Lecture Hall

Event Calendar

Good Scientific Practice – Basic principles for Doctoral Candidates

The major objective of the workshop “Good Scientific Practice” is to know and understand the basic rules and values of the responsible conduct of research in all its steps, according to local, national and international regulations and guidelines. The participants will explore the differences and grey areas between good scientific practice, questionable research practice and scientific misconduct. They will learn how misconduct can be recognized and prevented and how it should be addressed and dealt with in case it occurs, and what damage it can cause if handled improperly.In addition, they will learn to develop appropriate solutions to difficult situations in the process of science and receive advice on how to protect their own scientific work. They are encouraged to speak with their colleagues and institutions about problems and challenges.The content of the workshop follows the curriculum “Good Scientific Practice” which was commissioned by and developed in cooperation with the German Research Ombudsman, an independent board of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Seminar contents: • Definitions of good scientific practice and scientific misconduct• Degrees and extent of scientific misconduct• Data management• Authorship and the process of publication• Mentoring and supervision• Conflict management: how to deal with scientific misconduct • Local, national and international guidelines and regulationsPlease 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]

Julia Santiago: A new connection with the matrix: Plant cell wall patterning and expansion mediated by protein-peptide-polysaccharide interaction

Wednesday Seminar
Q & A: Bigwig files and IGV browser, profiles and heatmaps, gene annotation, transcription factor binding sites, copy number aberrations, intervene pairwise [more]

Chris Whitewoods: Understanding cell layer interactions in plant development

Wednesday Seminar

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]

Yasin Dagdas: Leveraging evolutionary diversity to discover new autphagy mechanisms in plants and humans

Academic Writing in English for Doctoral Candidates in the Natural and Life Sciences

This workshop is ideal for those doctoral candidates who already have experience in writing in English but are not native speakers of English. The course addresses the main challenges in writing an academic text for publication and offers tips and techniques to help you write more clearly. After attending this course, you will feel more confident in structuring your academic texts as well as being aware of typical mistakes in academic writing and how to fix them.Seminar contents:• The writing process• General style and structure of academic papers, paragraphs and sentences in the Natural and Life Sciences• Punctuation• Academic vocabulary - words and phrases used to structure papers and improve the written style• Learning from native speakers• Abstracts• Classic mistakes• Improving texts - writing and feedback on your own work• Reflections and next stepsPlease note:As the second day focuses on participants’ writing you are asked to bring a current writing project to the workshop. In addition, you should bring a copy of a native speaker paper from the Natural and Life Sciences area.Also, 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]

Autumn meeting BM Libraries of the MPG

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]

Getting it Right: Scientific Presentation for Doctoral Candidates

A good presentation begins with good preparation. You will work on exercises that help you understand the best techniques in developing the right presentation by answering questions like: Who will be present? Where will I give my talk? How can I most effectively present my research material? Body language is an aspect that is covered in any presentation workshop but under these special circumstances, we will cover effectively and efficiently using an online platform to give top-notch presentations. Your voices will play a particularly critical role here. Hence, in advance you will be asked to prepare a presentation of a maximum of five slides about your current research for a non-expert scientific audience.Seminar contents:• Finding out about the situation• Body language• Understanding interests of an audience• Creating better slides• Master discussionsPlease 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]

Getting it Right: Scientific Presentation for Doctoral Candidates

A good presentation begins with good preparation. You will work on exercises that help you understand the best techniques in developing the right presentation by answering questions like: Who will be present? Where will I give my talk? How can I most effectively present my research material? Body language is an aspect that is covered in any presentation workshop but under these special circumstances, we will cover effectively and efficiently using an online platform to give top-notch presentations. Your voices will play a particularly critical role here. Hence, in advance you will be asked to prepare a presentation of a maximum of five slides about your current research for a non-expert scientific audience.Seminar contents:• Finding out about the situation• Body language• Understanding interests of an audience• Creating better slides• Master discussionsPlease 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]

Harmit Malik

Wednesday Seminar

Federica Brandizz: At the core of the factory: New functional connections of the plant endoplasmic reticulum

Wednesday Seminar

Leadership Starter Kit

As young scientists you often take on first leadership tasks after graduating with a PhD or already supervise students and/or non-academic staff during your doctoral phase. In order to successfully manage initial leadership situations and at the same time advance your own doctorate, solid knowledge of central leadership instruments and practical experience are helpful to fulfil the tasks and to shape your new role.The online workshop "Leadership Starter Kit" will support you in mastering these first leadership steps. You will learn and experience in which areas your own leadership skills are already developed, and you will deepen your skills and knowledge in areas in which you have little or no experience.The techniques introduced in this workshop can be used in a variety of contexts ranging from leading a team on a day-to-day basis to enhancing the team’s long-term productivity. Particular emphasis is placed upon enabling prospective leaders to become aware of key dynamics within a team and to adjust leadership strategies accordingly. Seminar contents:• Leadership practice: Reflection on previous experience - Leadership tasks / tools - Psychology of leadership • Successful leadership: Communication and conflict resolution - Creating incentives & motivation - Conducting talks - Dealing with conflictive issues• Delegation, assignment, supervision: - Setting goals - Evaluate and control by means of transparent criteria.Please note: Our training programme is designed for the interaction of the participants. Comparable to classroom seminars, we ask you to turn on your camera during online events for an exchange at eye level. [more]

Rosa Lozano-Durán

Wednesday Seminar
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