Measures to ensure equal opportunities
Measures to ensure equal opportunities
Decisive steps in an academic career and starting a family often fall in the same phase of life. It is often not easy to fulfil the demands of both areas of life equally and not overburden yourself in the process. A disability or chronic illness can also make it difficult to plan and develop one's own career.
The University of Oldenburg wants to support a work-life balance that promotes both the ability to fulfil family responsibilities and academic excellence, and therefore offers junior professors, junior research group leaders, tenure track professors and other postdoctoral researchers measures to support them in times of particular family stress.
At the same time, it aims to support doctoral and postdoctoral researchers with a disability or chronic illness through individual coaching sessions to help them overcome difficult phases in their career development:
1. Individual coaching
| About the programme |
|---|
In the first line, the University of Oldenburg offers junior professors, junior research group leaders and tenure-track professors as well as other academics with a doctorate individual coaching sessions with qualified coaches in the run-up to the birth or adoption of a child and shortly before and for several months after returning to academic appointments, primarily on the topics of time and conflict management or resilience. Single parents who belong to one of these status groups and find themselves in a difficult situation are also to be supported by this offer. A second line is aimed at doctoral and postdoctoral researchers who need support in developing their career in science due to their disability or chronic illness. |
| Target groups |
The target group of the first line are doctoral candidates in fixed-term employment contracts who are still gaining further academic qualifications (junior and tenure track professors, junior research group leaders, habilitation candidates, holders of qualification positions (FWN positions)). The target group of the second line are doctoral and postdoctoral researchers with a disability or chronic illness who are still gaining further academic qualifications (doctoral students, postdocs, junior and tenure-track professors, junior research group leaders, habilitation candidates, holders of qualification positions (FWN positions)). |
| Scope |
| Depending on requirements, up to 6 appointments of 60 minutes each. |
| Application |
Academics wishing to apply should inform the responsible unit of the university (Graduate Academy or Professional development/organizational development (PEOE), see below) informally by post or email, including confirmation of their employment status by their superiors, if applicable. The unit concerned will put the applicant in contact with a coach. The academics may then make the appointments themselves. Required information:
Subject to the availability of sufficient funds, the applications will be processed in the order in which they are received. The applicant will be informed of the decision by the Graduate Academy. |
| Appointments |
| At any time, according to individual needs. |
| Evaluation |
| After the coaching process, the participants will be asked for brief feedback that will be used to evaluate the coaching. |
| Contact persons |
Contact person for doctoral candidates, junior professors and junior research group leaders as well as other academic researchers with a doctorate: Dr Susanne Elpers Contact person for tenure-track professors: Anja Kruse |
2. Funds for hiring temporary assistants
| About the offer |
|---|
| The University of Oldenburg offers the temporary financing of an assistant to relieve the workload of junior professors, junior research group leaders, tenure track professors and other academic researchers with a doctorate in phases when family life makes particularly heavy demands. NEW: Postdoctoral researchers who need support in continuing their scientific career due to a disability or chronic illness are also eligible to apply. |
| Target group |
| The target group is limited to early-career postdoctoral academic staff in temporary employment who are still pursuing further academic qualifications (junior and tenure-track professors, junior research group leaders, postdoctoral candidates seeking a Habilitation, and holders of qualification positions (FWN positions)). |
| Scope |
| Up to 3 months (in exceptional cases, 4 months) |
| Costs |
| None for applicants. |
| Application |
Interested scholars should submit an informal written application by post or email to the Vice President for Academic Career Paths, Equal Opportunities and International Affairs, via the Graduate Academy. The application must explain the need for support. Only reasons related to improving the applicant’s work-life balance or related to a disability or a chronic illness may be acknowledged. The application must specify the tasks that the assistant is to perform, as well as the number of working hours and the estimated period in which the assistant’s support will be needed. The support can be granted for 3 months at the most, although in exceptional cases (e.g. in the event of long-term illness of a child or a person in need of care), 4 months of support may be granted. The application may only be submitted once. Required information:
Subject to the availability of sufficient funds, the applications will be processed in the order in which they are received. The applicant will be informed of the decision by the Graduate Academy. The applicant will be responsible for personnel management and supervision and will ensure that the funds are used in accordance with the purpose of the grant. |
| Please note: |
| Temporary employment of student assistants (studentische Hilfskräfte) is generally possible without any problems. The temporary employment of academic assistants (wissenschaftliche Hilfskräfte) is subject to specific legal regulations. Therefore, please contact Division 1 before initiating a contract in order to clarify individual conditions. |
| Appointments |
| At any time, according to individual needs. |
| Evaluation |
| When the support has ended, the applicants will be asked for brief feedback that will be used for evaluation (1 page at most). |