The mentoring programme for female postdocs is a cross-university programme offered by the universities of Halle-Wittenberg, Jena and Leipzig. It offers support to advanced postdocs, habilitation researchers, junior research group leaders, and junior professors from all disciplines in their next career steps on the path to professorship. The female scientists receive personal support from experienced mentors as well as key competencies and professional contacts for efficient planning and pursuing a career in science.
Programme
The postdoctoral phase serves to qualify for a career in science with the goal of a professorship. UNIBUND mentoring aims to provide female scientists with guidance and empowerment in personal and professional terms during this period. The broad network of female postdocs from all disciplines promotes the cross-university transfer of knowledge and interdisciplinary exchange.
The program is accompanied by official kick-off, interim and closing events and consists of four building blocks:
- One-to-One-Mentoring
Individual advice and support on career-related issues and on integration into the scientific community - Topic-related peergroups
Exchange of information and experience as well as establishment of an interdisciplinary network with other female postdocs in UNIBUND - Training activities on career-related key competencies
Introductory workshop, offers on profiling and application strategies as well as leadership and management tasks in the science sector - Networking
Meetings following the kick-off, mid-term and closing events to establish and intensify interdisciplinary contacts
Information for mentees
The mentoring programme is aimed at highly qualified postdocs, habilitation researchers, junior research group leaders, and junior professors from all disciplines at the universities of Halle-Wittenberg, Jena, and Leipzig with at least two years of independent scientific activity following their doctorate and the career goal of a professorship. The mentees are individually supervised by experienced professors from their own or a related field. The mentors come from one of the two other universities in order to ensure a mentoring relationship free of hierarchy. The duration of the programme is one year. An extension for another year is possible.
The UNIBUND mentoring programme for female postdocs is coordinated at the Leipzig site as part of the t.e.a.m. programme. On the other hand, however, it is also considered an independent programme line at the Leipzig University. A willingness to network with other t.e.a.m. programme lines as well as active participation in the programme is therefore assumed. To make this possible, appointments are announced well in advance whenever possible. The mentoring tandem also only offers added value if the participants deal intensively with their own situation and show initiative towards the mentor in arranging appointments and in preparing and following up the meetings. At the start of the programme, the mentees receive a briefing to help them shape the mentoring relationship and understand their roles within the programme. Throughout the programme, project management and coordination are available to provide support.
During face-to-face events, it is possible to make use of free childcare. In order to ensure that this can be organized, the programme coordinator will ask about the need for childcare at an early stage of each event. In addition, other needs with regard to accessibility, such as assistance requirements or sign language interpretation, can be specified.
Information for mentors
Mentoring is based on the sharing of experience. At t.e.a.m., female postdocs benefit from the advice and support of professorial managers. The latter, in turn, gain insights into the needs of young female scientists through mutual exchange.
For the mentoring pool of the programme, we are continuously looking for female professors and professors of our university who want to engage with their knowledge and experience for female postdocs.
Before the start of the programme, mentors receive a briefing on their role as mentors, if required. At the beginning of each mentoring session, the mentor and mentee then draw up a joint agreement on objectives, which serves as an orientation and control instrument. To establish a successful mentoring partnership for both sides, regular contact between mentor and mentee is recommended. At best, this can take place in the form of personal meetings or digitally and can be supplemented by e-mail exchanges. The intervals between meetings should not exceed three months and should be estimated at one to two hours per meeting.
The mentorship is based on the initiative of the mentee, who encourages regular meetings and prepares and follows up on the content. On the part of the mentor, the focus is on the willingness to take time for the mentee's concerns and to work out solutions in a discursive exchange. If you have any questions about mentoring, please contact the project coordinator at any time.
Application
Deadline for applications
The application period for participation in the programme from June 2025 to June 2026 runs from 17 January to 30 March 2025. After reviewing all applications, the project coordinator will invite candidates to individual interviews.
Requirements for participation
The program is aimed at highly qualified female postdocs, habilitation researchers, junior research group leaders and junior professors from all disciplines at the Universities of Halle-Wittenberg, Jena and Leipzig with
- at least two years of independent scientific activity as a postdoctoral researcher, usually following the completion of a doctorate,
- serious interest and high commitment to an academic career,
- openness to constructive feedback, and
- a willingness to actively participate in the programme.
Documents
You can submit your application by post or e-mail using the contact information below. All information will be treated confidentially. Please note that threats to confidentiality and unauthorized access by third parties cannot be ruled out when communicating by unencrypted e-mail.
Basically, the following documents are required for application:
- Application form
- Letter of motivation
- CV in tabular form
- Brief description of your current research or habilitation project with a rough time schedule (up to three DIN A4 pages)
- List of your publications and, if applicable, other scientific achievements
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