GRADE Postdoc Peer Groups – application still open until 26 January 2026!
Photo: Jürgen Lecher
The postdoc phase is an exciting, but also challenging time that is shaped by increasing responsibilities, new roles, important career decisions and a complex scientific day-to-day life. Frequently, this means that you do not have much time to pause for a moment, take the time to reflect on your challenges in a structured manner or to strategically plan your own professional future.
This is where the Postdoc Peer Groups of Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers (GRADE) come into play. They offer postdocs at the Rhine-Main Universities the possibility for interdisciplinary exchange between colleagues, to learn from each other and to discuss and work in individual questions.
Who can participate?
All postdocs a the Rhine-Main Universities Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Technical University of Darmstadt are invited to join the program, which will be held in English.
What can I expect from the Postdoc Peer Groups?
Over the course of one year, interdisciplinary peer groups will hold regular self-organized meetings. To kick off the series, participants will meet in person on 23 February 2026 (10:00 – 16:00 Uhr on Campus Westend of Goethe University Frankfurt, where a professional trainer will introduce them to the “peer group supervision method”. Two additional meetings will be held in the middle of and at the end of the year with professional external supervision.
Why should I participate?
The Peer Groups offer room to reflect on and discuss issues such as as team and conflict management, decision-making processes and career planning. The focus is on questions of personal and professional development – not on research questions from one’s own particular field. The aim is to professionalize your own style of work, to develop individual strategies for your career development and to establish sustainable networks with colleagues in the region.
Application
Please send your CV and a cover letter (max. 1 page in PDF format) via email by 26 January 2026. Please use the cover letter to explain what you except from the Peer Group, which topics are currently relevant to you and whether you can participate in the kick-off meeting in person as well as whether you prefer online or in-person meetings in 2026.
Contact:
Goethe Research Academy for Early Career Researchers (GRADE)
Dr. Laura Mohr-Valldorf – Postdoc Peer Groups
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Telefon: +49 (0)69 798-49406
E-Mail: mohr@grade.uni-frankfurt.de
Downloads
- Information and application (359.66 KB)
