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

Not every research event fits neatly into one box. This one didn’t even try. On 30 July 2025, more than 100 researchers gathered at the DKFZ Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum German Cancer Research Center — and tuned in online — for the #Science and #Career #Event “Boosting Synergies in Immuno-Oncology: Science Meets Career Insights.” ➡️ It wasn’t just about cutting-edge #immunooncology research. It was about the people behind it — and the #careerdecisions that shape where science happens next. Organized by Klaus Tschira Boost Fellow Stefanie Bärthel (BioMed X Institute) and moderated by Birte Seffert, the day unfolded in two acts: ✅ Act 1 – Science & Careers on the Table Expert talks covered new #developments in immuno-oncology – each followed by not only a #scientific #Q&A but by a personal #careerquestion from Birte to each of the speakers, which they replied to in #honesty, giving early-career researchers the chance to understand that #science is also about personal #career #decisions. ✅ Act 2 – Careers in Real Life The afternoon began with a different kind of question: ❓ What was a #careerstep that took #courage? Answers came in through Mentimeter: 🔹 moving to a new country 🔹 changing research topics 🔹 choosing a lab for a PhD 🔹 leaving a job 🔹 having a child 🔹 working part-time 🔹 or starting over entirely. We also asked:  ❓ Who or what supported you? Some named #mentors, #colleagues, or #family. Others said no one — except themselves. From there, the career panel picked up with questions that rarely make it into conference programs: ➡️If I leave academia, will I stop thinking creatively? ➡️How do I highlight my skills for an industry R&D job that “requires experience”? ➡️How do you deal with regrets? ➡️How much does instability push people out of academia? The discussion didn’t promise simple answers — but it showed that the challenges are shared, and that solutions are often collective.  What we’re taking with us: ✅ Science moves forward when we make space for the human side of research. ✅ Career choices are as much about values and support networks as they are about job titles. ✅ Sometimes, the most important conversations happen after the official program. Thank you to everyone who contributed — in talks, at posters, in the chat, or simply by listening with intent - Dr. Saskia Haupt Eva-Maria Markutzik Jens Puschhof Thomas Rueckle And to the Klaus Tschira Stiftung for the #KTBoostFund  - for making space where science and career planning can meet without losing either side of the story. 📷 Photography: Joe Pohl

Fifteen Bold Ideas. One Boost for Each: Meet the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellows 2025 With the KT Boost 6 series, we’re spotlighting fifteen researchers whose projects push the boundaries of their fields. Each #KTBoostfellow represents not only bold scientific ideas but also the curiosity, persistence, and leadership that shape the future of research. Three Questions to… Florian Hubrich, Junior Research Group Leader Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS) and Universität des Saarlandes / Natural Product Biosynthesis. What potential drug leads could be hidden in bacteria that thrive where few other organisms can survive? Florian studies #extremophiles — #microorganisms from the most #inhospitable #places on Earth — to uncover how they produce unique natural products. His project aims to reveal the biosynthetic processes behind these unusual chemical scaffolds and explore their potential to tackle challenges like #antimicrobial #resistance. ❓ What problem does your research tackle? ➡️ Natural products are beneficial chemical molecules for their producers, e.g., for defense. Due to their very specific lifestyle, bacteria colonizing extreme habitats were longtime expected to be unable to produce natural products. However, there are a few natural products isolated from such environments but the biosynthesis remains enigmatic. ✅ With my project I aim to decipher the natural product biosynthesis of extremophiles to understand how they produce their unique chemical scaffolds and harness their potential as drug leads to tackle emerging challenges such as antimicrobial resistance. ❓ How does the #KTBoostFund #support you and your #project idea? ➡️ The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund offers me the opportunity to pursue a research project that is clearly distinguished from everything I did in the past, which will underline my #independence and #creativity as a natural product researcher. The financial support will enable me to work with equipment that would otherwise be inaccessible in my position as a junior research group leader. The proposed project represents not only a cornerstone for my personal scientific career, it has the potential to contribute to a broader understanding about specialized metabolism evolution. ❓ If I had more time for things other than research, I … ➡️ …would spend more time with my family and friends. In addition, I would spend more time for training to qualify again for the #Ironman #Hawaii. _______________________ 🚀The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund is a joint program by GSO and Klaus Tschira Stiftung offering flexible funding and career development to promote researchers in the #Biology, #Chemistry, #ComputerScience, #Geosciences, #Mathematics, #Neurosciences, or #Physics. The Call 2026 is open until October 1, 2025, 23:59 (CEST). #BoostFellows #KTBoostFund

📣 Your Next Role in Research: #JobOpenings for Science Leaders at EMBL If you’re ready to take bold ideas further — and lead research at the intersection of disciplines — the EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) is looking for new group, team, and unit leaders across multiple research areas. At #EMBL, an international hub for innovation and collaboration, scientists from fields including molecular biology, physics, chemistry, and computer science work together to push the boundaries of life science research. Current openings include: ➡️ #Head of Cell #Biology and #Biophysics Unit Lead EMBL’s CBB Unit, which brings together physicists, chemists, biologists, and computational scientists to study the fundamental principles of dynamic cellular organisation and function. https://lnkd.in/eNiz_3yH ➡️ #GroupLeader - Molecular Systems Biology Establish an independent research group in one of many different areas from integrative structural biology to synthetic biology, and from AI-driven approaches to engineering biological systems. https://lnkd.in/eZHgunz4 ➡️ #GroupLeader - Genome Biology Unit Lead your own research group to explore how molecular information is regulated, integrated, and reshaped within cellular and organismal systems across diverse biological contexts. https://lnkd.in/e8EfErJb ➡️ #TeamLeader - Genomics Core Facility and Method Development Take a look at this dual role, where you will lead the GeneCore service group, and have an independent research team, developing and applying cutting-edge genomics methods. https://lnkd.in/epivx3Tt ➡️ #GroupLeader - Integrative Structural Biology Across Scales and Modalities Lead an independent research group using bold, original approaches to integrate complementary structural biology methods with emerging nano X-ray imaging technologies, bridging scales and modalities to unravel molecular mechanisms. https://lnkd.in/esdhuFtZ 📅 Applications are open now! If you know someone who could thrive in this environment, share this with your network!

📣 Call for Applications: Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Are you a postdoctoral researcher ready to take the next bold step in your career? The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund is now accepting applications for its 7th cohort — offering up to €120,000 in flexible funding to help you turn ambitious research ideas into reality. Who can apply? Postdocs who: 🔸 work in or at intersections of #Biology, #Chemistry, #ComputerScience, #Geosciences, #Mathematics, #Neurosciences, or #Physics 🔸 are employed at a public university, university of applied sciences, or non-university research institution in Germany 🔸 do not yet hold a permanent or tenured position 🔸 are not already funded by a junior research group program As a collaborative initiative between GSO and the Klaus Tschira Stiftung the program is designed to boost scientific careers and promote early independence for postdocs through: ✅ The freedom to pursue your own research agenda ✅ Support to build international collaborations and networks ✅ Personalized mentoring for professional and career development Pictured: Christoph Heyl, physicist and KT Boost alumnus. With support from the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund, he laid the crucial foundation for his European Research Council (ERC) application - which was successful! He is currently leading his own group at DESY. Like Christoph, you can use the #KTBoostFund to carve out your own scientific path — whether by advancing a high-risk project, building new collaborations, or shaping the next chapter of your career. 📅 Deadline: October 1, 2025 (11:59 PM CEST) 📆 Project start: Between May 1 and October 1, 2026 Missed our webinar? You can still access the full session with a current fellow and a member of the selection committee here: https://lnkd.in/ekZbpYSt ✅ Find details on eligibility and how to apply in the first comment. 📣 Please share with colleagues who should know about this opportunity! hashtag #PostdocFunding #KlausTschiraBoostFund #GSO #KTBoost

💡 Turn your research vision into reality - apply for a postdoc fellowship in Berlin. The MDC Global Fellow Program is a 3-year fellowship for international postdocs to launch independent, interdisciplinary projects at Max Delbrück Center, a research institute of the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft / Helmholtz Association, co-supervised by two research groups. What’s in it for you? 🔹 Full-time position with competitive salary (TVöD-Bund) 🔹 Research & mobility budget 🔹 Dual supervision & mentoring 🔹 Advanced training opportunities 🔹 A vibrant international research community Who should apply? 🔸 PhD (or near completion) in a relevant field 🔸 Strong research track record & motivation for independent work 🔸 Interest in cross-disciplinary collaboration 🔸 No MDC/Germany affiliation >12 months in the last 3 years 📅 Apply from: August 4 | Deadline: August 28 (11:59 PM CET) 👉 Details & application: https://lnkd.in/dn3PZSzE Please share within your network! 🌍

🔔 Reminder: Coming up this Thursday! Fail Forward: Building Lessons from Acknowledging Negative Knowledge 🗓️ August 7, 2025 | 16:00–17:00 CEST | Online via Zoom What if failure isn’t the end, but a key to better science? Tanya Shreedhar, Ph.D., AlumNode member and postdoc at TU Delft, invites us to rethink how we talk about #failure in #research. With her experience leading the #PerFail workshop at IEEE PerCom and co-authoring best practices on publishing negative results, she makes a compelling case for more openness in science. This lecture is for researchers who want to: ✅ See why negative results matter and help prevent repeated mistakes ✅ Design studies that provide valuable insights, even if the hypothesis fails ✅ Use negative results to improve methods and catch errors early ✅ Build a research culture that welcomes open talks about all outcomes ➡️ About Tanya: Tanya works in network resilience and systems research at Delft University of Technology, with previous experience in India, the UK, and across Europe. She’s supported by institutions like the Internet Society Pulse, TCS Research, and #Microsoft Research, and mentors young researchers while advocating for more openness around the realities of research work. Please login to your #AlumNode account to register! https://lnkd.in/eBRjEJDh Looking forward to seeing you there!

Thinking about a #career #beyond #academia — but not sure where to start? For many researchers, the job market outside academia feels like uncharted territory: 🔹 unfamiliar job titles 🔹 vague role descriptions 🔹 and endless possibilities that are hard to compare. That’s why we created our #TopPicks series. Each month, we highlight selected #jobopenings for #researchers exploring opportunities in business, nonprofits, and science-related sectors. ✅ The idea? To make the job landscape more transparent and easier to navigate. With our curated list, you can: ➡️ Discover which employers are actively looking for researchers ➡️ Learn how to read between the lines of job ads ➡️ Recognize transferable skills from your research experience ➡️ Get inspiration for career paths you might not have considered This time with: Data Scientist am Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) (Career Service & Alumni (KIT)), Policy Associate EIES | European Initiative for Energy Security, Researcher Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Postdoctoral Researcher Data & AI // Digital Health Universität Potsdam / Hasso Plattner Institute, Lead/ Senior Berater*in für den Bereich Klima und Nachhaltigkeitstransformation Syspons GmbH, Junior Referentin Gesundheitspolitik Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft e. V. (DKG) .. Check our curated list here: https://lnkd.in/dVAjEcF #GSO #TopPicks #PhDCareers

Fifteen Bold Ideas. One Boost for Each: Meet the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellows 2025 With the KT Boost 6 series, we’re spotlighting fifteen researchers whose projects push the boundaries of their fields. Each #KTBoostfellow represents not only bold scientific ideas but also the curiosity, persistence, and leadership that shape the future of research. Three Questions to… Tamir Eliav, Computational and Systems Neuroscientist at the Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Intelligenz. What role does #sleep play in shaping how we #learn? Tamir explores this question through the lens of #songbirds — a model that, much like human children learning to speak, reveals how #imitation and #rest #intertwine. His project looks at the sleeping brain to uncover the mechanisms that turn practice into lasting skills and memories. ❓ What problem does your research tackle? ➡️ How does sleep help us learn new skills? Just like humans, young songbirds learn to sing by imitating others, and sleep plays a key role in refining their songs. However, the #brain processes behind this are still a #mystery. By studying the #sleepingbrain of young birds, this project aims to uncover how sleep shapes learning, offering new insights into how our own brains consolidate skills and memories overnight. ❓ How does the KT Boost Fund support you and your project idea? ➡️ The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund allows me to implement cutting-edge high-density neural recording technologies in freely behaving songbirds, enabling continuous 24/7 monitoring of sleep and learning dynamics in a natural setting. Additionally, it supports #internationalcollaborations and #professionalgrowth — both essential for developing my #independentresearch direction and taking the next step toward #establishing my own #lab. ❓ If I had more time for things other than research, I … ➡️ …would go on more outdoor adventures with my kids, play the guitar, and learn a new instrument. _______________________ 🚀The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund is a joint program by GSO and Klaus Tschira Stiftung offering flexible funding and career development to promote researchers in the #Biology, #Chemistry, #ComputerScience, #Geosciences, #Mathematics, #Neurosciences, or #Physics. The Call 2026 is open until October 1, 2025, 23:59 (CEST). #BoostFellows #KTBoostFund

📣 Call for Applications: Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Are you a postdoctoral researcher ready to take the next bold step in your career? The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund is now accepting applications for its 7th cohort — offering up to €120,000 in flexible funding to help you turn ambitious research ideas into reality. Who can apply? Postdocs who: 🔸 work in #Biology, #Chemistry, #ComputerScience, #Geosciences, #Mathematics, #Neurosciences, or #Physics 🔸 are employed at a public university, university of applied sciences, or non-university research institution in Germany 🔸 do not yet hold a permanent or tenured position 🔸 are not already funded by a junior research group program As a collaborative initiative between GSO and the Klaus Tschira Stiftung is designed to boost scientific careers and promote early independence for postdocs through: ✅ The freedom to pursue your own research agenda ✅ Support to build international collaborations and networks ✅ Personalized mentoring for professional and career development Pictured: Claudia Alfes, mathematician and KT Boost alumna. With support from the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund, she established her own research group and hosted a conference — a launchpad for her independent research career. Like Claudia, you can use the #KTBoostFund to carve out your own scientific path — whether by advancing a high-risk project, building new collaborations, or shaping the next chapter of your career. 📅 Deadline: October 1, 2025 (11:59 PM CEST) 📆 Project start: Between May 1 and October 1, 2026 Missed our webinar? You can still access the full session with a current fellow and a member of the selection committee here: https://lnkd.in/ekZbpYSt ✅ Find details on eligibility and how to apply in the first comment. 📣 Please share with colleagues who should know about this opportunity! #PostdocFunding #KlausTschiraBoostFund #GSO Joana Grah

When failure isn’t the end — but the start of better science. 📣 Join us for the next AlumNode Lecture: FailForward: Building Lessons from Acknowledging Negative Knowledge 🗓️ Thursday, August 7, 2025 | 16:00–17:00 CEST | Online via Zoom ❓ What can we learn when experiments don’t go as planned? ❓ How can openly sharing “what didn’t work” strengthen the scientific process? In this session, Tanya Shreedhar, Ph.D. — AlumNode member and postdoc at TU Delft — invites us to rethink how we approach #failureinresearch. Drawing from her years of experience organizing the #PerFail #workshop at IEEE PerCom and co-authoring best practices for publishing negative results in computer science! Tanya makes the case for a cultural shift: ➡️ Failures aren’t dead ends — they’re critical data points ➡️ Negative results can sharpen methods and avoid repetition ➡️ Open dialogue on failure fosters better science — and better mentoring This lecture is for researchers who want to: ✅ Understand why negative results matter in research and how they help avoid future mistakes ✅ Learn how to design studies that give useful insights, even if the hypothesis is wrong ✅ See how negative results improve methods and reveal possible errors ✅ Explore ways to build a research culture that values open discussion of all results 🎤 About the speaker: Tanya works in network resilience and systems research at Delft University of Technology, with previous experience in India, the UK, and across Europe. She’s supported by institutions like the Internet Society Pulse, TCS Research, and #Microsoft Research — and mentors young researchers while advocating for more openness around the realities of research work. Please login to your AlumNode account to register! https://lnkd.in/eBRjEJDh We are looking forward to meeting you there! The AlumNode Team, Isa, Martina, Sofia and Kübra!