Our Projects
Our goal in ‘Promoting Talent’ is to offer thought through programs, individually tailored to meet the needs and offer the adequate support for each academic career level, starting with PhD candidates up to senior professors. Our portfolio includes four major programs, the Graduate Studies Support Program, the Postdoc Academy, the Tenure Track Peer Mentoring, and the Berlin Leadership Academy. As a complement to these, we also offer specifically developed programs to focus on relevant issues in Academia, such as the online course on Good Scientific Practice, and the Good Supervision Culture program, both for the academic level R1 – PhD candidates.
R1 – Graduate Studies Support Program
BUA’s Graduate Studies Support Programis a joint qualification program of skill-building modules in different areas, composed of a variety of formats both online and in person. In addition, coaching and mentoring opportunities help to guide doctoral candidates through their qualification. Responsible research practices, future skills, and good supervision culture are key components of the of the course program. Doctoral researchers at any of the partner institutions have free access to all workshops and events offered by the other partner institutions, including non-university research institutions in Berlin (BR 50).
R2 – Postdoc Academy
The Postdoc Academy (PA), which was founded within the BUA in 2023, offers competence assessment and career development through a portfolio of workshops, events, and coaching, as well as the promotion of individual career paths for postdocs in science and beyond academia. PA’s main task is to assist postdocs in making informed and individually good career decisions. It creates an environment where postdocs can recognize their own strengths, acquire necessary competencies, build relevant knowledge and further develop professional skills. Collaborative formats with non-university research institutions, industry, cultural institutions, and politics are a central part of PA program and provide ample opportunities to discover new career paths, connect with potential employers, and build professional networks.
R3 – Tenure-Track Peer Mentoring Program
Through the establishment of the WISNA program, the topic of tenure track professorships has received much attention in Germany. It is still a recent topic, and the level of experience with this new career stage is relatively low on the part of the institutions. The Tenure Track Peer Mentoring aims at supporting tenure track professors (TTPs) in reaching their career goals and in successfully passing the tenure evaluation. The specific structure of the program counters insecurities regarding the tenure track process: In the partner institutions, the framework and process for the new kind of professorship are not yet well-proven. The project provides support and guidance for tenure-track phase through horizontal networking and exchange. Professors benefit from the advantages of cross-institutional, organized networking in small groups. The program constitutes a sensible addition to existing (vertical) networking: The Alliance’s offer parallels the existing one-to-one mentoring which is organized separately and decentrally.
R4 – Berlin Leadership Academy
For advanced researchers, full professors, and senior administrative staff, the Berlin Leadership Academy offers a joint leadership training. In this sense, the Berlin Leadership Academy acts as a pioneer and multiplier for creating and disseminating a common understanding of sustainable leadership throughout the Berlin’s integrated research space, including a strong mentoring culture.
