Events and Courses for Postdocs

Intermediate Leadership

The positions of junior research group leaders and experienced postdocs are often described as a challenging “sandwich position”. On the one hand, in these positions, you lead single researchers or an entire scientific team, on the other hand you are dependent on the heads of departments etc. This requires competencies in leading a team as well as in lateral leadership.One aim of the seminar is to introduce you to the tools needed to lead a team successfully. As a basic model, the approach of transformational leadership will be introduced. Further, you will reflect on the different expectations others have of you in your specific leadership role, and get to know instruments for clarifying such expectations in discussions. Seminar contents:• Model of team leadership, fundamentals of transformational leadership • Leadership guidelines at University of Cologne• Expectation management in a “sandwich position”• Motivation and delegation in a scientific working environment• Master difficult discussions/feedback with team members and on lateral level solution-orientated [more]

Do your own thing! How to get started with your own business after your PhD

What are your plans after finishing your doctorate? Have you thought about starting your own business? Join Sebastian Sydlik, Startup Coach from the GATEWAY Excellence Startup Centre at the University of Cologne, to discover: • What kinds of self-employment options are out there? • How can I get initial funding to turn an idea into a startup? • What are some useful contacts and resources that can help me? • What is Design Thinking and how can it help me turn my thesis into a business that solves a real-world problem? • What can I do next to define my business model? The session includes useful information and a creative workshop. Participants will leave the session with a clearly articulated business idea that solves a real-world problem, and is ready to be developed further into a profitable business model. Please note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

Do your own thing! How to get started with your own business after your PhD

What are your plans after finishing your doctorate? Have you thought about starting your own business? Join Sebastian Sydlik, Startup Coach from the GATEWAY Excellence Startup Centre at the University of Cologne, to discover: • What kinds of self-employment options are out there? • How can I get initial funding to turn an idea into a startup? • What are some useful contacts and resources that can help me? • What is Design Thinking and how can it help me turn my thesis into a business that solves a real-world problem? • What can I do next to define my business model? The session includes useful information and a creative workshop. Participants will leave the session with a clearly articulated business idea that solves a real-world problem, and is ready to be developed further into a profitable business model. Please note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

First audition? How to Apply for a Professorship (Online)

Please notice: The seminar will be preceded by a webcast (duration about 4,5 hours, available from 25.09.2023 – 17.10.2023)The webcast will first deal with the procedure and the formal aspects of the appointment process (with focus on Germany). Afterwards, all necessary application documents (especially CV, cover letter, research and teaching concept) will be discussed in detail and partly illustrated with sample materials. The third part addresses all aspects of the hearing. You will learn about the requirements for the application talk and the demonstration lecture. In addition, the most frequently asked questions in the interview with the selection committee will be discussed. Before meeting in small groups, you will consequently watch the webcast and prepare a 3-minute talk to present your own profile. In the group sessions, there is first of all the opportunity to clarify all your open questions about applying for professorships. Subsequently, all participants will give their prepared 3-minute presentation to present your own profile and receive feedback from your peers and your trainer. Finally, the interview with the committee will be discussed. Here, we will practice to answer some typical and challenging questions from committee interview and will also receive feedback.Individual process support can be discussed, upon request, after the seminar.Please note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]
Q & A: Bigwig files and IGV browser, profiles and heatmaps, gene annotation, transcription factor binding sites, copy number aberrations, intervene pairwise [more]
Please notice: The seminar will be preceded by a webcast (duration about 4,5 hours, available from 25.09.2023 – 17.10.2023)The webcast will first deal with the procedure and the formal aspects of the appointment process (with focus on Germany). Afterwards, all necessary application documents (especially CV, cover letter, research and teaching concept) will be discussed in detail and partly illustrated with sample materials. The third part addresses all aspects of the hearing. You will learn about the requirements for the application talk and the demonstration lecture. In addition, the most frequently asked questions in the interview with the selection committee will be discussed. Before meeting in small groups, you will consequently watch the webcast and prepare a 3-minute talk to present your own profile. In the group sessions, there is first of all the opportunity to clarify all your open questions about applying for professorships. Subsequently, all participants will give their prepared 3-minute presentation to present your own profile and receive feedback from your peers and your trainer. Finally, the interview with the committee will be discussed. Here, we will practice to answer some typical and challenging questions from committee interview and will also receive feedback.Individual process support can be discussed, upon request, after the seminar.Please note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]
Q & A: Introduction to R, differential analysis with two or more conditions [more]

Successful Job Applications and Interviews for a Job outside Academia

The first part of this workshop focuses on the application documents. In exercises you will reflect your individual achievements so far and learn how to convincingly present them in the CV as the center-piece of every application. By analysing real job ads, you will practise how to write cover letters that create the desire to meet the author. You will get advice on how your determination for a specific career path can be reflected in your CV and cover letter and what other application documents to include considering differences between jobs in academia and industry. The focus of the second part lies on job interviews and covers questions such as how to react upon the invitation, how to prepare for the interview, the interview itself and how to deal with it afterwards. Differences between real and virtual interviews will be covered. After preparatory exercises, you will practise giving examples of skills and abilities. You will be primed for specific situations when confronted with awkward questions or unexpected challenges and practise these in training sequences. In individual online live coaching sessions, you can discuss individual questions with your trainer. This may include the check of application documents (1 CV and 1 motivational letter) for a specific job ad. All documents should be handed in a week prior to the individually scheduled appointments. These appointments should take place within 2 months after the workshop. • Checking and optimising application documents (CV, cover letter, etc.)• Preparation for in person and virtual interviews• Preparatory exercises and training sequences (skills, abibilities, and challenging situations)• Individual coaching for one specific application processPlease note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

Conflict management

  • Start: Jun 21, 2023 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Jun 23, 2023 05:00 PM
  • Speaker: Sabine Lerch
This event is suitable for doctoral researchers and early stage postdocs [more]

Successful Job Applications and Interviews for a Job outside Academia

The first part of this workshop focuses on the application documents. In exercises you will reflect your individual achievements so far and learn how to convincingly present them in the CV as the center-piece of every application. By analysing real job ads, you will practise how to write cover letters that create the desire to meet the author. You will get advice on how your determination for a specific career path can be reflected in your CV and cover letter and what other application documents to include considering differences between jobs in academia and industry. The focus of the second part lies on job interviews and covers questions such as how to react upon the invitation, how to prepare for the interview, the interview itself and how to deal with it afterwards. Differences between real and virtual interviews will be covered. After preparatory exercises, you will practise giving examples of skills and abilities. You will be primed for specific situations when confronted with awkward questions or unexpected challenges and practise these in training sequences. In individual online live coaching sessions, you can discuss individual questions with your trainer. This may include the check of application documents (1 CV and 1 motivational letter) for a specific job ad. All documents should be handed in a week prior to the individually scheduled appointments. These appointments should take place within 2 months after the workshop. • Checking and optimising application documents (CV, cover letter, etc.)• Preparation for in person and virtual interviews• Preparatory exercises and training sequences (skills, abibilities, and challenging situations)• Individual coaching for one specific application processPlease note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

Professor wanted! Planning and Optimizing Your Academic Career

The postdoc years are essential for academic career development. During this period, researchers are often torn between conflicting priorities of intellectual independence, on the one hand, and meeting professional obligations towards their employers, on the other hand. Postdoctoral candidates are expected to develop an independent publication record, apply for external funding, create a distinct research profile, build a teaching portfolio, communicate their research, build a network, undertake research stays abroad, etc. In this seminar, we will address questions such as: Which of these tasks are particularly important? What are the top priorities? Which time frame is appropriate and compatible with my personal private priorities? How important is the habilitation? Seminar contents:• Peer learning as well as individual coaching sessions• Requirements for a long-term career in academia• Analysis of the individual current situation, reviewing the current academic profile• Development and specification of the next goals and planning of the next stepsPlease note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

Career Perspectives after PhD in Humanities or Social Sciences

You will get an overview of various career options in the public sector, including academic research, as well as in the private sector, in non-profit organisations and, where appropriate, in self-employment. Different job profiles and the associated professional and personal entry requirements and approaches are discussed. The correct reading of job advertisements and the clarification of one's own strengths and successes help you to better assess your own fit.Seminar contents:• What does career mean?• Researchers in different fields of the public sector• Researchers in private enterprises• Non-profit associations/societies and foundations• Use and extension of one’s network• Development of an individual strategyPlease note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

Intermediate Leadership

The positions of junior research group leaders and experienced postdocs are often described as a challenging “sandwich position”. On the one hand, in these positions, you lead single researchers or an entire scientific team, on the other hand you are dependent on the heads of departments etc. This requires competencies in leading a team as well as in lateral leadership.One aim of the seminar is to introduce you to the tools needed to lead a team successfully. As a basic model, the approach of transformational leadership will be introduced. Further, you will reflect on the different expectations others have of you in your specific leadership role, and get to know instruments for clarifying such expectations in discussions. Seminar contents:• Model of team leadership, fundamentals of transformational leadership • Leadership guidelines at University of Cologne• Expectation management in a “sandwich position”• Motivation and delegation in a scientific working environment• Master difficult discussions/feedback with team members and on lateral level solution-orientated [more]

Career Perspectives after PhD in Natural and Life Sciences

You will get an overview of various career options in the public sector, including academic research, as well as in the private sector, in non-profit organisations and, where appropriate, in self-employment. Different job profiles and the associated professional and personal entry requirements and approaches are discussed. The correct reading of job advertisements and the clarification of one's own strengths and successes help you to better assess your own fit.Seminar contents:• What does career mean?• Scientists in different fields of the public sector• Scientists in private enterprises• Use and extension of one’s network• Development of an individual strategyPlease note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to face-to-face seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

Skills for project managers

  • Start: Jan 24, 2023 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Jan 26, 2023 05:00 PM
  • Speaker: Sabine Lerch
  • Location: Online
This course is suitable for doctoral researchers and early stage postdocs [more]

Conflict management

  • Start: Jun 27, 2022
  • End: Jun 29, 2022
  • Speaker: Sabine Lerch
  • Location: tba
For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Microscopy applied to plants at the MPIPZ

Course
  • Start: Feb 23, 2022
  • End: Feb 24, 2022
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: tba

Patenting

  • Date: Feb 21, 2022
  • Time: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Peter Schreier
  • Location: Online
weekly Mondays from 10.01. - 21.02.2022For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Patenting

  • Date: Feb 14, 2022
  • Time: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Peter Schreier
  • Location: Online
weekly Mondays from 10.01. - 21.02.2022For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Module 4 - Different options for further analyses

  • Date: Feb 7, 2022
  • Time: 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: Online
  • Host: Isabell Witt
(Also suitable for CUT&Tag, DSBCapture and ATAC-Seq data). This course has been developed to enable doctoral candidates and Postdocs to analyze their own data while being concise and flexible enough to fit their busy schedules. Each module consists of several short videos, each about 10-15 min long, that can be watched whenever there is time. To deepen the understanding, questions and exercises will be provided at the end of many videos. For each module, there is going to be a live Q&A session via zoom where questions can be asked and exercises discussed. The course will start in October and consists of four modules covering all steps needed to analyse ChIP-Seq data.

Patenting

  • Date: Feb 7, 2022
  • Time: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Peter Schreier
  • Location: Online
weekly Mondays from 10.01. - 21.02.2022For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Patenting

  • Date: Jan 31, 2022
  • Time: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Peter Schreier
  • Location: Online
weekly Mondays from 10.01. - 21.02.2022For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Skills for project managers

  • Start: Jan 25, 2022 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Jan 27, 2022 04:00 PM
  • Speaker: Sabine Lerch
  • Location: tba
For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Patenting

  • Date: Jan 24, 2022
  • Time: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Peter Schreier
  • Location: Online
weekly Mondays from 10.01. - 21.02.2022For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Patenting

  • Date: Jan 17, 2022
  • Time: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Peter Schreier
  • Location: Online
weekly Mondays from 10.01. - 21.02.2022For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

Module 3 - From count matrix to differentially enriched regions

(Also suitable for CUT&Tag, DSBCapture and ATAC-Seq data). This course has been developed to enable doctoral candidates and Postdocs to analyze their own data while being concise and flexible enough to fit their busy schedules. Each module consists of several short videos, each about 10-15 min long, that can be watched whenever there is time. To deepen the understanding, questions and exercises will be provided at the end of many videos. For each module, there is going to be a live Q&A session via zoom where questions can be asked and exercises discussed. The course will start in October and consists of four modules covering all steps needed to analyse ChIP-Seq data.

Patenting

  • Date: Jan 10, 2022
  • Time: 08:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Peter Schreier
  • Location: Online
weekly Mondays from 10.01. - 21.02.2022For more information please visit https://gs-biosciences.uni-koeln.de/workshops

intermediate Data Analysis with R (for PhD students & postdocs)

PhD Course
  • Start: Oct 13, 2021
  • End: Oct 26, 2021
  • Trainer: Rick Scavetta
  • Location: Online
Access to online material from October 13th. Two interactive group sessions take place on October 20th and 22nd from 9.30 to 11.30. Each participant can book a 30-minute 1-on-1 session with the trainer on either October 25th or 26th. [more]
This Symposium brings all postdocs working at MPIPZ together to facilitate to get know your peers. The symposium takes place in a relaxed atmosphere to open the possibility for scientific and professional exchange, and importantly, to build community. [more]

Agile Project Management Course for scientists

  • Start: Oct 4, 2021 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Nov 19, 2021 03:00 PM
  • Trainer: Dr. Nadine Sinclair
  • Location: Online
  • Host: Postdoc Coordinator
Fast Forward teaches agile project management to researchers in a new way building on corporate learning approaches. Participants learn by applying the concepts in their own project rather than learning only with examples. [more]

MIRS: MPIPZ Interdepartmental Researchers Seminar

MIRS: MIRS
  • Date: Sep 3, 2021
  • Time: 04:00 PM - 07:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: Lecture hall
Fostering collaboration among researchers [more]

Branch out! Alumni career series for (plant) scientists

  • Start: Aug 27, 2021 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Sep 27, 2021 05:00 PM
  • Location: Online
Get insights into different career paths and benefit from personal experiencs of our Alumni! [more]

Data Analysis with R (for PhD students & postdocs)

PhD Course
  • Start: May 26, 2021
  • End: Jun 8, 2021
  • Trainer: Rick Scavetta
  • Location: Online
Access to online material from May 26th. Two interactive group sessions take place on June 2nd and 4th from 9.30 to 11.30. Each participant can book a 30-minute 1-on-1 session with the trainer on either June 7th or 8th. [more]

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator workshop for scientists

  • Start: Apr 26, 2021 04:49 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: May 4, 2021 04:50 PM
  • Location: Online
In this workshop, attendees will learn Photoshop and Illustrator to edit images and create figures for scientific illustrations and publications [more]

Data Visualization using R (for postdocs)

  • Start: Feb 15, 2021 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Feb 18, 2021 12:00 PM
  • Location: Online
The aim is to learn how to use the graphical capabilities of R and the packages of ggplot and deplyr. [more]

Improving your postdoctoral experience at MPIPZ

Seminar
  • Date: Nov 5, 2020
  • Time: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: online
Do you know how the Postdoctoral Office can support you? Do you know the new MPG platform for training? Do you know what is the Postdoc Net and the Postdoc Initiative? [more]

Intellectual Property (for PhD students and postdocs)

Special Seminar
  • Date: Oct 5, 2020
  • Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Erik Jongedijk
  • Head Business Development Technology at KWS SAAT AG
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: Lecture hall

NCBI Tools (for PhD students and postdocs)

Course
  • Date: Mar 5, 2020
  • Time: 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Trainer: Saurabh Pophaly
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR II
Description: [more]

MPIPZ Alumni/Career Day

Alumni/Career Day 2019

Gender & Diversity Competence (for PhD students and postdocs)

PhD Course
  • Start: Nov 28, 2019
  • End: Nov 30, 2019
  • Trainer: Sabine Lerch
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR I

CRAG-JIC-MPIPZ Conference for Early-Career Researchers

  • Start: Nov 11, 2019
  • End: Nov 14, 2019

Preparing Non-academic Job Applications

Course
  • Start: Sep 23, 2019 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Sep 24, 2019 03:00 PM
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR I

Tips and Tricks for effective and successful writing

Course
  • Date: Jul 3, 2019
  • Time: 02:00 PM - 04:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Trainer: Mary Williams
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR II

Grant Writing Workshop

  • Start: Jun 25, 2019 12:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Jun 26, 2019 12:00 AM
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR I

How to start your own lab

  • Start: May 14, 2019 12:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: May 15, 2019 12:00 AM
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR I

MPIPZ Postdoc Symposium

  • Date: Apr 5, 2019
  • Time: 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: Lecture hall
  • Host: PIM

Statistic and R Course

  • Start: Mar 26, 2019 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Mar 27, 2019 02:00 PM
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR I

Talk: Build a Start-up Program by EIT-Food Post-Docs pilot action

  • Date: Nov 23, 2018
  • Time: 12:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: SR II
  • Host: PIM

Finding your right fit–Analysis of own skills and motivation for a transfer into a new professional role

  • Start: Nov 19, 2018 12:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • End: Nov 20, 2018 12:00 AM
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: CSE 11

Fit for Presentation: Voice and Presence

  • Date: Sep 7, 2018
  • Time: 12:00 AM (Local Time Germany)

Workshop about research misconduct and scholarly communiction with Leonid Schneider

PIM course
  • Date: Apr 6, 2018
  • Time: 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Leonid Schneider
  • Science journalism by Leonid Schneider, on research integrity and academic publishing in life sciences and biomedicine
  • Location: MPIPZ
  • Room: Lecture hall
  • Host: Postdoc initiative
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