© TU Berlin
Advising and Support for Junior Scholars
Doctorate and Postdoc at Technische Universität Berlin
Do you need advice on completing a doctorate at Technische Universität Berlin? Perhaps you already have a doctoral position but are struggling to deal with the demands this imposes? Maybe you would like to find out more about your duties as a teaching and research assistant and the options for completing a stay abroad during your doctorate? Or you could be looking for assistance during your postdoc phase.
The Center for Junior Scholars (CJS) provides a comprehensive guidance service for junior scholars, whether at the doctoral, postdoc or junior professorship stage. And if we cannot answer your questions ourselves, we can put you in touch with someone who can. The CJS advises you on all general questions, no matter what stage you are at in your academic career.
Online consultation hours of the Center for Junior Scholars
You can contact us anytime by mail or phone (contact details in the contact box on the bottom right) - but we also offer you to visit us every Monday between 11:00 and 12:00 on Webex in our online consultation hour.
We will be happy to discuss your concerns and clarify specific questions.
We look forward to your visit!
https://tu-berlin.webex.com/tu-berlin/j.php?MTID=m522dfd105aa94cf1a37a8a3e64607953
Peer-Coaching: Networking opportunities
Are you looking for a way to network with other doctoral candidates in order to jointly tackle extracurricular challenges of the doctorate using the peer coaching method? On the following page you can find out more and register for it if desired.
Coaching for female doctoral candidates and postdocs
Individual coaching f for female doctoral candidates and postdocs of Technische Universität Berlin as part of the proMotion Programm.
Services include academic, doctoral, writing, and career coaching.
Topics may include:
efficient work, productivity, problems with time management
- Conflicts with superiors or supervisors, in the team, with colleagues
- Motivation blockades and procrastination
- Compatibility of family and career/doctorate
- Compatibility of scientific qualification with requirements of the working environment
- Career orientation/career within and outside of research and teaching
- Writing blockades, getting into writing
- Finding structure and a common thread in writing
- Revising texts, review process and publication of the dissertation
This coaching is confidential and can take place anonymously.
Further useful contacts at Technische Universität Berlin
The first point of contact for doctoral candidates and postdocs at Technische Universität Berlin is the CJS.
However, you can also contact advisors in many other organizational units and institutions at the university who will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.
The most important contact persons are:
Services available within your faculty: Faculty Service Center and ombudsperson for doctoral candidates
Each faculty at TU Berlin has its own faculty service center providing advice and support on a wide range of issues, particularly questions relating to your doctoral studies or your Habilitation. You can download important forms and access updated information via your faculty service website. If you have any conflicts regarding your doctorate, or difficulties in your supervisory relationship, the ombudspersons for doctoral candidates of the faculties are available for confidential consultations.
| Faculty | Faculty Service Center (FSC) | Contact person in FSC | Doctorate page of the faculty | Ombudsperson for doctoral candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty I - Humanities: | FSC Faculty I | Iwona Wieczorek | Faculty I | Prof. Dr. Kerstin Wittmann-Englert |
| Faculty II – Mathematics and Natural Sciences: | FSC Faculty II | Anne Jenß + Lara Schäfer | Faculty II | Prof. Dr. Etienne Emmrich |
| Faculty III – Process Sciences: | FSC Faculty III | Beate Neumann | Faculty III | Dr. Philip Wietstock |
| Faculty IV – Electrical Engineering and Computer Science: | FSC Faculty IV | Jana Peich | Faculty IV | Prof. Dr. Odej Kao + Prof. Dr. Marianne Maertens |
| Faculty V – Mechanical Engineering and Transport Systems: | FSC Faculty V | Julia Stützer | Faculty V | Prof. Dr. Andreas Bardenhagen |
| Faculty VI – Planning Building Environment: | FSC Faculty VI | N.N. | Faculty VI | Dr. Daniel Aubram |
| Faculty VII – Economics and Management: | FSC Faculty VII | Barbara Engel | Faculty VII | Prof. Dr. Dorothea Kübler |
Family Services Office: pursuing an academic career and a full family life
Family Services Office
Your career is one part of your life – your family is another. It is often very difficult to combine career and family life. The Family Services Office is there to offer support and advice on all aspects relating to this issue. There is an additional special support program for teaching and research assistants.
Ombudspersons: advising on good academic practice
Ombudspersons
How to conduct good professional research: TU Berlin issued guiding principles applying to all faculties in its "Regulations for ensuring good scientific practice at TU Berlin" of 8 March 2017. These guidelines and procedural rules are based on the corresponding resolutions issued by the HRK and DFG, in particular the recommendations of the "Self-Regulation in Science" commission (supplemented 2013).
Do you have any questions or require advice on good academic practice? Contact the relevant ombudspersons at TU Berlin or members of the Investigation Commission for Scientific Misconduct.
Research and scientific work
The Research Promotion Section answers all your questions relating to national, international and University funding for research at TU Berlin. Our service is available to researchers at any stage of their career. For all inquiries relating to European research funding, please contact the Research Department’s EU Office.
If you have any queries about the responsible handling of research data, the Service Center Research Data Management can help. For more information on personal data and IT security, please contact the Team Datenschutz (Data Privacy team).
University Library
The University Library advises all members of the University on open access options, publication strategies, and related legal and financial issues. Workshops and literature are also provided on the criteria for the selection of journals or publishing houses. The University Library’s offers can be viewed here. The Dissertation Office is also located in the University Library.
Staff Council
The Staff Council answers all your questions and helps with any issues relating to your employment at the University or your working environment. The Staff Council’s website includes current information as well as details of who you can contact and when.
If student employees are also affected, the Staff Council of Student Employees may also be able to help.
Coordinating Office for Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality
One of the central tasks of the Coordinating Office for Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality is to provide comprehensive and independent advice on equal opportunities to all University committees, units, and organs . The Coordinating Office also provides a range of special programs, as well as advising, training and networking offers to help you advance your career.
The decentralized women’s representative for your faculty is also available to advise you on all faculty-related issues.
Social Counseling for Staff
Social Counseling is a free-of-charge service for all University staff. It provides you with an opportunity to discuss and find solutions for any problems you may be struggling with, either at work or in your private life. All discussions are strictly confidential. Contact us.
Psychological Counseling
Psychological Counseling can help you with any personal difficulties you may be experiencing, such as stress, anxiety about examinations, or psychosomatic conditions.
Office of Staff with Disabilities & Pursuing a doctorate with disabilities or chronic illnesses
TU Berlin’s Office of Staff with Disabilities provides a comprehensive support service for all staff with a disability status. This includes assistance with appointment procedures, integration, the equipping of work places and the drafting of applications, etc. The advisory team will be happy to answer any questions you have.
For doctoral students with long-term or permanent health impairments, there is also the possibility to contact the team of the Counseling Center for Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses, which advocates equal opportunities for participation in studies and advises, for example, on the possibility of compensation for disadvantages.
External information and networking opportunities can also be found through the project PROMI - Doctorate Inclusive, which is aimed at those interested in the topic of "Doing a doctorate with health impairments, disabilities and chronic physical or mental illnesses".
Medical Service
Your health should not suffer as a result of work: The TUB Medical Service advises on occupational safety and health. These pages provide an overview of its services and offers. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
TU Berlin’s Health Management Service provides a range of offers and services to help you organize your workspace in a healthy way.
The range of services offered by TU-Sport is also worth a look.
Equal Treatment
A representative is also available to advise you should you encounter discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic origin, gender, religion, values, a disability, age, or sexual identity. Advice is provided on the basis of the General Act on Equal Treatment (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz - AGG).
Interest Groups for Junior Scholars
Teaching and research assistants at TU Berlin form their own status group. As a member of this status group, you get to elect your own representatives to all the University’s central and decentralized committees. Doctoral students’ interests are represented by their elected peers in relevant committees as well as in TU Berlin’s AStA - the general students’ committee.
Representation in central committees: (Akademischer Senat (AS))
Representation in faculty committees:
- Faculty Board I
- Faculty Board II
- Faculty Board III
- Faculty Board IV
- Faculty Board V
- Faculty Board VI
- Faculty Board VII
Continuing education & further qualification
Flexible work
flexwork supports all TU Berlin employees with a variety of offers and targeted information in establishing a functioning and productive, flexible work culture as a mixed form of presence work, mobile and hybrid work.