Information and Offers for Supervisors of Postdocs

The promotion of early-career researchers is a top priority at KIT. Superiors, in particular, play a major role in supporting early-career researchers on their career path.

Postdocs are at a critical stage in their academic careers. They are developing their own professional profile, making key career decisions, and taking on increasing responsibility. As their superiors, you play a key role in shaping this phase. KIT offers various services designed to support you in this role.

In addition, KHYS supports you with its comprehensive consulting services to inform and accompany your early-career scientists e.g. regarding qualification and financing opportunities.

The ▶ Guidelines for the Postdoc Phase at KIT serve postdocs and their supervisors to ensure transparency and reliability during a qualification phase that is central to their career. They are guidelines for both parties and outline the general framework conditions during a postdoc phase at KIT. 

Due to the strong competition from other research institutions and industrial employers, it is often very difficult to attract excellent early-career researchers and young scientists. The ▶ Aspirant Grant (Postdoc) enables you to invite those interested in postdocs from abroad to spend a month at KIT to get to know the program.

Today's demands on early-career researchers require additional methodological and interdisciplinary skills.

KHYS supports your postdocs with the interdisciplinary further education program ▶ "Fit for your next career step" (FIT), which KHYS has developed together with its partners specifically for the requirements of the target group. It covers the following thematic areas:

  • Research Skills
  • Communication
  • Management and Leadership
  • Languages
  • Career

Participation is free of charge – KHYS covers the fees.

Regarding career development, KHYS offers ▶ individual career coaching to postdocs and points to additional offers available at KIT.

KHYS promotes the international and interfaculty networking of early-career researchers at KIT and thus also of working groups and institutes through its diverse offers.

Interfaculty networking is promoted, among other things, by the following events:

▶ Welcome Event for Postdocs
▶ KHYS Postdoc Days
▶  Virtual Career Day

KHYS also supports early‑career researchers who wish to go abroad with various offers and supports internationalization on site in Karlsruhe. With the ▶ KHYS Research Travel Grant, KHYS provides your research group with new opportunities to establish and deepen contacts. The ▶ HIDA Mobility Program of the Helmholtz Information & Data Science Academy offers the possibility to apply for a research stay at selected partners abroad or at another Helmholtz Center. In addition, ▶ HIDA Course Funding financially supports the organization of own events in the field of (applied) information and data science.

On the ▶ New Appointees Portal, newly appointed professors can find all the information that may be relevant for their start in their new position or during their stay at KIT. 

The ▶ annual performance review provides a framework for good cooperation and a good management culture and is conducted at KIT across all levels. It is directed at all KIT employees, both in administration and technology as well as in the scientific area.

Leadership means taking responsibility for employees. ▶ Persons with leadership responsibility create ideal conditions so that all employees can develop their potential for KIT.

A key goal of the postdoctoral phase is the development of academic independence. Supporting this process involves a demanding collaboration. Different expectations or personal challenges can lead to tensions and misunderstandings. It is important to recognize such situations early and address them openly.

KHYS and KIT offer you and your doctoral researchers a variety of ▶ Counseling and Support Services.