Year in Review: 2024

February: Focus on Research Communication

Hamburg's first Science Communication Week in February, launched by the University of Hamburg, offered a wide range of activities for different target groups. Doctoral students from all Hamburg universities were able to take part in the Digital SciCom School via the HRA: Over four mornings, the basics of science communication were taught from various perspectives. In addition, project ideas were developed together – one of which won the 'idea pitch' at the end of the week.

The week was also a good opportunity for us to present our own program on the topic. The Research Communication Project was successfully extended for two more years in 2024. This year, we were again able to support five projects by researchers from our project funding, we introduced an open consultation hour and various participants successfully completed the certificate from our workshop program. We are also working to promote science communication at other levels, for example through an article in the journal Forschung und Lehre (7/2024).

March and September: Day for Prospective Doctoral Researchers

In March and September, we organized our "Tag für Promotionsinteressierte" – a regular and very popular format for Master's students and graduates from our member universities. In short talks and Q&As with professors, we provide information on the first steps and key aspects of a doctorate, such as finding a topic, supervision and funding. According to feedback from participants, the following exchange with doctoral candidates from various disciplines and contexts – academic staff, scholarship holders, HRA Doctoral Council – as well as experts from the Family Office, the Central Scholarship Office and Arbeiterkind.de is particularly valuable.

In order to make the best possible transition to a doctorate, Master's graduates can also take part in our exposé workshop and our offers on time and project management for doctoral researchers.

April: Promovierendentag – Mental Health

Early in the year, but already a real highlight: On 18 April, more than 80 doctoral researchers and those interested in a doctorate from all over Hamburg came together at the Betahaus co-working space for the Promovierendentag (doctoral researcher day) on the topic of mental health. Together, they developed strategies for preventing and overcoming typical crises during the doctoral phase. In various formats, practical tips on procrastination, stress management and decision-making were shared.

A special highlight was a talk by Desiree Dickerson, PhD, an internationally recognized expert on mental health in academia. She emphasized the importance of balancing mental, emotional, and physical energy for academic excellence. Her talk encouraged participants to pay attention to their holistic health during their doctoral studies. Read more about the event in this article. We look forward to the next Promovierendentag on 22 May 2025!

June: Doctoral Research Using AI – Is It Allowed?

The use of artificial intelligence is changing the way research is conducted. Our workshop "Promovieren mit KI – darf ich das? Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis im Zeitalter von Künstlicher Intelligenz" (Doctoral research with AI – Is that allowed? Good scientific practice in the age of artificial intelligence) explored the question of how to reconcile scientific integrity and the use of AI, especially in doctoral theses. What are the possibilities and limitations? And what regulations do you need to be aware of?

The event on 18 June 2024 was a pilot project of the Hamburg Research Academy which brought together six experts from different departments and universities in Hamburg. The interdisciplinary exchange offered the participating doctoral researchers valuable insights into this highly relevant topic.
Due to the high demand and positive feedback, we are already planning the next date for the workshop.

August: Fourth 3MT Competition in Hamburg

A garden party with an evening full of impressive presentations: The HRA summer party with the Three Minute Thesis competition on 27 August 2024 was a very special event! Early career researchers, staff from Hamburg's universities and interested visitors came together in Hamburg's beautiful Oberhafen district to network and celebrate the summer.

And then eight doctoral researchers from various Hamburg universities took on the challenging task of presenting their doctoral thesis to an audience of over 160 people in just three minutes. This gave the audience an exciting insight into various areas of research. After a close race in the judging, Raghav Arora from the Hamburg Observatory (University of Hamburg) finally won with his presentation "Feathery star formation in galaxies". In the article he talks about his experiences during the preparation and on stage.

September: International Program "Making an Impact!"

Together with the Transfer Agency of the University of Hamburg, the HRA organized the program "Making an Impact! Skills for Career Paths in and beyond Academia". Twenty-three doctoral researchers from ten partner universities worked on topics related to science communication, public engagement and sciencepreneurship as part of the EUGLOH alliance. For one week, participants had the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, broadening their perspectives on their skills and exploring career possibilities in the field of global health. The response to this program clearly shows how helpful it can be to incorporate international insights into career planning and what exciting international connections can arise from it! In our article, you can find interviews with three participating researchers.

October: Career Day for Doctoral Researchers and Postdocs

What are the career opportunities with a doctoral degree? This question was the focus of the "Karrieresprung" event on 10 October 2024, which took place in the creative premises of Design Offices Hammerbrook. Around 150 doctoral researchers and postdocs came together to discover career paths beyond the traditional academic career and to actively shape their professional future.

At the heart of the event were the "Career Stories", in which 30 guests with doctorates talked about their inspiring and sometimes unusual career paths. The keynote speech by virologist and ResearchGate founder Dr. Ijad Madisch, a range of advisory services, an interactive opportunity arena and informative sessions provided further insights. For more impressions of this eventful day, please read our article.

November: International Researcher Night and Postdoc Network

The motto of this year's International Researcher Night was "Paving Your Postdoc Career". After an inspiring talk by Anne Schreiter, PhD, from the German Scholars Organization e.V. on how to set yourself up for "lucky coincidences" in your career, two parallel fireside chats followed: Prof. Dr. Eleanor Frajka-Williams from the Institute of Oceanography discussed paths to professorship and challenges for international researchers in a new country; Dr. Hope E. Morgan from the Institute for Sign Language and Communication of the Deaf led through the intricacies of grant writing. The straightforward exchange offered participants not only important information but also the opportunity to make new contacts.

Throughout the rest of the year, the HRA also provided targeted offers on career paths in science and networking among postdocs – such as the series of Postdoc Talks, a speed networking session for postdocs and regular meetings of the Postdoc Network. Join us and help shape the work of the network!

By Doctoral Researchers, for Doctoral Researchers

In 2024, the HRA Doctoral Council did a great job of supporting and connecting doctoral researchers across Hamburg.

A particular highlight was the Writing Retreat in March, which provided a structured space for focused work on the doctoral thesis over four days. Movement breaks and mindfulness exercises helped participants stay productive and focused.

With the LinkedIn focus week #AcademicParenthood, the Doctoral Council addressed the issue of balancing a doctorate and family life, offering practical insights and support. Regular events such as the summer picnic, a visit to the Christmas market and the monthly get-together promoted informal exchange among doctoral researchers. In addition, peer-to-peer advising remained a valuable platform for sharing experiences.

Many thanks to all members of the Doctoral Council! New doctoral researchers are always welcome to attend the meetings – whether it be to exchange ideas or to actively participate in the committee's work.

Last But Not Least…

... our semester program! This year we organized 61 workshops and 16 information events (HRA Spotlights) to support early career researchers at different stages of their careers.

A popular networking format is the HRA City Walks in English. On nine occasions, the tours offered researchers the opportunity to experience Hamburg from a new perspective and to get to know each other.

Our advising services were also an essential part of the program. In January, we launched an additional new format for career orientation, which takes place monthly as a group advising session for doctoral researchers and postdocs in alternating languages.

We look forward to next year when we will continue to build on what has worked well while creating creative space for new ideas!