Gender-Equality-Oriented Promotion of Early Career Researchers and Personnel Development

The University of Göttingen implements the promotion of early career researchers and personnel development with a focus on gender equality. Its aim is to promote and develop the individual talents and competencies of all employees of the University, to provide equal access to career paths and to identify and eliminate structural disadvantages in career paths. Its core concern is the creation of personnel diversity, in particular the recruitment and promotion of women in areas in which they are underrepresented (e.g. top positions in academia, executive positions, individual subjects).

Career paths in academia

The Equal Opportunities and Diversity Unit advises and supports faculties, institutions and executives in the development and implementation of equal opportunity-oriented promotion of early career researchers and personnel development (gender consulting). It designs and coordinates target-group-specific programmes for female researchers: Under the umbrella of the Dorothea Schlözer Programme, measures for postdoctoral female students and (prospective) female professors are combined to provide targeted support for female scientists and scholars in their respective career stages. GenderConsulting Research supports research networks in the conception and implementation of gender-equality-oriented measures and programmes for their scientists and scholars.

In addition to the promotion of individuals, the University pursues the goal of designing working conditions as well as employment and supervisor-student relationships that are oriented toward gender-equality, compatibility of family and work as well as diversity. With the Equality Innovation Fund (GIF), the University supports projects that aim to improve the study, working and research conditions of female graduates and promote an organisational structure and culture geared to equal opportunities. This also includes transparent and reliable procedures for intra-university careers and the promotion of the freedom of choice regarding career paths.

The Equal Opportunities and Diversity Unit works closely with the Academic Personnel Development Department and cooperates with the graduate schools.
Gender equality is introduced as a cross-departmental topic in concepts and guidelines relevant to early-career scientists.

Equality-oriented personnel development

Equality-oriented personnel development for the technical and administrative support staff promotes the professional development of employees in administration, technical support or science management.
The Equal Opportunities and Diversity Unit, in close cooperation with the Personnel Development Department and other specialist departments, initiates information, training and networking opportunities within the framework of the training programme for employees, such as the series of events "Informationen über Mittag" ("Midday Information Bites", website in German). In the context of the series of events "From Administration to Management" (website in German), the Secretariat Network (website in German) was founded with the aim of networking employees in university secretariats and promoting the recognition of the support staff’s work.