GAIN26: Programm

workshop sessions in English

Friday, 8/21/2026

Time PDT Room Pre-GAIN
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. tba Pre-GAIN26
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. tba Studienstiftung Ehemaligentreffen

Time PDT

Room

GAIN26
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. tba Postdoc Intro Session
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. tba Talent Fair
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Concurrent Workshops
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. tba Fachforum Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften

Coordinator: Dr. Carsten-Michael Walbiner (DAAD)
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. tba Fachforum Natur- und Ing. Wissenschaften

Coordinator: Dr. Heidi Förster (AvH)
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. tba Fachforum Medizin und Biowissenschaften

Coordinator: Dr. Petra Hintze (DFG)
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. tba Advancing your Research Career in Germany: Opportunities for Postdocs, Young Investigators, and Junior Faculty Members

Coordinator: Christian Strowa (DAAD)
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. tba Für Aussteller: Broad Reach or Precision? Rethinking International Recruitment

Coordinator: Dr. Katja Lasch (DAAD)
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. tba Welcome and Opening Session GAIN26
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. tba GAIN26 Reception

Saturday, 8/22/2026

Time

Room

GAIN26
7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. tba Breakfast with Topic Tables
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. tba Discussion panel with politicians from Germany (in German)
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. tba International Postdocs: Working in Germany. What to consider? What to look out for? Expats share their experiences.

Coordinator: Dr. Joann Halpern (GAIN)
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Concurrent Workshops
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. tba Rückkehrstrategien aus erster Hand

Coordinator: Dr. Alexandra Wiebke (Universität Paderborn)
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. tba Widerstandsfähige Wissenschaft – starke Demokratie: PostDocs und Politik diskutieren über Erfahrungen und Erwartungen für eine resiliente Wissenschaft

Coordinator: Dr. Rainer Gruhlich (Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung, Kunst und Kultur (HMWK))
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. tba Teaching Autonomy, Academic and Institutional Impact: Faculty Careers at Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS)

Coordinator: Dr. Patrizia Nobbe (UAS7 – seven German Universites of Applied Sciences)
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. tba Einblicke in Berufungsverfahren – Dos and Don’ts

Coordinator: Dr. Eva-Maria Aulich (Forschungscampus Mittelhessen)
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. tba „Sciencepreneurship“ – StartupFactories sind Booster für Ausgründungen

Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Andreas Zaby (SPRIND GmbH)
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. tba From Curiosity to Impact: Careers Across Germany’s Non-University Research Organizations

Coordinator: Anna Born (Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft)
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. tba Talent Fair
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. tba Lunch Session with Table Hosts from the German Research Community

Time

Room

GAIN26
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Concurrent Workshops
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. tba European Funding Opportunities for Postdocs – European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF)

Coordinator: Dunja Hofmann (Kooperationsstelle EU der Wissenschaftsorganisationen – KoWi)
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. tba Tenure Track

Coordinator: tba
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. tba Unlocking Talent: Gleichstellung auf dem Weg zur Professur – Strukturen, Maßnahmen und Perspektiven

Coordinator: Stephan Keuck (HRK Hochschulrektorenkonferenz)
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. tba Designing Your Research Career in Germany: From US Postdoc to PI and Beyond and Practical Myth-Busting for International Postdocs

Coordinators: Ingy Nafie (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V. – Research in Germany) & Dr. Marion Müller (Wübben Wissenschaftsstiftung gGmbH)
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. tba Research Ecosystems for Societal Impact: Science Transfer for Society

Coordinator: Dr. Jan an Haack (Technische Universität Berlin)
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. tba Your Path to Academic Independence: Leading a Junior Research Group

Coordinator: Dr. Astrid Evers (DFG)
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. tba Mentoring as a Career Tool: Strategies, Networks, and Structured Peer Mentoring

Coordinator: Dr. Anne Schreiter (GSO – Guidance, Skills & Opportunities for Researchers e.V.)
3:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. tba Talent Fair
3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. tba HAW Pitch: Paths to Professorships at German Universities of Applied Sciences

Coordinator: Dr. Patrizia Nobbe (UAS7 – seven German Universities of Applied Sciences)
5:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. tba Science Slam with Award Ceremony
from 8:00 p.m. off-site there’s no set program for this evening [Scholarship Holder Evenings only by invitation and GAIN Postdoc Meet-Ups]

Sunday, 8/23/2026

Time

Room

GAIN26 Item on the Program
7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. tba Breakfast with Topic Tables
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Concurrent Spotlight Sessions
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. tba Dual Career: Herausforderungen, Chancen und Möglichkeiten für Forschende

Coordinator: Mariana Varges Ustares (Dual Career Netzwerk Deutschland)
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. tba Karrierefaktor Netzwerk – Wie interdisziplinäre und institutionenübergreifende Forschungsverbünde Karrieren in der Wissenschaft fördern

Coordinator: Dr. Leonie Herrmann (DZD – Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung)
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. tba Beyond Academia: Kompetenzen sichtbar machen – LinkedIn, Networking und der verdeckte Arbeitsmarkt

Coordinator: Rouven Sperling (Berlin Partner)
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. tba Launching Your European Research Career in Germany: Opportunities in European Universities Alliances

Coordinator: Dr. Ursula Schlichter (University of Mannheim)
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Concurrent Workshops
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. tba Career Development in a Challenging Geopolitical Environment

Coordinator: Dr. Dominik Baumgarten (Technische Universität Braunschweig)
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. tba Navigating the Path to Group Leader in Germany: Facts, Myths & Advice

Coordinator: Dr. Anne Schreiter (GSO – Guidance, Skills & Opportunities for Researchers e.V.)
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. tba Figuring Out What’s Next: A Career Design Workshop for Postdocs

Coordinator: Dr. Joann Halpern (ZAMWILL/New York University)
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. tba Die Realität wissenschaftlicher Karrieren – Fehlschläge als Sprungbrett

Coordinator: Dr. Alexandra Wiebke (Universität Paderborn)
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. tba Karrieren im Wissenschaftsmanagement

Coordinators: Dr. Christiane Wüllner (Ruhr University Bochum) & Marc Benedict (Universität Wuppertal)
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. tba Individuelle Karrierewege in der Wissenschaft – aktive Gestaltung von Karrierephasen und Übergängen unter Berücksichtigung von Fördermöglichkeiten

Coordinator: Claudia Arntz (Universität zu Köln)
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. tba Talent Fair
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshops
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. tba Excellence Strategy: Opportunities and Prospects in the Excellence Clusters Program

Coordinator: Dr. Christine Petry (DFG)
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. tba From Lab to Leadership – Die Bedeutung guter Führung in der Wissenschaft

Coordinator: Peter Rosenbaum (Technische Universität Dresden)
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. tba Leading with Excellence: Women and Leadership in Academia

Coordinator: Priya Nayar (University Alliance Ruhr: Ruhr University Bochum | TU Dortmund University | University of Duisburg-Essen)
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. tba Professorship Appointment Procedures: Dos and Don’ts

Coordinator: Dr. Inken Dose (TU9 – German Universities of Technology)
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. tba There and Back Again – Personal Insights into Navigating Transatlantic Careers

Coordinator: Oliver Kaas (KIT – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. tba Generative KI im Publizieren & Peer Review: Erlaubt, Sinnvoll, Riskant?!

Coordinator: Dr. Max Vögler (Elsevier)
End of GAIN26 Conference

* program subject to change