Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses Fluss-Cytometrie (FACS) Bildgebende Verfahren des ZNS Proteomik,Genomik, Genetik Forschungsgebiet A: Schadensmechanismen Forschungsgebiet B: Endogene ZNS-Protektion Forschungsgebiet C: Regeneration Forschungsgebiet D: Interaktionen zwischen Nerven- und Immunsystem Forschungsgebiet E: Entwicklungsstörungen im Nervensystem Forschungsgebiet F: Plastizität Störungen funktioneller Netzwerkstrukturen Neuroinflammation Cerebrovaskuläre Erkrankungen Tierexperimentelle Einrichtung zur Langzeit-, Verhaltens- und Outcome-Analyse Tierexperimentelle Einrichtung zur Langzeit-, Verhaltens- und Outcome-Analyse NeuroCure Klinisches Forschungszentrum


Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses

(Die deutsche Übersetzung folgt demnächst)

Promotion of young researchers

The practice of providing young researchers with a comprehensive interdisciplinary and structured education and of promoting their early independence through coaching and mentoring is already well established among the institutions involved in the Neuro Cure initiative. Although a variety of successful elements and programs has already been established, a number

of challenges regarding the promotion of early stage and junior scientists still remain and will be addressed by the Neuro Cure initiative. At the MSc/PhD level, the graduate program 'Medical Neurosciences' will be extended and

enhanced in the following ways:

 

  • Recruitment of a dedicated "Scientific Director of the Graduate Program": The director will greatly benefit and professionalize the program by fine-tuning its content, keeping it up to date with the rapid changes in neuroscience, eliminating redundancies, and developing the curriculum further as well as tapping into new funding resources.
  • Dedicated fellowships for PhD students: At present, PhD students starting the program must hold complementary positions in associated research groups for the duration of the program. Neuro Cure will offer fellowships to top applicants, thereby enabling them to choose their research groups more freely. A side effect of this is enhanced competition among the faculty, as only highly dedicated supervisors and promising projects will be able to attract the best PhD students who also bring their own funding.
  • Dedicated fellowships for MSc students: Neuro Cure will offer fellowships for selective master students of the MSc/MD/PhD program in Medical Neurosciences. At present, there are 10 applicants for each admitted student. Thus, highly qualified candidates have to be turned down. Merit- and need-based fellowship for Master students will allow us to recruit the best students regardless of their financial background.

 

On the postdoctoral level, Neuro Cure will further develop the Neurowissenschaftliches Forschungszentrum as a hub for the promotion of early stage neuroscientists:

  • Tenure-track positions: In accordance with proven procedures at the Charité and Humboldt-Universität, Neuro Cure will offer selected faculty positions as tenure-track positions. Respective hires will obtain start-up funding for personnel and equipment and will be required to pass evaluations after a period of 3 and 6 years respectively. Junior group leaders will be able to conduct their work with strong peer-group support and access to shared facilities, such as office infrastructure that includes secretarial support for budget administration and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. In addition, each junior group leader will be assigned to a mentoring team of two or three experienced scientists. Special attention will be given to matching female scientists and foreigners with suitable mentors. A set of special classes on issues such as project management, group dynamics, leadership and conflict management, the national and European funding systems, legal aspects pertaining to the university as well as patenting and intellectual property and setting up SMEs, will also be offered.
  • Postdoctoral rotation positions: NeuroCure will provide postdoctoral positions for early stage scientists to obtain in depth experience across the clinical-basic-research devide. Neuro Cure scientists have found this measure to be particularly valuable in promoting exchange between basic and clinical sciences. Basic scientists who want to get experience in clinical studies and young doctors who want to explore scientific questions in more depth in clinical work can apply.
  • Fellowships for international postdocs and visiting scientists: Neuro Cure will offer fellowships for international postdocs and visiting scientists. Based on the excellent experience with the Alexander von Humboldt fellows and Alexander von Humboldt Prizes, we will set up a similarly structured program to attract young postdoctoral fellows from abroad as well as experienced scientists for sabbaticals in Neuro Cure .
  • Mentoring / Senior research group: To try to maintain expertise, Charité offers the possibility to extend the professional period for professors beyond the age of 65 depending on prior achievement and current excellence. Going further, NeuroCure will establish a senior scientist group. In this way, a senior scientist of the highest calibre and outstanding experience can be attracted following retirement from previous appointments and continue to make important contributions to Neuro Cure . It is anticipated that this senior scientist will participate in mentoring and career advancement of junior faculty.

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Promotion of Gender equality

 

Neuro Cure will benefit from the initiatives and successes in promoting Gender equality of the involved institutions. However, this consortium is committed to supporting the cause further by setting aspiring targets and working towards them through a set of measures detailed below. neral Information Advancing from the present situation, Neuro Cure aims to reach female representation among its Members' Assembly of 15-20% within the funding period. Furthermore, at least 3 of the 10 positions planned for the Neuro Cure Scientific Advisory Board will be filled by outstanding female scientists. The following actions will be taken:

 

  • . Neuro Cure will establish W1 junior research groups for female scientists only. These ' Neuro Cure Rahel-Hirsch Professorships' come with three staff positions (technician, graduate student, postdoc), yearly funds for consumables, and start-up funds.
  • Neuro Cure will finance postdoc stipends (6-12 months) for female scientists who have interrupted their careers due to family obligations, thereby extending the Lydia-Rabinowitsch-Stipendium program initiated by the Charité
  • Neuro Cure scientists will approach distinguished female scientists and invite them to apply for Neuro Cure positions with the explicit aim of having at least 35% of Neuro Cure professor positions filled by women.
  • Neuro Cure is dedicated to offering any practical support needed to ensure equal opportunity. Child-care options will be established which are tailored to the needs of scientists by providing care during evening hours and weekends in order to facilitate conference trips and longer work hours in the laboratory, for example.
  • The initiative is also committed to applying gender mainstreaming principles actively to its r ecruitment policy and in supporting its employees. For example, to ensure a long-term impact, the Neuro Cure consortium commits itself to improve the qualifications of human-resource decision makers by establishing guidelines and offering training in impartial interview procedures

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