Promotion of young researchers
Promotion of young researchers
Graduate School
Within this cluster we will establish an international and interdisciplinary graduate school to combine systems, cognitive and clinical neuroscience with contributions from biology, biochemistry, medicine, psychology, biology, physics and informatics. Graduate education is structured into modules covering specific topics (systems, cognitive, clinical, molecular and computational neuroscience) and education is research oriented. The international orientation of this graduate school is facilitated by the strong international focus of the involved PIs.
The study program has a modular nature and students have to choose course and lecture classes from various modules. Teaching modules are categories of classes and courses that the students can choose from. There is a specific distribution of credits that have to be acquired in the various modules associated with a graduation profile. All teaching takes place in blocks, typically 2-4 weeks in the spring and fall breaks between academic terms. All theoretical classes are taught in the central classroom. All teaching is in English.
- General introductory modules: before the beginning of the winter term, a block course is offered on topics that are essential for the school program. These topics are mainly taught to identify and remedy individual weaknesses before the school starts. For example, this includes introductory lectures in biostatistics or genetics.
- Basic neuroscience modules: They comprise basic classes in neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, molecular neuroscience and neurogenetics.
- Basic methods modules: In this mandatory, introductory two-week course, the students will survey all methodological levels, including in vivo neurophysiology, in-vitro recording techniques, neuroimaging, EEG, MEG, neurostimulation, biosignal analysis, biochemical techniques, molecular techniques, statistics, behavioral methods.
- Advanced neuroscience modules: advanced courses and seminars comprise advanced topics in systems, cognitive, molecular, clinical and computational neuroscience. Advanced lectures on details of the methodological approaches are also offered.
- Procedure for selection of candidates: The school is thought to attract highly motivated students from the areas of psychology, medicine, mathematics, physics, biology, or informatics. It is intended to recruit at least 30% non-German students. Potential candidates will retrieve detailed information about the teaching and research program from the website of the school. Students who hold an MSc/MA or MD candidates who have been admitted to a clinical medical curriculum (equivalent to Medizin II in the German system) can apply for admission to the program. Suitable candidates will be invited for a selection workshop, which features introductory lectures by the PIs and the associated researchers, lab visits and individual interviews with two PIs.
- Supervisory structures: Each student will be tutored by a scientific advisor, i.e., the PI heading the respective group. In the group of her/his scientific advisor, the student will also be assigned to a senior postdoc. Moreover, each student will be assigned to a mentor, i.e. a trusted senior scientist who is selected by the student her/himself. The advisor, the tutoring postdoc and the mentor should meet at least every three months with the respective doctoral candidate to talk about progress of research projects and the study program. Students are supposed to give a project proposal and a progress report at least once a year.
- Transition grants: The graduate school will offer specific measures for the transition phases, i.e., entering and leaving the program. Getting started will be facilitated by student tutors; each student will act as a tutor for a student of the subsequent year. The “International Center for Graduate Studies” (ICGS) at the University of Hamburg will deal with issues or foreign students related to admission to and staying in Germany. The classes of the introductory modules held during the summer will allow a start of all PhD students at a similar level. Intense classes in German are offered for foreign students. After completion of the thesis and graduation, transition grants (up to one year) are offered to run follow-up projects, publish data, to extend teaching experience, to prepare grant or job applications for a postdoc time outside Hamburg.
Junior research group for integrative neuroscience
As a further step to promote junior researchers, we will establish an integrative neuroscience junior research group. Such a group will complement the already existing junior research groups in molecular (Kneussel, Isbrandt, Kramer, Hanganu-Opatz) and human (Bingel, Kalisch) neurosciences and will further allow the integration of molecular-cellular and human neuroscience at this level. Junior research groups are an important step in the transition from the postdoc phase to a full professorship, as they allow the demonstration of leadership capabilities. This instrument is in particular important to attract successful researchers who have spent their postdoc phase abroad, to Hamburg.
