This year’s CRC 1279 gender equality workshop provided PhD and Postdoctoral participants with valuable insights to improve their grant proposal and scientific communication skills.

The workshop, organized by Susanne Klute and Sabrina Noettger, focused on strengthening grant proposal writing and promoting clarity and coherence in academic texts. The first part of the workshop, led by Dr. Petra Pandur, aimed to equip PhD and Postdoctoral participants with essential tools for effective development and presention of research ideas. The main topics included strategies for structuring a proposal draft, understanding the formal requirements of different grants, and how to effectively "sell" research ideas.

Besides theoretical input, participants interactively explored how to present complex scientific concepts in a concise and engaging manner. Highlights included pitching a research idea to an audience and drafting a proposal. For example, each participant presented their research idea within one minute across three rounds, followed by subsequent feedback. Throughout the 1.5-day workshop, participants benefited from lively discussions and exchanges.

In the last part of the workshop, Dr. Lysann Palkowitsch of the Center for Research Strategy and Support at Ulm University introduced various support programs of the Medical Faculty, such as the Baustein-Program, as well as grants for specific support of female researchers, e.g. Hertha-Nathorff-Program.

Overall, the workshop provided an exciting combination of theoretical insights and practical applications that will certainly help the students of CRC 1279 to be successful in their scientific careers.