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

📣 Open Call for Junior Professional Officers: Work on global challenges at international organizations! The German government is currently advertising 25 JPO-Positions in more than 22 different international organizations. The Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program provides a pathway to start your career in such organizations. Relevant fields of study include Social and Political Sciences, Law, Economics and Finance, Natural Sciences, and Engineering. Your Profile: 🔹 University graduates with a Master's or Diploma degree 🔹 German Citizenship 🔹 Two to four years of professional experience 🔹 Excellent English skills The Positions include: 🔹UN Secretariat in New York 🔹EBRD in London 🔹UNODA or ILO in Geneva 🔹World Bank in Washington These are regular employment contracts at the United Nations with a duration of minimum two years. The call for applications ends on August 17, 2025. The detailed call for applications and information about the application procedure can be found on the BFIO website: https://lnkd.in/dYdqs7u #OpenCall #GSO

➡️ You missed the webinar on how to apply for the KT Boost Fund? We recorded it — and packed it with practical advice for researchers who are thinking about submitting a proposal. With Bernhard Renard, head of the Boost Fund selection committee and Lorenz Adlung, Boost Fellow 2023, and #JuniorGroupLeader at Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf, to share their perspective and give insights to the selection process. The webinar covers: ➡️ who can apply and what the fund supports? ➡️ what the jury looks for in a strong application? ➡️ how to approach the project sketch and motivation letter? ➡️ what “high-risk” actually means in practice? ➡️ practical tips on budget planning and timing! Four key takeaways: ✅ High-risk doesn’t mean reckless — it means bold and well thought through. The fund supports ideas that may not fit into traditional categories but rest on a solid foundation. ✅ Reviewers look for clarity, originality, and a sense of ownership. ✅ The motivation letter is more than a formality. It’s often where the jury connects with you as a researcher. ✅ There’s no single formula for success. But clarity, specificity, and curiosity go a long way. ▶️ Watch the full recording and get a better sense of how the Boost Fund works — and whether it might be right for you - find the link in the first comment. — The #KTBoostFund, a collaborative initiative between Guidance, Skills & Opportunities for Researchers e.V. (GSO) and the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, supports excellent postdocs at public research institutions in Germany (non-clinical fields) who are not yet tenured and haven’t led a junior research group. More than funding, the program offers: ✅ Freedom to pursue your own research agenda ✅ Support in building (international) collaborations ✅ Personalized mentoring for professional development 📌 Application Deadline: October 1, 2025 (11:59 PM CEST) 📅 Project Start: Between May 1 and October 1, 2026 ✅ More info on eligibility and application: https://lnkd.in/dH3AeP7

#Leadership matters everywhere – but in #academia, it takes on a special role. Because how researchers lead shapes not just teams and projects, but also how knowledge is created, shared, and applied.   At a time when science is under pressure – politically, institutionally, socially – we need people in research who are ready to take responsibility. Not just for results, but for #culture, #collaboration, and the #biggerpicture.   At GSO, we believe leadership is one of the most overlooked – and most needed – skills in academia (and beyond).   There’s a quote that captures it well: 👉 “All problems are leadership problems.” Not because leadership causes them all – but because better leadership helps solve them.   That’s why we created the #GSO #LeadershipAcademy – a program designed for researchers, by people who understand the realities of academic life.   Together, participants work on: ➡️ Self-leadership – identifying purpose, values, and personal leadership styles ➡️ Communication & strategic thinking – within teams, across hierarchies ➡️ Leading others – including employee leadership, lateral leadership, and leading upward   📍Our 9th cohort is currently in session in Berlin - today marks the final day. And once again, it shows: with the right tools and space to reflect, researchers can lead with more clarity, confidence, and impact.   🟡 The next #callforapplications opens soon. If you're working in research and want to strengthen your leadership – or know someone who should – stay tuned.   #LSA9 #GSOLA #LeadershipInScience #AcademicLeadership

✅ Strengthening Research Careers — Together For over 20 years, we’ve partnered with foundations, universities, and research institutions to strengthen both researchers and the environments that support their contribution to science and society. We are an independent, nonprofit organization specializing in 🔹 #CareerDevelopment and #TalentManagement for researchers 🔹 Institutional #advisory and the design of innovative #funding programs 🔹 #Communitybuilding and long-term #alumni engagement Our mission? ➡️ To help you design and implement strategic, people-centered solutions that bridge the gap between research, management, and institutional strategy. We go beyond fellowships and funding — offering tailored support where you need it most: ✔️ Strategic advice and sparring for designing funding, mentoring, or career programs ✔️ Community-building and impact evaluation for long-term engagement ✔️ Consulting and coaching for emerging research groups ✔️ Facilitation, moderation, and custom workshop design ✔️ Targeted communication strategies to attract talent and reach key audiences Whether you're developing new initiatives or scaling existing ones, we’re your collaborative partner — from idea to implementation. ➡️ Find out more details at “Services for Institutions” on our website (link in first comment). Let’s shape sustainable academic careers and research cultures — together. #ResearchCareers #HigherEdStrategy #AcademicLeadership #ResearchSupport #CommunityBuilding #FundingDesign #MentoringPrograms #InstitutionalDevelopment #ResearchManagement

From Pain Points to Action — Even in the Summer Heat At our recent #GSO Rebranding Event, we welcomed representatives from #universities, #research #institutions, #foundations, #funding bodies, and #companies to ask a tough question: 👉 What can institutions and individuals actually do — despite structural barriers in academia (and soaring summer temperatures)? 👉 We centered the day around four core theses that sparked open, honest conversations — not just about familiar challenges, but about concrete, people-focused solutions. ✅ This wasn’t your average panel event. It was also a space for informal exchange, fresh perspectives, and connection-building across institutional roles and sectors. Key Topics that (Still) Define the Academic Landscape: • #Leadership, #Recruiting & #Retention • Professionalization of #ResearchManagement and #Administration • #Internationalization and Structural #Equity • A Shared Desire for Sustainable Change 🔁 While these challenges aren’t new, the sense of urgency around moving from discussion to implementation was stronger than ever. And yet, as many participants highlighted, change doesn’t always require sweeping reforms. Sometimes, the most powerful shifts start small: ✅ Onboarding packages for new researchers ✅ Supervision or coaching for research group leaders ✅ Recognition of excellent leadership at institutional level ✅ Tailored retention offers for international researchers ✅ Dialogue formats that bring together researchers & administrators We left energized, thoughtful — and connected. Let’s keep the momentum going. 👉 More about our rebranding in the first comment.

📣 Open Call | Tenure‑Track Professorship Funding ( up to €1.2 M ) by Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft – deadlines: September 30, 2025 & March 31, 2026! Looking to bring an outstanding early‑career professor back to Germany — or finally convince that brilliant colleague abroad to say yes? The new Tenure‑Track Professorship program co‑funds the first years of a TT appointment and covers onboarding, dual‑career, lab set‑up and more. ➡️ Why this matters ✅ Global search, local impact. 50 % foundation funding (up to €1 M / €1.2 M for 5 / 6‑year tracks) helps universities compete internationally. ✅ Real onboarding money. Relocation, language, mentoring, partner career support — costs that too often derail a hire can now be budgeted from day 1. ✅ Discretionary research funds. 10 % of the grant goes straight to the professor for fast pilot data, conference travel, or that first game‑changing hire. ➡️ Quick facts Who applies? German universities (one application per call) Who qualifies? Researchers with a PhD, ≥ 3 yrs abroad, ranked among the top in their field; offer must not be accepted yet Funding split? Foundation finances the first half of the TT phase; university matches €€ and covers the second half Uses? Staff, equipment, onboarding, dual career, relocation, coaching Decision time? ≤ 6 months after the deadline Programme page & full FAQs - check the link in the first comment! Questions? Contact the foundation early to pre‑check eligibility. Tip: Wübben also runs an Advanced Professorship line (R3 level) — same co‑funding logic, tailored to senior hires. Save the dates 30 Sep 2025 – first application deadline 31 Mar 2026 – second round

🔎 Fifteen Bold Ideas. One Boost for Each: Meet the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellows 2025 Three Questions to… Cipriana Anghel-Stan Mathematician at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen How does a geometric space change when it collapses — and what kind of “music” does it make? Cipriana explores these questions at the intersection of geometry, analysis, and mathematical physics. With this series, we’re introducing all #fifteen #KTBoost2025 fellows — early-career researchers with #bold #ideas, #sharp #questions, and the drive to #shape their #fields. The Klaus Tschira Boost Fund gives them the #time, #freedom, and #resources to pursue new directions, take risks, and grow as leaders in science. ❓ What's your #ProjectIdea? ➡️ We consider a compact Riemannian surface X, for example, the surface of a donut. A geodesic on X is a curve which minimizes the distance between any two close points which lie on it. We choose such a simple closed curve and gradually pinch it, making its length shrink to zero. We add another “layer” over X, an infinite normal covering space, and proceed to pinch all the preimages of our geodesic in this upper space. ✅ Our aim is to study the “#music” generated during this process, which can be described mathematically by the von Neumann trace of the Dirac operator acting on the covering space. ❓ How does the #KTBoostFund #support you and your #projectidea? ➡️ The fund gives me independence. It provides me with the necessary time to develop new mathematical tools and work on the riskier projects described in my research proposal. It gives me the opportunity to travel for research visits in Germany and abroad, promoting my work in mathematical events while meeting new collaborators, as well as organizing a tailored conference to bring together the latest advances in the topics which passionate me. ❓ If I had more #time for things #otherthanresearch, I … …would plan more hiking and mountain biking trips with my friends, restart writing on my #personalblog about these adventures, and I would play the piano more often. 📣 Stay tuned — in the coming weeks, we’ll introduce all fifteen KT Boost Fund 2025 fellows. Each of them brings a unique perspective and ambitious project to the table! _______________________ 🚀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 Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science. The Call 2026 is open until October 1, 2025, 23:59 (CEST). #BoostFellows #KTBoostFund

Abuse of power in academia isn’t an isolated problem — it’s structural, systemic, and, too often, invisible until it’s too late. In the Berlin Science Survey, nearly one in four researchers reported experiencing power abuse. The numbers are even higher for #women, #LGBTIQ+ researchers, and scholars with chronic #illnesses or from #minoritized backgrounds. According to the report, abuse of power is most prevalent in workplaces shaped by intense #competition and #lowcooperation. In contrast, cooperative environments with transparent communication and reduced pressure to perform were far less likely to foster abuse or discrimination. ➡️ This emphasizes that quality assurance in academia shouldn’t only focus on output — but also on the conditions under which research is produced. Cultures that enable open dialogue, positive error management, and trust are essential to reducing systemic risk and promoting sustainability. What can we do? ➡️ Listen to those who speak up: In a powerful podcast episode, Daniel Hölle speaks with a former PhD student who was suddenly cut off by her supervisor near the end of her dissertation. She ultimately succeeded elsewhere — but the experience of “intentional obstruction” is sadly not unique. They also examine systemic issues and draw on a major report from the German Psychological Society. ➡️ Engage with research: Daniel Leising, Martina Winkler, Hannah Schade analyze how institutional incentives can enable unethical behavior — and why integrity alone isn’t enough. Their #openaccess book chapter provides both theoretical insights and practical prevention strategies. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5wAkApb #FYI: Daniel just posted about a #conference in October 10 (9 AM–5 PM), on “Power Abuse in Academia” which will take place in Mainz. Participation is free of charge. More information about the meeting will be posted shortly. ➡️ Learn from best practices: The Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg has launched a certificate program (“Machtmissbrauch erkennen und verhindern”) that offers tools for recognizing, preventing, and responding to abuse of power. Though limited to students and professionals affiliated with JMU, the structure and intent of the program can inspire action at other institutions as well. In the field of history, the Verband der Historiker und Historikerinnen Deutschlands e.V. (VHD) has just released a new #codeofconduct following a nationwide survey on power abuse within the discipline. Based on 600 responses — many with harrowing personal accounts — the association has created a clear #Leitbild for #respectful, #fearfree working #environments. Need practical support? The Network Against Abuse of Power in Academia (Netzwerk gegen Machtmissbrauch in der Wissenschaft) offers #confidential #help - including #guidance for #documenting #incidents, navigating institutional structures, and protecting yourself and others. → https://lnkd.in/ecu-UkDs  

📣 The Zia Fellowship Program is now open for applications! - Support, Visibility, and Community for Women in Academia Named after the Arabic word for “the shining one” and the Latin for “seed,” Zia is space for growth, inspiration, and real exchange. Launched by ZEIT Verlagsgruppe and supported by a strong #network of #partners and sponsors, Zia is designed to support early-career female researchers in Germany on both their professional and personal development journeys. ➡️ What does the program offer? ✅ Over the course of one year, Zia Fellows: ✅ Join an inspiring network of researchers, role models, and institutional supporters from academia, business, and the public sector ✅ Attend workshops, digital impulses, and network meetings focused on leadership, visibility, communication, and career development ✅ Meet in person at key events, including the Berlin Science Week and the Falling Walls Conference ✅ Gain free access to selected courses from the ZEIT Akademie ✅ Receive science communication and social media training through NaWik ✅ Stay connected through a dedicated LinkedIn group for long-term exchange and inspiration ➡️ Who can apply? ✅ Zia is open to women* researchers who: ✅ Are in the final stages of their degree, pursuing a doctorate, already hold a doctorate, or are in the postdoc phase ✅ May already hold a junior professorship ✅ Are based in Germany or affiliated with a German research institution ✅ Are not in tenured professorships *The program is open to all individuals who identify as women. ✔️ Why apply? Because building a career in research isn’t just about publications — it’s about access, support, and community. Zia strengthens the visibility of women in science and works toward sustainable integration of their talents and leadership potential into the academic system. 📅 Apply by: August 31, 2025 Submit your CV and a one-page motivation letter (each max. 1 page, PDF) via email. More information here: https://lnkd.in/e-scDypT The program kicks off in October with a digital welcome, followed by in-person events during Berlin Science Week.

📣 Not just another STEM career event. EuroSTEMPeers 2025 brings together early-career #researchers, #academic #mentors, #industry #leaders, and #innovators — for real conversations about #science, #careers, #networking and what it means to grow in and #beyondacademia. Where? Heidelberg When? July 11–12, 2025 What makes this conference stand out? ✅ Honest panel discussions ➡️ From Lab to Application: How research becomes innovation ➡️ Science Communication in the Age of Misinformation ➡️ The Future of Hiring in STEM ➡️ Hybrid Roles & Career Transitions: What it really looks like ✅ Spotlight Talk: Inside TechBio A grounded look at what’s happening behind the buzzwords. ✅ Impact Lecture: Mindfulness-Based Resilience Science meets self-care — practical insights for sustainable careers. ✅ Whether you’re exploring what’s next after your postdoc, seeking your place in the innovation pipeline, or curious how others combine academic and industry identities — this is a space to reflect, connect, and move forward. 🎉 And: It’s the 10-year anniversary of EuroSTEMPeers! Day 1 – July 11, 2025 BioLabs Heidelberg, Nikola-Tesla-Straße 1, 69124 Heidelberg Day 2 – July 12, 2025 BDC Heidelberg, Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Ring 5, 69124 Heidelberg Register now & explore further event details: https://lnkd.in/ewyFqde7