Early Career Researchers Working Group
The Early Career Researchers Working Group within FORTRAMA provides a platform for professional exchange on all issues related to the support of doctoral candidates and postdocs, and in some cases, tenure-track professors. The focus is on the role of research advisors and science managers in advising and supporting researchers during the various phases of their career development.
The working group aims to identify and share best practices and develop recommendations to sustainably improve the quality of support for early-career researchers in Germany.
The working group brings together representative from universities, universities of applied sciences (HAW), teacher training colleges, and other types of higher education institutions, as well as university-affiliated institutions and centers. This broad coalition facilitates in-depth exchange and networking across different types of higher education institutions.
How we work
An annual in-person meeting and shorter online sessions provide opportunities for discussion, transfer of knowledge and collaboration. The host universities rotate annually.
Our work covers, among others, the following areas:
- Professional development and training opportunities for doctoral candidates and postdocs
- Advising and support during the doctoral and postdoctoral phases (including tenure track)
- Quality assurance for doctoral programs
- Doctoral advising
- Higher education policy developments related to doctoral studies and doctoral law
- Structural doctoral programs (graduate centers/colleges)
- Mental health in academia
- Abuse of power in academia
- Joint doctoral programs between universities and universities of applied sciences
- (Financial) funding opportunities for doctoral students.
It‘s worth joining in!
The working group thrives on the dedication of its members. Share your expertise, help shape our recommendations, and benefit from our cross-university network.
If you are interested in joining the working group, please contact the working group’s contact persons via email.
New members are always welcome!
Contact persons:
- Dr. Susanne Czech Daum (Promotionskolleg Schleswig-Holstein)
- Maria Löffler (Hochschule Merseburg)
- Dr. Kerstin Lundström (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)
Former contact persons
- Dr. Katrin Blankenburg, 2023-2026 (Technische Hochschule Lübeck)
- Nancy Warbeck, 2023-2026 (Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences)
- Dr. Jessica Wilzek, 2020-2023 (PH Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education)
- Dr. Kai-Friederike Oelbermann, 2020-2023 (Hochschule Anhalt University of Applied Sciences)
- Dr. Carolin Schuchert, 2017-2020 (Doctoral School NRW)