Qualification programme

The (three days) Introductory Week (IW) will be held in the early beginning of each of the three cohorts of doctoral researchers. By means of presentations, discusssions, guided tours through the participating institutions and a one day field trip to the Elbe Estuary, the Introductory Week aims at giving an overview about the scientific background of RTG 2530 as well as about its qualification and supervision strategy. Furthermore, aspects of intercultural competences will be included and important organizational issues will be addressed. Last not least, the Introductory Week includes an informal Get-Together to stimulate social interactions between the doctoral and postdoctoral researchers as well as the principal investigators.

The Lecture Series (LS) will be held in the early beginning of each of the three cohorts of doctoral researchers. For the first cohort of doctoral researchers, it is laid out as a weekly course taking place between February and April 2021. All principal investigators will present the state of the art of their respective research field in a 20 minute lecture, followed by a scientific discussion.

In Lab & Field Methods (LFM), all principal investigators give an introduction to important methods applied in their field of research. LFM will take place in the first year of RTG 2530 and consists of five one-day units. For all doctoral researchers, three of these units are compulsory.

The Research Seminar (RS) is held weekly during each Universität Hamburg winter semester from October to January. Here, external scientistes/experts invited by RTGs early career scientists and/or principal investigators give a presentation on a topic relevant for RTG 2530.

International Scientific Workshops (SW) will support networking and international orientation of doctoral training by offering the opportunity of active exchange with international scientists. One- or two-days international Scientific Workshops will be offered by visiting scientists each year. The major aim of the International Workshop is to provide knowledge and techniques to doctoral researchers which are complementary to the ones represented by the Principal Researchers of RTG 2530.

The Annual Retreats (ARs) will support networking between all members of the RTG and also contribute to international orientation of doctoral training by the opportunity to exchange with international scientists. At the three-days ARs, all doctoral researchers will present the progress of their work. Presentations of doctoral researchers will be complemented by two-to three key-note talks held by invited (international) scientists. Participation in annual retreats is compulsory for all members of the RTG.

The one-week course Data Science (DS) includes aspects from the collection, storage and provision of research data to advanced statistical analyses and numerical model applications. The course will educate doctoral researchers in using appropriate statistical methods and modeling approaches. The course is offered annually and it is compulsory for each doctoral researcher to attend at least one data science course in his/her three years doctoral project.

The one-day Good Scientific Practice (GSP) course is obligatory in the first phase of each doctoral researcher. The course aims to ensure good scientific practice of Universität Hamburg and the rules of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG).

Courses in Scientific Writing (SW) will be organized through the COMPASS programme in cooperation with RTG 2530. In the one-week course, doctoral researchers will be introduced to the peer-review process and will learn how to structure and write a manuscript and choose a journal suitable for publication. The course is offered annually and it is compulsory for each doctoral researcher to attend at least one scientific writing course in his/her three years doctoral project.

Teaching Experience (TE) is very important for early career researchers persuing a scientific career. Therefore, RTG 2530 encourages all doctoral researchers to contribute to teaching laboratory and/or field classes.

Courses in Presentation Techniques (PT) will be organized through the COMPASS programme in cooperation with RTG 2530. In the two to three days course, doctoral researchers will learn to present their results in scientific talks and posters. The course is offered annually and it is compulsory for each doctoral researcher to attend at least one course on presentation techniques in his/her three years doctoral project.

Further courses for Career Development (CD) will be offered through Hamburg Research Academy and the COMPASS programme, which provide high quality workshops and seminars on skills beyond specific disciplines including the improvement of project management, application training and support in career entry and development.

Doctoral researches with an international background and without profound knowledge of the German academic system should attend the Hamburg Research Academy (HRA) one-day course PhD Navigator – a course through the German Academic System – as early as possible upon starting their doctoral project.

In general, one credit point corresponds to 30 hours of work. In order to acknowledge both, the time you attend a course and the time you need for preparation or follow-up, we estimate half a day of preparation or follow-up time for each single day you spend in a course.