Which MeTra program lines are there?
Currently, program lines for three different target groups, corresponding to different academic qualification stages, take place each year. Each program line features a training program that is pitched to the group's specific career stage, alongside one to one mentoring and peer networking. The program is aimed in general at women at the University of Bonn who want to qualify for an academic career, plan their career more actively or prepare themselves more specifically for a leadership position in academia and research. The training program lasts approximately 12-15 months.
Each line includes an initial discussion, an intermediate chat, and a final meeting with the head of the program. The head of the program is also available for additional meetings upon request.
Line 1: Doctoral Candidates
This program is aimed at women doctoral candidates from all faculties and disciplines and primarily at those who would like to stay in academia after completing their doctorate. Training in this group is focused on topics such as strengthening self-motivation, self-presentation and orienting oneself toward achievable goals. Workshop topics could include:
- Doing a doctorate with success: self-management, task management and time management
- Scientific presentations : present and discuss confidently
- Effective conflict management in the university context
- Overcoming impostor syndrome
Line 2: Postdocs
This line is aimed at women postdocs in the first to third year after their doctorate from all faculties and disciplines. In consultation with the program management, women doctoral candidates who are about to complete their doctorate or have just submitted their doctoral thesis can also participate in this group. Training in this group is focused on established onesself as a researcher, planning one's further career, and developing skills for the academic job market. Workshop themes might include:
- Writing successful funding applications:
- Female empowerment - mindset and self-management
- Effective conflict management in the university context
- Presenting academically - presenting and discussing confidently
Line 3: Researchers on the Way to Professorship
Participation is open to advanced women academics and postdoctoral researchers (from the third year of postdoc) from all faculties and disciplines who are working towards a professorship or higher academic management position. This group includes habilitation candidates, private lecturers, junior research group leaders and junior professors. The training program is aimed at further career planning with a focus on strategic career planning and the development of leadership skills. Potential workshop töpics include:
- Career development in science and individual coaching sessions
- My role as a manager
- Preparation for appointment procedures
- Resilience in everyday academic life
Testemonies of former Mentees:
"The MeTra program has helped me enormously and I am now much more positive, committed and confident about ‘the path to a professorship’ than I was a year ago. All three components play an important role in this: the workshops as well as the contact building within our group of postdoctoral researchers and my personal 1:1 mentoring was very valuable in this context."
"I have benefited greatly from being accepted into the MeTra program. In particular, the content of the workshop on career development and the associated individual coaching were very helpful and have helped me make great progress over the past year. It was precisely this option of using my time in Bonn to qualify for a tenure-track position at a larger faculty in a nearby country that I discussed in the career training about a year ago."
"I really liked the MeTra program back then (2018) and I evaluated it very positively, but I wanted to reflect back to you that I also benefited immensely from it in the long term. When I started my doctorate back then, I had difficulties getting to grips with everything. The exchange with the Metra group and the workshops on offer helped me a lot. The workshops on presentation skills and career planning in particular gave me confidence in my own abilities and showed me new opportunities. In the individual coaching sessions at the time, I discussed the options for a research stay abroad, and I was actually able to do this in Sweden this year. Finally, I am also very grateful for the contact with my mentor, which we still maintain today. She gave me very valuable career tips and we are now even working on a research project together - that wasn't the aim of the mentoring, but it's a great side effect!"
"My mentor showed me what a potential career plan could look like. She has shown me many ways of pursuing a career as a scientist without losing myself in the process. She also dispelled many doubts about a university career and showed me that it is possible to combine work and family life with the right organization."
“Participation in the MeTra program will most likely have an influence on my further career planning (by showing me new opportunities, networking with the mentor, exchanging ideas with the mentees).”
“The program reminded me very strongly that science is also female and showed me what structures are present in our work culture.”
"MeTra was very helpful for me and covered topics that are very important. I wasn't aware of the topics and their relevance beforehand."