Dorothea Schlözer Mentoring Program

What are my career prospects following my doctoral degree? What criteria are paramount in deciding to pursue an academic or non-academic career? How should I behave in competitive situations? And how can I combine my family life with a career in academia or elsewhere?
Questions like these demonstrate that a successful career is more than just delivering optimal results at work. A relationship with an experienced mentor and the exchange of ideas with other doctoral and postdoctoral researchers can provide important orientation and support at this stage in life.

The University of Göttingen is therefore offering a mentoring program for female postdoctoral researchers and late PhDs at the Göttingen Campus, designed to accompany early career researchers through this phase of their career. It represents a contribution to increasing the number of women in leading positions at universities and other research institutions. The program is based on three elements:

MENTORING

Mentoring is the core element of the program. Mentors are established professors of the Göttingen Campus and other if desired. In confidential One-to-one mentoring meetings, the mentors provide the opportunity to share experience, and support their mentee individually regarding career planning and challenges. More than 200 doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from different faculties and 5 Max-Planck Institutes participated already in the program. More than 100 professors of the Göttingen Campus participated as mentors.

TRAINING

Specific qualification workshops focusing on developing key skills (mostly 2-day intensive workshops). The qualification workshops take place in cooperation with the Career Coaching Programme, and participants from both measures mingle in the workshops.

NETWORKING

Information and Networking Events concerning career related topics give the mentees the opportunity to expand their network, learn role models and get advice from Campus' experts.

The Program started in 2010 as a pilot project for young academics. The program's 14th round started in March 2024. The mentoring program is part of the Dorothea Schlözer Program which provides different instruments to support female researchers.