Customised career support through the Konstanzia Fellowship
Mentoring and more for postdoctoral researchers
The fellowship has been initiated to support female postdoctoral researchers (also women in transition) of the University of Konstanz on their last steps towards gaining a professorship.
The programme consists of obligatory mentoring as well as regular meetings of the fellows. Fellows also can take part in various coaching and customised training opportunities. Co-funding is permitted to ensure that fellows are able to make the most of the fellowship. The duration of the fellowship is two years.
The Konstanzia Fellowship offers many opportunities - without shackles -, acquired freedoms and individualized support. Personally, I have found the mentoring, coaching and co-funding support (e.g. for childcare) to be particularly helpful. For me, the idea behind this is firmly part of a successful support concept for female researchers.
Dr. Dipl. Psych. Jennifer Randerath, Department of Psychology and Zukunftskolleg
The Konstanzia Fellowship is a great opportunity, especially in the early postdoc phase, to raise your first own funds and to network within and outside the university. In addition to financial support, it offers a wide range of support services such as the mentoring programme, training and coaching services from Academic Staff Development and regular networking meetings. Personally, in addition to the great coaching offers, the mentoring programme helped me a lot: Thanks to the encouraging advice from Gudrun Damm, I dared to approach one of the most important representatives of my discipline. The mentoring was extremely helpful and continues even after the official programme has ended. I have encouraged female colleagues to apply for the fellowship in recent years and hope that this great offer will also be available to future generations of young women researchers.
Dr. Susanne Wißhak, Department of Economics
The Konstanzia Fellowship, which I held in 2016-2017, came at just the right time for me. I had already gained experience in the application process for the highly competitive professorial positions and needed further support. The exchange (over a delicious lunch!) with the other Konstanzia Fellows and the cordinators was very important and it was good to know that you are not alone with all the challenges of the postdoc period: from childcare, to temporary positions, to the uncertainty of whether the dream job would ever work out. I particularly benefited from the individual coaching during the preparations for the "auditions“ for a professorship - and when the offer finally came, the guidance was very valuable. Many thanks to the coordinating team for this great opportunity!
Prof. Dr. Tanja Rinker, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
The Konstanzia Fellowship enables me, on the one hand, to advance my personal research career. Be it through coaching, material resources or mentoring - the free and individual design was the key to success here. On the other hand, the community of fellows creates a special framework in which exchange is possible at eye level and which is characterised by a special, interdisciplinary and warm atmosphere.
Dr. Anne Ganzert, Department of Literature, Art and Media Studies
I can only recommend the Konstanzia Fellowship to everyone, as it combines various support services:
- experienced researchers are available as personal mentors with advice and diverse experiences
- moderated exchange rounds with other Konstanzia Fellows complement one's own view of (career conditions in) research and give the feeling of not being alone with one's own questions and of being able to learn from the experiences of others
- workshops tailored to the needs of Konstanzia Fellows promote interdisciplinary personal development
- financial resources such as funds for a research assistants and conference trips support further scientific development
Thank you very much for letting me be part of it!
Dr. Elisabeth Maué, Department of Economics
The fellowship makes it possible for me to make better progress with my research work through a supporting assistant and thus to better combine professional and family life. Through financial support within the framework of the fellowship, I was able to participate in an international conference with a presentation and exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world. My mentor, who accompanies me during the fellowship, supports me in my scientific orientation and advises me on important strategic decisions in this context.
A Konstanzia Fellow