PhD & Early Career Program
Finding support
While working on your dissertation or postdoctoral project, disagreements and tensions may arise between you and your advisors or other parties for a variety of reasons. Possible causes of conflict include interpersonal differences, excessive demands on a person’s time, or violations of the supervision agreement. Cases of abuse of power, insults and humiliation, and scientific misconduct may also occur during the academic career development phase.
In such cases, talk to your supervisor immediately and describe the situation. Misunderstandings or unspoken expectations are often the cause of tense situations. If specific conflicts have arisen due to differing views, it may be helpful to discuss the issue with a neutral party, such as an ombudsperson or the (AC)³ IRTG team.
Within (AC)³
IRTG coordinator
IRTG project leaders
In order to represent our doctoral researchers also in the management of (AC)³, we have established our PhD Council, which consists of local PhD representatives at each site. They are elected once a year, usually during one of the (AC)³ General Assemblies or PhD retreats. The council represents the concerns and ideas of the PhDs and is their voice in the Scientific Steering Team (SST) meetings. The SST meets on a more or less monthly basis to discuss the direction of the project. The SST consists of the Speaker, Deputy Speakers and Cluster Speakers of (AC)³, representatives of the institution, leaders of the Cross-Cutting Activities (CCAs), representatives of the central projects (Z01, IRTG, INF, Z04) and representatives of the doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. If there is something you would like to bring up at the meeting, please contact your local or the main PhD representative or the IRTG coordinator.
Of course, you can always contact the council if you have any problems during your doctoral studies. Your concerns will be kept confidential. However, for serious issues, ombudspersons have been established within (AC)³ and beyond; more information below.
During the (AC)³ kick-off meeting in May 2024, the new PhD council (see above) was elected, who followed our previous council. We as a council are representing the concerns and ideas of the PhDs and are the student’s voice in the Scientific Steering Team (SST) meetings among the Professors, PLs and other senior researchers of (AC)³:
- (AC)³ PhD representative: Linnea (linnea.buehler[at]uni-koeln.de)
On general matters we are working as a team. You can contact your local rep at any time:
- Leipzig: Fathima (fathima.cherichi_purayil[at]uni-leipzig.de)
- Bremen: Lara (larasche[at]uni-bremen.de)
- AWI: Phillip (phillip.eisenhuth[at]awi.de)
- TROPOS: David (simon[at]tropos.de)
- Cologne: Linnea (linnea.buehler[at]uni-koeln.de) and Awadhesh (apant[at]uni-koeln.de)
The council works as a team on general issues. Feel free to contact your local representative at any time.
We also organize virtual meetings (“Scientific-Kaffeekraenzchen” or virtual lunch breaks) or even scientific speed-dating.
Check out if there are any workshops or conferences which may be relevant for you. Let us know if you feel that something is missing.
The (AC)³ Equal Opportunity Board was established during phase I and has been continued to evolve during phase II. It is always open to suggestions from the entire (AC)³ community. It has successfully implemented several measures aimed at complementing the variety of support and measures provided by the universities and research institutions in (AC)³.
- Support for family services during (AC)³ workshops and conferences or field campaigns
- Encouraging female researchers or researchers from underrepresented groups to take on leadership roles within (AC)³, for example by supporting coachings, networking workshops or leadership training
- (AC)³ mentoring program
- Increase the visibility of role models by inviting senior female Arctic researchers to (AC)³ workshops, winter schools and conferences
- Active role in STEM outreach activities for school children
- Initiate of a ‘Person of Trust (PoT)’ during field campaigns
Leipzig University
- Conciliators for Conflict Mediation for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers at Leipzig University
https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/quality-development/conflict-mediation-for-doctoral-and-postdoctoral-researchers - Ombudspersons for good scientific practice
https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/research/research-service/office-of-ombudspersons
University of Cologne
- University’s conciliators at your own or any other Faculty
https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/albertus-magnus-center/doctoral-phase-r1/support-informationservice/ombudpersons - Ombudsperson for good scientific practice
https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/research/scientific-integrity/safeguarding-good-scientific-practice
University of Bremen
- Services on Campus
https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/byrd/services-on-campus-1 - Anti-Discrimination and Conflict Management Office (ADE)
https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/ade - Ombudspersons for good scientific practice at the university
https://www.uni-bremen.de/rechtsstelle/service/wissenschaftliches-fehlverhalten.html
University of Potsdam
- Ombudspersons
https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/senat/ombudspersonen
AWI
- Ombudspersons for good scientific practice
https://www.awi.de/en/science/good-scientific-practice.html
TROPOS Leipzig
- Internal bodies, incl. ombudsperson for good scientific practice
https://www.tropos.de/en/institute/organisation-of-the-institute/internal-bodies
- PhD Candidates’ Council at Leipzig University
https://www.prorat.uni-leipzig.de/en/ - Doctoral representatives at the University of Cologne
https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/albertus-magnus-center/doctoral-phase-r1/support-informationservice/doctoral-candidate-representatives - Potsdam Graduate School (PoGS) PhD Representatives
https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/pogs/about-us/phd-representatives - PhD representatives at POLMAR
https://www.awi.de/en/work-study/out-of-university/graduate-school-polmar.html
What is MHFA?
MFHA is the German version of the Australian Mental Health First Aid Program which is spread over 26 countries. The German network is operated by the “Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit“. More information about the German and international program can be found »here and »here.
Why MHFA?
Almost everyone knows someone who suffers or has suffered from mental health problems. (AC)³ actively promotes trained MHFA as contacts for employees who are also able to actively approach people and offer support. The earlier affected people get help, the better their chances of recovery.
What to expect?
The (AC)³ MFHA provide first aid counseling for emerging mental health issues and acute mental health crises. Any member of (AC)³ can take advantage of this support.
Our (AC)³ MHFA
