News Current news for doctoral candidates
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Mental Health Month in October 2026 is dedicated to the topic of multiple pressures in student life and work. Many students and employees have additional responsibilities alongside the demands of everyday university life – such as caring for family, children or relatives in need of care. Together with UNIFY, we are placing particular emphasis on the topics of care and ageing, and highlighting just how varied these challenges can be in everyday life. Highlights that may be of particular interest to PhD students:
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COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding organisation for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and beyond and enable researchers and innovators to grow their ideas in any science and technology field by sharing them with their peers. COST Actions are bottom-up networks with a duration of four years that boost research, innovation and careers. On 06.10.2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on each date, the German Coordination Office for COST will offer open virtual consultation hours for applicants of new COST actions. Anyone in Germany who is working on a COST proposal for October 28 is welcome to join without registering. The corresponding Webex link will be published on the website shortly. | |||
Are you doing innovative research in the field of medicines development and do you want to present your research, project, and findings to a large audience of professionals in the field of drug discovery, drug development and drug use? Participants of Dutch Medicines Days can choose to present their research with an oral presentation, with a poster, or with both. This year’s edition, themed “Innovate. Translate. Cure.”, will bring together professionals from academia, industry, and policy to explore the latest developments in drug innovation and healthcare. The deadline for submitting your abstract for oral presentations is 1 July 2026. The deadline for submitting your abstract for poster presentations is 1 September 2026. | |||
Laugh until you cry, finally make sense of the incomprehensible and take home some astonishing new knowledge – all this awaits you at a Science Slam. In a relaxed atmosphere, up-and-coming scientists will take to the big stage to convince you just how exciting science can be. In a crisp ten minutes, they’ll present the latest from their research in a creative, accessible and entertaining way. At the end, the audience decides who delivered the best talk. Line-up: Simon Hauser (host), Julia Braun (linguistics): ‘Swabian and the High German perfect tense’ | |||
The event will focus on the DFG’s individual funding programmes and provide practical advice on preparing an application. Alongside a presentation by Dr. Anna Böhme from the DFG, the programme will include perspectives from a member of a DFG review board and a successful applicant, followed by an extensive Q&A session. Participation is free of charge, and the event is open to doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from all universities and academic disciplines. It is particularly relevant for postdoctoral researchers, junior professors, and doctoral researchers in the final stages of their dissertation. The presentations will be held in English; questions and discussions are welcome in both English and German. | |||
In the next session of The Diary of a Scientist, we’ll hear from Tatiana Ignashkova, Business Development Manager at Vetter Pharma. Tatiana is a scientist and an entrepreneur in one, driven by life science and technologies, advocating for women in STEM, a loving wife, and a proud mother of two. Join us to hear Tatiana’s inspiring journey and discover how a career in science can evolve in unexpected and extraordinary directions. Please register online. | |||
RP Aktiv is aimed at anyone interested in getting involved in the Framework Program for Research and Innovation – Horizon Europe. It is designed for those who are currently in the preparatory phase of submitting a proposal. Those directly involved in the proposal submission process will benefit most from participating. Prerequisites for successful participation include a good general understanding of European research policy and basic knowledge of the Horizon Europe framework program.
Please register online. | |||
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The Female Founders Brunch is aimed at women who are looking to start their own business or are passionate about entrepreneurship. It offers the perfect setting to connect with fellow female founders, build a strong network, and exchange ideas on topics that drive the female founders community forward – all over coffee and croissants. We are very excited to announce that our guest speaker for this brunch will be Jade Robinson, Co-Founder of Linq Photonics. Through her work, she is contributing to the development of new technologies while building a company in a highly innovative and rapidly evolving field. Drawing from her experience as a founder, Jade will share insights into her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges and opportunities of building a deep-tech startup, and the lessons she has learned while turning a vision into a growing company. She will also reflect on her experiences as a female entrepreneur and the importance of persistence, innovation, and creating new pathways in technology-driven industries. | |||
You have expertise. But do the right people know about it? In this practical workshop, you will learn how to use LinkedIn more strategically to strengthen your personal brand, grow your professional network and create meaningful connections with the people who matter for your professional and business goals. Dr. Lenka Kyjacova is a business leader, speaker, and workshop facilitator with a PhD in Life Sciences and is currently an Executive MBA candidate at Mannheim Business School. For more than 10 years, she has been researching, testing, and applying strategies for professional networking across academia and industry. She regularly delivers workshops for founders, researchers, and business leaders on networking, LinkedIn, and personal branding. Bringing a strategic and practical approach to LinkedIn, Lenka helps people understand how the platform works - and how to become visible to the right people. | |||
For many people living under autocratic regimes, democracy remains an attractive ideal. Yet Western-style democracies are in the midst of a deep crisis, and France and Germany are no exception. Must we assume in the 21st century that the democratic model has failed? At any rate, it currently appears as though we are doomed either to post-democracy or to authoritarianism. Yet this must not obscure the fact that there are democratic experiments that are promising and could represent a “real utopia.” We need a new narrative to realize the vision of a sustainable democracy. The speaker is Yves Sintomer, who is, among other things, a professor of political science at the University of Paris 8 (France) and an associate professor at the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), as well as an associate member of the Maison Française in Oxford (United Kingdom) and the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at the Free University of Brussels (Belgium). This event is part of Heidelberg French Week (Oct. 8–18, 2026), which features various events, such as “Heroines of the Resistance” (Oct. 13, 2026, 6:00–7:45 p.m.), a lecture by Sybille Große on “Standards of the French Language in Debate: Between ‘Imaginaire’ and Reality” (October 14, 2026, 6:00–7:00 p.m.), a reading by Uwe Neumahr titled “The Book Trade of the Exiles. Paris 1940” (October 16, 2026, 5:30–7:00 p.m.) and a reading by Kamel Daoud of “Houris / Huris” (October 20, 2026, 7:00 p.m.). | |||
The herCAREER Expo is designed to enable you at every stage of your career. It offers a diverse and varied program for students, graduates, specialists, executives, and founders. Women, gender-diverse talents, and male allies, who contribute to equality in the workplace and at home, are welcome to network, inspire each other and share experiences. Valuable contacts have power – and lift every individual achievement to a new level of success. A unique opportunity space awaits you at the herCAREER Expo: Here you can network at eye level and seize job opportunities that will have a lasting and positive impact on your career and your life. Find like-minded people, team partners, supporters and mentors who have already taken the steps ahead of you and will open unexpected doors for you. | |||
The Faculty of Psychology at the University of Havana opens its doors to the XIV edition of the International Meeting of Psychology Students, which will be held in Havana from October 26 th to 30 th, 2026. Faced with a global panorama that often fragments, polarizes, and confronts us with crisis realities, we choose a different response: to weave. In the native cultures of our Americas, weaving was never a solitary act. It is a collective gesture where knowledge, memory, and resistance intertwine to form a stronger and more beautiful product. It was a way of transmitting wisdom between generations, of building community, and, at crucial moments, of tracing routes toward hope together. We propose this meeting as a space to “weave science”: a science that places the human being at the center; a practice that cannot be a loose thread but must intertwine with the diverse, and often harsh, realities we inhabit, to shape a more dignified product. Participation in the event is posible as a presenter (submitting a paper) or as an attendee. Important Dates:
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In our “Bridging the Gap” workshop series, doctoral students and researchers from all disciplines engage in an in-depth exploration of the topic of knowledge transfer in small groups. How can I put my own scientific findings into practice? How can my research make a concrete contribution to society, the economy, or politics? And which partners, networks, and support services can help me turn an idea into a concrete project? Please register online. | |||
The National Contact Point for Society, in cooperation with the National Contact Points for Clusters 1 and 3–6, is hosting an event at the SSH-STEM VernetzBar to discuss the integration of the social sciences and humanities into the 2027 calls for proposals. Following a thematic introduction, each cluster’s National Contact Point will present its contributions on the highlighted topics in the 2027 work program. | |||
Organised annually by EMBL PhD students, the Symposium brings together early-career researchers, established scientists, and engineers to explore how automation, scalable experimentation, and artificial intelligence are changing biological research. Across three days, the programme will focus on:
Participants can look forward to invited talks, student presentations, poster sessions, workshops, and opportunities to connect across disciplines. Abstract submissions, travel grants, and both on-site and virtual registration details are available on the symposium website. Note, you can still submit a poster abstract until October 1st. | |||
The Certificate of Advanced Studies in Gender & Queer Studies is an interdisciplinary, research-oriented, and professionally relevant program for master’s and doctoral students, designed to help graduates develop a personalized profile for research and/or future professional practice. The CAS is open to students and doctoral candidates from all disciplines. The interdisciplinary course offerings are continuously expanded in line with the development of Gender Studies across the various disciplinary fields at Heidelberg University. The Gender & Queer Studies CAS is designed to enable students to apply theoretical and methodological approaches from Gender & Queer Studies to various topics, to recognize mechanisms of discrimination, and to address and communicate gender-related issues in an interdisciplinary manner. By learning to link different bodies of knowledge, they contribute to shaping gender-just and reflexive-critical discourses and practices in academia and professional practice. The certificate can be earned after a minimum of 2 semesters; however, a duration of 4 semesters is recommended. | |||
Artificial intelligence is transforming how research is written, shared, and reviewed. This session will explore how researchers can engage with AI tools confidently and responsibly, balancing efficiency with authenticity in research communication. This webinar offers valuable insights into: • Understand how to discover and interpret journal AI policies | |||
In its latest webinar, Campus+ spoke to four experts from the UK and North America to discuss how to expand the reach of your research beyond your institution. Denise Baden from the University of Southampton, Patricia Raun from Virginia Tech, Gregory Goldsmith from Chapman University and Krystina Silva from the University of Alberta talked to us about:
You can watch the webinar free of charge on the website of Campus+. | |||
Heidelberg Research Service – Information and Advice on Horizon Europe 2025 | Anytime | Under Horizon Europe, the EU's current framework programme for research and innovation (2021-2027), a large part of the funding budget is distributed by means of top-down calls for research proposals on specific subjects and aimed at international consortia of Principal Investigators (PIs) from different European universities and research organisations. These calls are predefined in work programmes for the various parts of Horizon Europe published every one or two years. Current drafts of these work programmes are available from the Heidelberg Research Service. If you are interested in these calls and would like to coordinate or participate in a consortium applying for them, we kindly invite you to get in touch with the EU Team of the Heidelberg Research Service. In individual consultations, we can share the details of the EU drafts with you and advise you regarding the next steps. If you are interested, then please contact Dr. Moritz Vogel (moritz.vogel@zuv.uni-heidelberg.de) or Dr. Xenja Herren (xenja.herren@zuv.uni-heidelberg.de). | |
Would you like to learn how to get the best possible protection for the intellectual property originating from your research results? Then you are welcome to visit the next open IP & Transfer consultation hour of ScienceValue Heidelberg GmbH (SVH) at INF Campus Heidelberg to receive advice on all questions related to the exploitation of your intellectual property! If you have any questions, find out more by visiting the website. You can contact the team by sending an email (for example about scheduling an individual appointment): sciencevalue.heidelberg@med.uni-heidelberg.de | |||
The PROM Programme is a short-term academic exchange designed to support doctoral students in expanding their knowledge and skills. The programme enables PhD students to take part in various short-term educational activities, including courses, workshops, professional internships, study visits, conferences, and summer or winter schools organized by the Jagiellonian University. The PROM Programme covers travel expenses, living costs, and, if applicable, conference fees or participation costs for summer and winter schools. To apply, candidates must independently identify a Jagiellonian University academic staff member willing to host and supervise the visit. | |||
The Graduate Academy would like to invite doctoral candidates from all faculties to participate in the Focused Writing Group Program. The program will provide participants with a physical working space, experts on call, and a community of like-minded peers to support doctoral researchers in their academic and dissertation writing process. Registration is now open. Visit the Graduate Academy Website for more information and the opportunity to register! | |||
In Baden-Württemberg ist rund die Hälfte aller Studierenden weiblich, doch nur wenige Professuren und Führungspositionen in der Wirtschaft sind von Frauen besetzt. Um diese Geschlechterungleichheit sichtbarer zu machen und Frauen aus der Wissenschaft zu motivieren, ihre Karriereplanung in die Hand zu nehmen, veranstaltet die Stiftung jährlich den Empowerment-Tag. Die Veranstaltung richtet sich an Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen, an Studentinnen, Doktorandinnen und Postdocs, die in Baden-Württemberg leben. Auf der Empowerment-Tag Webseite können Sie sich registrieren, um frühzeitig über den nächsten Empowerment-Tag informiert zu werden. | |||
What is eDOCation all about? eDOCation is the first online platform where young scientists ("eDOCs") offer continuing education for companies. I launched the initiative together with my former doctoral colleague Tobias Hornig (now a data scientist at Siemens). The platform contributes to the transfer of knowledge from universities into business practice and to improving the financial situation and future prospects of doctoral students, postdocs and junior professors. Market research conducted by us has shown that our eDOCs could earn a high three-digit € amount for a two-hour research workshop in companies. At the same time, eDOCation offers companies and their employees the opportunity to benefit from state-of-the-art science in the sense of lifelong learning and to gain access to the country's brightest minds as mentors in the "war for talent". The company is currently being promoted by the Stifterverband as one of the “30 best ideas for the education, science and innovation system of tomorrow” as part of the WIRKUNG HOCH 100 initiative. More information about eDOCation is available in the attached presentation at http://www.edocation.org You want to get to know us? The eDOCation Powerbank regularly offers free and non-binding workshops that can support you in research & teaching as well as personal growth. The following events are planned for the semester break (including links to Eventbrite)
please send your application to: edoc@edocation.org More information, such as selection criteria or forms of continuing education, can be found here. You can view the profiles of our current eDOCs here. How else can you support us? If you find the idea of eDOCation exciting, we would be happy if you would personally recommend it to friends and acquaintances in academia and industry. You can also help us to expand our network and keep up to date with the latest news by following us on LinkedIn. | |||
Have you ever considered in the context of your dissertation – be it in the humanities, life sciences, natural sciences or social sciences – whether your research work can be protected and commercialized? As part of the exclusive service offer for all employees of the university, you can now use the IP consultation hours of the patent and start-up management. In a confidential and non-binding conversation you will have the opportunity to inform yourself about the following topics:
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Überlebensstrategien ist ein gemeinsames Projekt der lebenswissenschaftlichen Sonderforschungsbereiche der Universität Heidelberg mit der Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung (RNZ). Die Redakteure der Stadtredaktion Heidelberg begleiten jeweils eine Veranstaltung mit ihren persönlichen Fragen zu den vorgestellten Forschungsthemen, den beteiligten Wissenschaftlern und den Methoden. Dieses Format der Moderation soll eine lebendige Brücke zum Publikum bilden, das in den Dialog einbezogen wird. In zwanglosem Rahmen im Karlstorbahnhof und mit musikalischer Begleitung durch Mitglieder des Collegium Musicum stellen die Sonderforschungsbereiche ihre Fragestellungen und langfristigen Ziele vor. | |||
The free legal council ("unentgeltliche und unabhängige Rechtsberatung") offers students legal advice from specialized lawyers. We will schedule you an appointment, if you write an E-Mail stating your situation to: rechtsberatung@stura.uni-heidelberg.de To the appointment you will need to bring you student-ID card. | |||
Der Career Service der Universität Heidelberg unterstützt Doktorandinnen und Doktoranden, Studierende und Young Professionals beim Übergang von der Universität in außeruniversitäre Arbeitsbereiche, damit Sie von Anfang an erfolgreich in Ihre Karriere starten bzw. sie fortführen können. Als Doktorandinnen und Doktoranden profitieren Sie von einem breit gefächerten Veranstaltungs- und Beratungsangebot in den Bereichen „Berufliches Know-how“ und „Professionell Bewerben“. Sie haben die Möglichkeit, Ihr Profil zu schärfen, Kenntnisse zu erfolgreichem Bewerbungsmanagement und wichtige Schlüsselkompetenzen zu erwerben. Darüber hinaus erhalten Sie Informationen zu Unternehmen, Berufsfeldern und Arbeitsmarktperspektiven. Die Kurse, Einzelberatungen und Veranstaltungen werden sowohl von erfahrenen Mitarbeiterinnen des Career Service als auch von Experten/innen aus der Wirtschaft durchgeführt. | |||
This spring, academics GmbH is offering a new round of online seminars aimed at doctoral candidates and postdocs. The seminars will deal with topics such as: "Are doctoral studies right for me?", "Looking for and applying for jobs", "Which jobs am I suited for?" (all in German) and "Applying for doctoral and postdoc positions at German universities" (in English). It is necessary to be registered for the acadmics job newsletter in order to participate in the seminars. |