🔸The people you meet early on might be the ones you lean on later. To those who joined for the first time — #welcome. To those who came back — thank you for keeping the circle open. And to those still on their way — there’s space at the table. 📣 Applications for the next #KTBoostFund round will open soon. If you're thinking about joining the community — now’s a good time to stay tuned. Tamir Eliav, Yitzchak Ben Mocha, Dr. Mirja Mittermaier, Anthi Krontira, PhD, Katrina Meyer, Pascal Hunziker, Mariia Nesterkina, Oya Cingöz, Mine Altınlı, Vahid Nasirimarekani, Bennet Fischer, Christoph Heyl, Henri Niskanen, Inmaculada Martínez Reyes, Daniel F. Carlson, Renate Sachse

📣 You’re invited: A day of science, exchange, and career perspectives. On 30 July 2025, researchers are coming together at the DKFZ Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg — and online — for a one-day event exploring cutting-edge research in immuno-oncology and the diverse career paths connected to it. "Boosting Synergies in Immuno-Oncology: Science Meets Career Insights" ➡️ Hosted by our #KTBoost Fellow Stefanie Bärthel (BioMed X Institute X) ➡️ Moderated by our colleague Birte Seffert What to expect: ✅ Scientific talks from leading experts in the field ✅ A poster session — with the chance to present your work and win a Best Poster Award ✅ A career panel with voices from academia, industry, and entrepreneurship 📍 Where: DKFZ, Heidelberg – or join online 📅 When: 30 July 2025 💡 Participation is free — registration is now open. Supported by the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund, this event is for researchers at every career stage who want to stay connected — to science, to one another, and to what’s possible next.

Translating Your Postdoc Experience for the German Job Market: What Really Matters “Too qualified.” “Overpriced.” “Not a cultural fit.” These are not critiques of a PhD work. They might just be the employer’s way of saying: we didn’t understand how your experience applies here. At our 2024 *Tbh-Conference, Birte Seffert and HR leader Susanne Kortendick took a close look at the gap between postdoctoral expertise and the expectations of the German job market. No sugar-coating. Just clarity. What stood out? A few things that might feel familiar: 🔹 German CVs read differently. Your five-page academic CV won’t land well if it doesn’t clearly show outcomes. #Translation is key: supervising a lab is also people #management. Managing a DFG grant is #budget experience. 🔹 Pay expectations must match reality. Know your #salary bands. A role listed at TV-L E10 isn’t going to flex just because you have a doctorate. And that mismatch is often what gets you labeled “overqualified.” 🔹 The #Mittelstand matters. While many postdocs look to big-name companies, 60% of jobs in Germany are in small and mid-sized enterprises. These “hidden champs” offer #innovation, #stability - and roles for researchers. But you won’t find them on every #English-language job board. 🔹 Don’t apologize for career gaps. Mention #caregiving, explain #transitions, and show how you kept professionally active. Employers value honesty more than creative CV gymnastics. 🔹 #Authenticity is not branding. What you #share, how you #connect, and who sees your work - these are professional habits, not self-promotion. You’re not selling yourself. You’re creating access points. This session was a reminder: the PhD isn’t a puzzle employers must solve. It’s a skillset you can frame - with language, clarity, and context.

🌟 What an amazing kickoff to our first ever AlumNode Panel Discussion on #Mentoring in #Academia and #Industry! A big thank you to everyone who joined us from across the globe. A special shout-out goes to our moderator Anne Schreiter, Ph.D. and our lovely panelists Cerene Rathilal, Katrina Meyer, and Suman Sourav, who shared personal stories and actionable tips on what mentoring really looks like in both academic and industry settings. ➡️ Cerene reminded us that mentoring isn't just a good deed, it’s a #strategic #advantage: It counts towards your performance goals and can even boost your funding applications. But more than that, it's about paying it forward: helping others like someone once helped you. ➡️ Katrina captured the essence of mentorship with a quote that resonated deeply with the others: "Be the #compass, not the map." ➡️ Suman encouraged a human-first approach by stating that mentoring can evolve like a friendship. It’s a two-way street and mentees also carry #responsibility. ✅ One message echoed again and again: Mentoring is not a moment, it’s a #relationship. Whether you’re guiding someone, or just starting to seek support, this journey is one we walk together. And because every mentee is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all in mentoring. Keep the conversation going - reflect on what mentoring means to you, reach out to someone you can support, or ask for guidance yourself. After all, mentoring is lifelong, and sometimes, it makes us family. Last but not least, check out the #AlumNode #Peer #Mentoring #Program and stay tuned for upcoming discussions. Want to be part of the next panel? Reach out!

📣 Online Event: Integrating gender and intersectionality in research - from policy to practice What does it actually mean to integrate gender and intersectionality into research? And how can researchers move from vague expectations to meaningful practice? On May 28, this online event explores one of the most pressing challenges in research policy today: applying gender and intersectional analysis in ways that are both rigorous and relevant — not just box-ticking exercises. Whether you're writing proposals, advising teams, or evaluating projects, you’ll hear from EU #policyexperts, #researchers, and Horizon Europe #projectleaders on: 🔹 Why gender and intersectionality are now essential parts of EU research funding and evaluation 🔹 What tools and frameworks are already available — including new resources from GENDERACTIONplus and the ERA Forum 🔹 How intersectional approaches improve research quality, relevance, and impact When? Wednesday, 28 May 2025 - 14:00–16:00 CEST | 📍 Online via Zoom Organised by INSPIRING ERA in collaboration with the GENDERACTIONplus project, this session is part of a broader effort to support the implementation of the #EuropeanResearchArea (ERA) Policy Agenda. ✅ A timely conversation — not just about compliance, but about doing better research. Registration link and event details in the first comment!

Visibility isn’t the goal. It’s what it does. At the Zia - Visible Women in Science & Humanities Congress yesterday, one thing became clear: visibility is not a trophy or a branding exercise - it’s a force that shifts structures. As Dr. Hanna Proner put it, visibility isn’t an end in itself. It influences status, access, perception. It creates momentum for individuals, and for the system around them. We were invited to take part in the “Thementische” format - a setting designed for deeper conversation, not only small talk. We spoke about the quiet #mechanics of #visibility: how #presence can become #power, how #networks don’t have to feel like work, and how #change is often sparked in moments that don’t look like milestones. We met colleagues from across institutions, disciplines, and sectors—but also across career stages and lived experiences. ✅ And honestly, it didn’t feel like networking - showing up doesn’t feel strategic here - it feels like joining in. Fellows and alumni like Stefanie Bärthel and Katrina Meyer (our #KTBoost Fellows) stopped by to chat, and Clara von Randow (our new Leadership Academy fellow) and Prof. Dr. Carolin Krahn (our Leadership alumna), dropped in simply to say hello. That’s the kind of presence a strong network makes possible - #uncomplicated, #genuine, and #impactful. ➡️ What we took home: ✅ Networks are not backup plans—they are infrastructure. ✅ Being seen is not the same as being visible. ✅Equality isn’t a future ambition. It’s daily maintenance. Even after experiencing it with our Leadership Academy fellows at Schader-Stiftung, 'Versäumte Bilder' by Gesine Born left a lasting impression once again - a posthumous #tribute to #womeninscience through powerful AI-generated portraits of what history never officially recorded. Many thanks to Hanna Proner and Alexandra Lion for the invitation and to all those we ran into, listened to, and learned from: Elena Lichtenthaler, Tatjana Gust, Magdalena Skipper, Henrike Hartmann, Alessa Ringel, Swantje Rother, Franziska Kraus, and the many more whose work resonated throughout the day. And to those behind the scenes - VolkswagenStiftung, ZEIT Verlagsgruppe, Holtzbrinck Berlin - Inspire Together Berlin – Inspire Together: thank you for creating this space. Some impressions from the day - thanks to ©Phil Dera for capturing part of the atmosphere for Holtzbrinck Berlin, and a few snapshots from our side as well. ➡️ Let’s stay visible - and keep others in view, too.

📣 Thinking beyond the lab? The Postdoc Career Fair 2025, hosted by Berlin University Alliance, is your chance to explore what’s next — outside academia. When: June 26, 2025 Where: Humboldt Graduate School, Luisenstr. 56, Berlin Register soon — first come, first served! What to expect: ✅ Strategic input from keynote speakers on navigating career shifts ✅ Panels with researchers-turned-leaders from #sciencemanagement, #startups, #industry & #nonprofits ✅ Hands-on advice in small group sessions with HR professionals & career coaches ✅ A “Career Marketplace” with companies & organizations actively #recruiting #postdocs 🔁 We know how valuable these spaces can be - this fair is designed to support researchers navigating change, facing questions, and looking for meaningful next steps. So if you’re in Berlin (or nearby) and asking yourself what’s next — this is worth your time. Registration link and program details in the first comment!