UMA Doc & Postdoc Days 2026
Orientation, Funding Opportunities & Academic Competencies
The UMA Doc & Postdoc Days 2026 offer doctoral candidates and postdocs the opportunity to familiarize themselves with support services and representation structures, and gain inspiration for grant application, and career planning.
The event is aimed in particular at doctoral candidates and postdocs who are either new to the University of Mannheim, who would like to learn more about support services, funding opportunities, and career paths, or who wish to take advantage of the networking opportunity.
Date: 12–14 October 2026
Location: University of Mannheim
Target audience: Doctoral candidates and postdocs
Language: English, German
Participation: free of charge, registration required
The UMA Doc & Postdoc Days 2026 bring together three key themes for doctoral candidates and postdocs:
- Onboarding und Orientierung
Get to know the University of Mannheim, its services, and important contacts. - Research support and funding opportunities
Gain insights into funding opportunities, particularly from the German Research Foundation (DFG), and benefit from first-hand experiences. - Career development after your doctorate
Reflect on your skills and explore potential career paths both within and outside academia.
Program
Day 1 – Welcome to the University of Mannheim
Event What? Who? When? Where? Language Get to know your University (better) - Onboarding
- Introduction to the team Academic Career Paths
- Introduction to university services and support programs
- Getting to know the Councils
Team Career Paths in Academia
Contact persons from the university services and representatives of the Academic Council and the Doctoral Candidate Council
10 a.m. -11.30 a.m. FUCHS Hall (1st floor), Schloss O 138 English Campus Tour - Guided tour of the Campus
- Discover key locations for research and teaching while networking
Hubert Tomesch
Team Career Paths in Academia
11.45 a.m. – 12.45 p.m. Entrance to the Ehrenhof English, German Day 2 – Funding Opportunities
Event What? Who? When? Where? Language Info event: DFG Funding Opportunities for Early Career Researchers - Welcome by Prof. Dr. Jutta Mata
- Introduction to the Research Support Team and its services
- Overview of grant programs for postdocs, decision-making processes, and practical tips for submitting applications
- Insights from Prof. Dr. Thorsten Meiser and Dr. Marlene Mußotter
- Q&A session
Prof. Dr. Jutta Mata (Vice President for Research and Career Paths in Academia)
Dr. Anne Böhme (DFG, Program Director, Research Training Groups and Career Development Division)
Prof. Dr. Thorsten Meiser (Member of the DFG Review Board for Psychology)
Dr. Marlene Mußotter (own position funded by the DFG)
Moderation: Dr. Jayana Jain und Dr. Eva Johach (Research Support Team)
10:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. FUCHS Hall (1st floor), Schloss O 138 English Day 3 – Academic Competencies
Event What? Who? When? Where? Language Workshop: Competencies & career paths after your doctorate What comes after the doctorate? This interactive workshop explores the competencies developed during doctoral training and how they apply to diverse career paths inside and outside academia. Participants will identify their key strengths, core values and potentials. They will gain insights into positioning themselves for future professional opportunities.
Target Group: advanced/
final-year doctoral researchers, postdocs Dr. Franziska Schaaf (University of Mannheim) 9.30 a.m. – 1 p.m. ExpLAB (Schloss Schneckenhof Library) English
Registration
Registration Day 1 – Welcome to the University of Mannheim
Registration Day 2 – Funding Opportunities
Registration Day 3 – Academic Competencies
Registration open from 1 September 2026 to 30 September 2026
Participation is free of charge. You can attend all or select days/
Please note that there is a limit on the number of participants.
Kontakt
If you have any questions about the event, please contact:
Team Career Paths in Academia
Email: promovierenuni-mannheim.de and postdocsuni-mannheim.de
Website: https://www.uni-mannheim.de/en/about/organization/administration/division-i/