Talentmanagement in the Research Field Earth and Environment
Strategic human resources management is a key component of the mission of the Research Field Earth & Environment and a central prerequisite for scientific excellence.
Successful research relies on attracting outstanding talent in its diversity and offering ideal opportunities in the various research tasks. The Research Field's one-program strategy offers enormous potential for the further development of individual competencies, for equal opportunities and networking. The promotion of an excellent working environment enables scientists, administrative and science management staff as well as supervisors to fully develop their personal and professional potential.
The strategic human resources concept was developed by a working group from all centres of the Research Field and strategically accompanies the Research Field in the PoF IV period as well as the PoF V period to come. To this end, it contains a series of modules in order to create ideal framework conditions for scientific careers and long-term strategic competence building in the participating Helmholtz Centers:
The COMPASS mentoring program supports postdocs and research managers who wish to actively shape their strategic career development and make well-informed decisions about their professional future. A specially designed framework of four hands-on workshops provides targeted guidance to participants in their individual career planning. The workshops cover essential topics such as how to find a mentor, performance skills, profile development, as well as communication and conflict management. Experienced experts lead the program and support participants in finding a suitable mentor for their specific needs and career goals. Mentors come from a variety of fields – from academia and the private sector to public service and the non-profit sector – bringing valuable perspectives to the mentoring process.
The COMPASS mentoring program has been offered annually since 2022 and is currently running with its third cohort. The first round began in January 2023, with a total of 24 participants from all seven centers of the Earth and Environment Research Field. The second cohort consisted of 20 participants from seven centers. For the third cohort, the program was opened up to additional Helmholtz Centers beyond the Earth and Environment Research Field, and currently 24 participants from ten Helmholtz Centers are taking part.
Over the past few years, the COMPASS mentoring program has established itself as an effective tool for career development. The proactive search for mentors and the associated reflection on career goals provide significant added value for participants. Another key success of the program is the cross-centre networking of mentees, which has created valuable opportunities for future academic and professional collaborations.
The participants of the 3rd cohort of the COMPASS Mentoring Program
The module Bridging Spheres - POP-UP CAMPUS is aimed at (early career) scientists and science managers with a strong interest in science communication and transfer. In a three to five day format, they will be sensitised to the logic and functioning of societal subsystems, develop a deeper understanding of knowledge transfer, build their media skills and network between centers and with other disciplines. The format connects them with policy makers, representatives from other scientific disciplines (outside STEM), media representatives and HR managers from target professional organizations. In this way, a community of learners develops that builds knowledge and develops dialogue skills in a cooperative and supportive manner.
The POP-UP CAMPUS takes place in close cooperation with SynCom once a year, rotating at a center of the Research Field.
The first Bridging Spheres POP-UP CAMPUS happened at the KIT Alpine Campus from April 8 to 12, 2024: a Helmholtz event on science communication bringing together the fields of science, media, the public and politics. 30 participants from the six Helmholtz Centers KIT, GFZ, UFZ, AWI, GEOMAR and Hereon spent a day at the Schneefernerhaus environmental research station on the Zugspitze with Susanne Gatti (AWI) and worked on the topic ‘Introduction to the functional systems of society’, had inspiring workshops on creating a personal research statement with Dr. Viola Gerlach (RIFS), on writing a policy brief with Matthias Tang (RIFS) and on audio storytelling in science communication with Marie Heidenreich & Dr. Katharina Sielemann (SynCom).
The Bridging Spheres participants in April 2024
In the evening, the group discussed the ‘Stakeholder Dialogue’ format and held a fireside chat about careers in science communication with Florian Diepoldt-Erl (Climate Protection Manager, Garmisch-Partenkirchen), Marie Heidenreich and Laura Schmidt (Public Relations Officer, UFS Schneefelderhaus). It was an all-round successful event, which was initiated and organized by Dr. Susanne Gatti (AWI), Dr. Annett Hüttges (GFZ) and Dr. Elija Bleher (KIT-Campus Alpin).
Finally, in the Network module, the seven participating centers exchange information and interconnect. Within this framework, employees from Career Centers, Human Resources Development, Postdoc Offices and comparable organisational units have developed a joint strategy for talent management in the Research Field, derived a concept from it and are now planning joint activities in close coordination on an ongoing basis. In the process, the specific needs of the researchers are continuously examined and further opportunities for cross-center cooperation are specifically identified.