2012 Winter

Editorial

Dear doctoral researchers, PIs, and friends,

The GSLS has submitted their Renewal Proposal for funding through the Excellence Initiative. On June 15, 2012, the responsible bodies of the German Federal and State Governments will announce the successful applicants. +++ At the DFG New Year´s Reception president Professor Matthias Kleiner stated that he is aware of a "growing critical sentiment against unproductive restlessness, excessive competition, and external funding pressures in academia". Creativity, however, may arise from "productive leisure" and "regenerative rest". President Kleiner stressed that the DFG is promoting "quality over quantity" to counter the "publish or perish" attitude which has resulted from the "diminishing resources in teaching and core funding for universities." +++ Some GSLS statistics: in 2011, 41 doctoral researchers finished their theses. 28 submitted theses are currently under review. More than 300 doctoral researchers are admitted to the GSLS; 30% of them are internationals. The gender ratio is 60% females, 40% males. More than 180 principal investigators are GSLS members. +++ The relatively low number of women in leading positions in academia and business still is in stark contrast to the large number of highly-qualified women. The GSLS is therefore launching their third round of the MENTORING life sciences program to prepare female doctoral researchers for their later career. +++ In addition, the GSLS provides career development for all doctoral researchers, helping to shape your future inside or outside academia: join our new series of Career Luncheons with representatives from leading companies, explaining their business and suggesting career options! +++ Newly admitted doctoral researchers are invited to join the Welcome Week (26 to 29 March): you  will be acquainted with the GSLS structure, program and principles, and trained in essential transferable skills. +++  Last but not least, all doctoral researchers are welcome to attend the Cross-cultural training (27 March), and more workshops on Intercultural Communication.

With kind regards,
Rose Liebert

1. Featured Paper

The 6^th round of the featured paper contest has been opened: win a prize of 250 euros for a conference participation or external research stay. All GSLS doctoral researchers may send their publications dating from October 2011 onwards and run for the next "Featured Paper". Closing date: 29 February 2012

2. Doctoral Researchers´ Affairs

 Doctoral Researchers´Council

• Meet the people of the DRC
• The Doctoral Researchers´ Council invites all doctoral researchers to participate in the organization of the 7th GSLS PhD Symposium: "Do you want to prove your team and organizing skills and get a valuable entry for you study book? Please visit the website of our last symposium for more information and write an email to join us."

Greetings from…

• ... Bangalore, India.  Jolly Deb´s report shortly after her defense, now working as a postdoc
• ... Cameroon, West Central Africa. Che Julius Ngwa´s report from his X-mas vacation

How I applied at the GSLS

• Doctoral researchers and postdocs report about their application at the GSLS: Akinbami Adenugba. Graeme Brendon Jacobs

Careers

• Doctoral researchers and postdocs report about their career opportunities here

Melvin-Judkins-Award

• Congratulations to doctoral researcher Yuxiang Ye! Mr Ye, section Biomedicine, has been awarded the prestigious Melvin-Judkins-Award of the American Heart Association

3. GSLS Newsdesk

The GSLS welcomes new PIs!

• Butt-Dörje, Elke, section Biomedicine
• Hewig, Johannes, section Neuroscience
• Spaethe, Johannes, section Integrative Biology
• Hecht, Bert, section Biomedicine, section Infection & Immunity
• Jakob, Peter, section Biomedicine
• Kämmerer, Ulrike, section Infection & Immunity

Funding

• Money for participation in workshops / methods courses abroad. Apply at the Graduate School for support through the DAAD Program "PROMOS" program. Read more
• German doctoral researchers can obtain support to spend time at Indian partner universities. Particularly interesting for "Infection and Immunity", but researchers from all sections may apply. Read more

Leisure

• International guests are welcome to participate in the winter program with excursions and social events. Read more

Welcome Week

• All newly enrolled doctoral researchers are cordially invited to attend the Welcome Week (26-29 March 2012). On Monday you will get a profound introduction and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions, and also meet your colleagues from other sections. The workshops on the following days are also open to senior doctoral researchers. On Tuesday both German and International doctoral researchers are welcome to attend the "Cross-cultural Training". On Wednesday you are offered "Rules of Good Scientific Practice", this workshop is mandatory to all newcomers. On Thursday afternoon you´ll get information on "Copyright in Science". We look forward to meeting you and would appreciate a response regarding your attendance; please register here

MENTORING life sciences

• Kick-off of the third round MENTORING life sciences: all female doctoral researchers are welcome to attend the Orientation Meeting on Friday 30 March, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. You will receive all information you need to make up your mind if you finally want to join the twelve-month program. Mentoring is a kind of human resource development, i.e. one experienced person (mentor) passes on her/his know-how to a less experienced person (mentee). The mentees furthermore are offered special workshops and meetings once a month. They are getting great opportunities to make professionally interesting contacts, in other words, to network.
  Be smart - take part. Please register

Career Luncheons

• To support careers also outside academia, the GSLS has invited more companies for presentations: The Boston Consulting Group, Trilogywriting, Patrys, Sanofi-Aventis, McKinsey & Company. Read more

Study trip to Berlin

• Berlin, 10-14 June 2012. The Graduate Schools study trip group enjoys opportunities that individual tourists never have: we are getting special tours and talks in Parliament, in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and in the Bavarian Representation Berlin. Early registration for an early booking discount is recommended. Please register

Lifelong Learning

• Workshops on Leadership, Team Building, and more for PIs and Team is offered on request

English

• English conversation classes on Thursdays from 8:30 to 10:00 am. Please inquire
• Proofreading your thesis by a native English trainer. Please inquire 

Transferable Skills Workshops

• The 2012 Schedule

4. University News

Science and Research Strengthened

• "Research Alliance Immune Medicine" established: a higher efficiency in development and a faster translation in application are the common goals of the universities of Würzburg, Regensburg and Erlangen-Nürnberg in their newly founded alliance. The University of Würzburg is focusing on System Immunology. Read more  (in German) 
• Two out of four junior research groups for Bio System research in Bavaria are getting established at the Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) in Würzburg. The state of Bavaria is funding each group with 1.5 million euros. Read more (in German)
• A new research group at the Research Center for Infectious Diseases has been established to research on Sleeping Sickness or Nagana (as sleeping sickness is called in animals). Read more 

Scientific Findings

• Which factors activate differentiation of neural stem cells to neurons? One answer to this crucial question are novel forms of gene regulation that are now described. Read more
• In Europe plague has been eradicated. However, this life-threatening disease is still present in other areas of the world. The agents are increasingly getting drug-resistent, however,  a new and promising but unexploited drug target against the reemerging pathogen has now been described. Read more  
• In the struggle against malaria new drug targets have been possibly identified. Read more

Spin-offs

• The university also encourages students and doctoral researchers to establish their own businesses and offers support to potential entrepreneurs. Read more (in German)

University Events

• University Event Calender

5. Off Campus

Research

• Inexpensive Agent against EHEC. The EHEC outbreak last summer was one of the deadliest ever. These intestinal bacteria accounted for almost 1000 infections and 16 deaths. Now it has been reported that manganese blocks intracellular trafficking and protects against the effects of Shiga Toxin. Read more
• A new threat to Honey Bees from fly parasite. The fly (Apocephalus borealis) lands on a bee and deposits its eggs into a bee’s abdomen. Around seven days after the bee dies, fly larvae push their way into the world from between the bee’s head and thorax. Read more

Money for Scientific Institutions

• Ethic Aspects of modern Diagnostic Processes in Medicine. Read more (in German)
• Biotechnology. Read more (in German)
• National Strategy for Biological Diversity. Read more (in German)
• Validation of Biomarkers in cancer medicine regarding ERA-NET "TRANSCAN".  Read more (in German)

Awards for Doctoral Researchers

• FameLab wants creative Researchers. “FameLab – Talking Science”, supported by "Wissenschaft im Dialog" and the "Helmholtz Association", is an international competition to find the best talent in science communication. The first round decision is scheduled for February 14, 2012 and takes place in the "Deutsche Museum" Munich. Read more 
• Klaus-Tschira-Award for Comprehensive Science. Doctoral researchers of Biology, Biophysics, Chemistry, Neuroscience or Neuropsychology who submitted in 2011 and have given their doctoral defense by February 29, 2012 may apply. Send in an abstract of your thesis written in German in a fascinating manner which is generally comprehensiv to the public. Read more (in German)
• Hochschul-Gründer-Preis 2012. Apply by March 20, 2012 with your promising business idea or new scientific findings at Netzwerk Nordbayern. You will find support in writing the business plan. Read more (in German)

Internationalization of Science and Research

• Russia - Germany
  • Researchers from Germany win Grants from Russia. The Ministry of Science and Education of the Russian Federation announced 12 billion rubels (approx. 300 mio euros) to attract leading scientists. Among the 79 chosen researchers are 12 from Germany, they won 150 mio rubels (approx. 3.5 mio euros) for their product ideas. Read more (in German)
  • Initiations for a closer Scientific Relation with Russia. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding German-Russian cooperations in various fields, among them are Bio Sciences and Biotechnology, and the Life Sciences. Read more (in German)
• China - Germany 
  
  • Sino-German research and innovation program entitled "Clean Water." on sustainable handling of water and energy even in rapidly growing regions. Read interview with Research Minister Annette Schavan
  • The Sino-German Center for Research Promotion in Beijing is increasing their scientific cooperation also in the Life Sciences. Read more (in Chinese, in English, or in German)
• Germany
  • Professional Qualifications Assessment Act. A new federal law greatly extends the right to an assessment of qualifications gained abroad. This so-called "Recognition Act," comes into effect on April 1, 2012. Read more

News from ...

• ... Würzburg. In 1987 a spectacular discovery was made when a house in the Würzburg district "Pleich" was pulled down: a total of 1455 Jewish tombstones from the Middle Ages were found. Now, 25 years later, a three volume scientific publication on the "Judensteine aus der Pleich" has been presented. Read more (in German)

Würzburg Events

• International Societies in Würzburg
• Würzburg event calendar

 
Pictures are courtesy of Paula Tabares, section Infection and Immunity
Caribbean marine sponges: g. Dragmacidon reticulata, h. Ircinia felix, i. Monanchora arbuscula, j. Mycale laevis, k. Niphates digitalis and l. Xestospongia muta. Sponges g - i were photographed by Prof. Sven Zea from INVEMAR, Colombia, and sponges j - l by Dr. Hilde Angermeier, GSLS alumna.

contact: liebert(at)gsls.uni-wuerzburg.de

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