PACT offers

- Individual career counseling

- CV checks for applications in academic and non-academic environments

- Workshops and courses on request

Feel free to contact us regarding your own needs and issues!

At GEOMAR we provide support in all aspects of research funding: to identify the appropriate funding instruments for project ideas, determine the resources required, put together a tailored application, and in successful applications facilitate project implementation. We inform about new developments and publications on calls for funding, and carry out seminars on funding instruments and programmes with in-house or external speakers. In carrying out our assignment we are in close cooperation with national and international contact points and networks, as well as the Helmholtz Office in Brussels.

Information about main ongoing GEOMAR projects with third-party funding is available in our project data base.

LINK to the intranet: Information for GEOMAR colleagues.

To safeguard and boost innovation activities and thus maintain the competetiveness of the increasingly science-based German national economy, it is crucial to facilitate an efficient cooperation between scientific institutions and commercial enterprises.

As a site of cutting-edge research, GEOMAR has a high innovative potential. GEOMAR technology transfer addresses the tasks of identifying potential pieces of innovation, securing them and accompanying commercial application. We serve as a central point of contact for science as well as industry. Industry partners will be supported in getting access to the latest scientific results.

We offer

- advice concerning funding programmes
- assistance in finding partners and initiating projects for cooperation
- technology marketing
- support in securing intellectual property and
- support in the search for license partners

The Women‘s Executive Board aims at fostering a modern equal opportunity-oriented culture at GEOMAR through equal participation of men and women at all levels and would also like to promote and encourage qualified and motivated women to stay in science.

This will be achieved through the following:

• Recognition and presentation of professionally successful women,
• Support of career paths and perspectives for women,
• Promotion of transparent decision and communication structures,
• Assistance to implement the cascade model,
• Advisory service to GEOMAR decision makers with regard to gender balance.

Equal Opportunities for Women and Men

The creation of equal opportunities for women and man is seen as a basic condition for successful talent management by the Helmholtz Association. Only a fair selection process of the best candidates will keep research in Germany internationally competitive and fit for the future.

Key Aspects

• participation in the hiring process at GEOMAR
• improvement of work-life-balance and family-friendly work conditions
• career advancement of highly qualified women and availability of advanced training for GEOMAR staff
• development of a modern and transparent corporate culture at GEOMAR

Activities

• together with the Gender, Equality & Diversity team: creation of the new gender equality plan 2022-2026
• implementation and monitoring of the GEOMAR Gender Equality Plan 2015-2019
• active participation in position advertisements, interviews, and hiring procedure
• collaboration in various internal committees (e.g. trainees, phd policy)
• networking with associated institutions for increased synergy (f.e. CAU Kiel, FH Kiel, Stadt Kiel, akfifz, network of family-friendly companies Kiel)
• Inge-Lehmann-Fonds [PDF]: a fund for re-entry after family/care-taking leave
• lecture on the AGG law abd sexual harassment at work

PACT Training: Creating your future - making choices and decisions

--- Next course: autumn 2025 ---

Target group: GEOMAR and AWI Postdocs (1-2 years after PhD; designed for, but not limited to)

Trainer: Emma Ford, Dr. Steve Hutchinson (C4C)

Language: English

Participants: 24

The future of the world of work is changing more than ever, and these challenging times often make career and future planning less predictable. Opportunities for researchers are broad in terms of sector, and trends are demonstrating that more and more researchers are seeking roles outside of academia.

Whether you see your future inside or outside of academia, what do you need to make good decisions about your future and your career? And are you taking responsibility for making those decisions?

This focused and interactive online event will help to develop your thinking about your future and career: What is good for me and how can I achieve it?

We consider:

• Academic & non-academic careers
• How to make the best decision(s) for you?
• Making the best of yourself - what do you have to offer?
• How do you market yourself in a targeted way?
• Building your networks – who is on team you?

The approach of the event will be interactive, discursive, but pragmatic and above all supportive, so that the participants can take ownership of their future.

PACT Training: Developing your leadership - taking the next step creating your future

--- Next course: autumn 2025 ---

Target group: GEOMAR and AWI Postdocs (3-4 years after PhD; designed for, but not limited to)

Trainer: Emma Ford, Dr. Steve Hutchinson (C4C)

Language: English

Participants: 24

Leadership is a very well studied but still poorly understood phenomenon. As we progress in our careers, we inevitably take on more leadership responsibility; whether it is deciding our next individual path, influencing another person, or leading a team, group, department, or organization.

Thankfully, especially for professionals in the earlier stages, leadership influence is something that can be explored and practiced before we reach a position of supervisorial or managerial authority. This focused and interactive online event will help to develop your thinking about what leadership is, how you can lead authentically and how to get the best from the people around you.

We consider:

• What does it mean to be a leader in a professional environment?
• The importance of strategic awareness and vision (both contextual and personal)
• Authenticity and leading through values
• Creating appropriate and positive cultures and climates
• Motivating, driving, and supporting high performance teams
• Getting the best out of people through coaching
• Leadership in dispersed / virtual teams

The approach to the event will be interactive, discursive, but pragmatic and above all supportive, so that participants develop an authentic and flexible leadership style.

HIDA – Helmholtz Information & Data Science Academy – is Germany's largest postgraduate education network in information and data sciences.

The HIDA event calendar offers information about events in the field of Information & Data Science organized by HIDA, by Helmholtz Centers and by our partners.

Enabling Open Science practices in Helmholtz!

In order to promote the Open Science idea at the Helmholtz centers, active contact is maintained with scientists as well as the libraries, computer centers and management of the centers. Regular workshops, lectures, discussions and publications provide information on the opportunities and challenges of Open Science.

There is no doubt, climate change is menmade.

We therefore currently face an incredibly great challenge that we have brought upon ourselves, namely, curbing the causes of climate change as quickly and sustainably as possible while finding ways to adapt to a world experiencing massive transformations.

The Helmholtz Climate Initiative focuses on the two main clusters Net Zero 2050 (mitigation) and Adapting to Extreme Events (adaptation).

Media training is organised on a regular basis in order to train the competences for this. 2 Trainings and contents below. Get in contact  if you are interested.

Basic media training (two full days)

This training is a workshop on two consecutive days (each full day). Participants will learn which aspects of climate research are particularly interesting for different media from print, radio, TV and how they can help to ensure that topics are presented in a way that is appropriate for the media and yet correct. This includes questions such as: How can I write or formulate in a generally understandable way? How do I get to the heart of a message? How do editors select their topics? What rights do I have when dealing with the media? The trainer also gives tricks for dealing with the microphone and in front of the camera. The basic media training is compact and with different theoretical and practical exercises on site a very good basis for dealing with journalists.

Online moderation of Meetings and Conversation Formats (2 mornings)

Meetings without a clear focus, stakeholder events with limited insight. What's already problematic in real meetings can get worse online. On two consecutive mornings, we will provide professional tips on how to make online facilitation effective.We will introduce various tools, and each participant will also moderate themselves - either a session or one of two role-plays.  Participants can practice what they have learned and receive feedback on their moderation. Contents: The moderator's attitude, role clarification, moderation cycle, tools for online moderation, dealing with difficult moderation situations, tips for moderating large groups.

The Continuing Professional Development Center at CAU offers a comprehensive range of courses for personal continuing education. The courses are free of charge for CAU employees. External persons (also GEOMAR employees) can participate in the courses for a fee. Please contact us in advance regarding possible cost coverage.

Click here to go directly to the course booking portal.

German Scholars Organization

How do people become professors in Germany? How can I discover what options there are in other sectors? Is my application portfolio ok? We’ll help you find the answers. You will benefit from our independent expertise and our cross-sectoral network.

We advise, connect, promote and fund. For empowered researchers.

• Funding Programs
• Career Resources
• CV-Checks & Advice
• HiddenChamps
• “Stammtische” (Regular Meet-ups)

"Lasst uns Deutsch schnacken"

Do you want to have a nice small talk with the cashier while buying your groceries? Or do you wish to start a hobby for example in a Sportverein (Gymnastics and sports association) but you don`t know how to get in contact?

You are interested to get to know other people from GEOMAR and improve your German language skills? During this course you will learn about German culture and norms, getting a deeper understanding of various behavior in a playful way. There will be games, conversations, networking with colleagues from GEOMAR and sharing of common knowledge. 

Based on participant feedback, we've adjusted the format to better meet your needs:

• Wednesdays, 11:30 – 13:00 – Advanced Level (register here)

• Thursdays, 11:30 – 13:00 – Beginner Level (register here)

• Includes a shared lunch break – just bring your own food!

Each session is now 1.5 hours long, giving us time to learn, chat, and enjoy lunch together – all in German!

Location: Building 5, Conference Area, Tower 2, Floor 1, for exact room details check on the PACT intranet page.

What to expect: This conversational course is designed to help you build practical language skills in a friendly and informal setting. It’s a great opportunity to improve your German and connect with colleagues. Please note, however, that this is not a formal certificate course.

A few important notes:

• Spots are limited – when you register, you commit to participating regularly. 

• Of course, we understand that as scientists, lab work, fieldwork, conferences, and research cruises sometimes have to take priority. If you can’t make it, no problem! Just let Sabine know via email in advance so we can plan accordingly.

• If you decide to leave the course – you can do so at any time. Just let us know, so someone from the waiting list can take your spot.

• These courses are open to all GEOMAR staff – whether you're just starting or looking to build on what you already know.

Voices of participants:

"I learned a lot having a lot of fun."

"The topic of the conversations were very good and it was useful. Let’s say, normal conversations that we could use on a daily basis. Not just like the ones in other german courses."

"I like that Sabine teach us practical phrases that we can practice right away: like going to the shop, asking for a coffee, telling your name and what you do."

Deutsche Welle has an online portal with German courses at different levels and for different languages. To improve listening comprehension, there is current news with subtitles, reports and idioms in German. There is even an easy-to-understand telenovela.

The Goethe Institute also offers German online courses.

The Förde-vhs in Kiel offers certified German courses as intensive or evening courses.

Germany’s largest independent research funding organisation offers funding opportunities for all career stages between doctorate and professorship. Join the online talk and get to know the DFG and its funding portfolio for postdocs.

They offer an overview of all funding instruments for the time after your PhD as well as specific focus talks on the Walter Benjamin Programme, the Emmy Noether Programme and the Heisenberg Programme. They will also provide advice on how to prepare your proposal for the review process and answer your questions. PhD candidates and postdocs of all disciplines are welcome to join!

Upcoming talks in the Prospects Series:

• 27/06/2025, 10:30 - 12:00 a.m. CET – DFG-Förderangebote für die wissenschaftliche Karriere (in German)
• 18/07/2025, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. CET – Emmy Noether Programme
• 15/09/2025, 02:00 - 03:30 p.m. CET – DFG Funding Opportunities for Postdocs
• 14/10/2025, 01:30 - 03:00 p.m. CET – Walter Benjamin-Programm (in German)
• 11/12/2025, 04:00 - 05:30 p.m. CET – DFG Funding Opportunities for Postdocs