1) Setting a Target Agreement

Functional supervisors and postdocs have a conversation before the start of the postdoc phase, in which the essential elements of the postdoc phase are discussed by mutual agreement and recorded in a career development plan.

2) Career Development Plan for Postdocs

Essential elements that should be included in the career plan are:

(a) the content and timing of future research projects,

(b) the desired qualification goals,

(c) the envisaged professional future,

(d) the necessary qualification steps (e.g., habilitation or habilitation-adequate achievements, teaching experience, experience in personnel management as well as training in professional skills),

(e) the necessary resources and access to scientific infrastructure

(f) please add additional criteria in the comments.

3) Postdoc Buddies to Support the Start at the Institute

Where desired and possible, the working group can assign an experienced postdoc/buddy/contact person to the postdoc at the start of their work who acts as their contact at the institute in the event of subject-specific and organisational questions.

4) Joint Responsibilities

Postdocs and functional supervisors are jointly responsible for a successful postdoc phase (in the sense of fulfilling the career plan or a reflected professional reorientation).

5) Visibility and Profiling

The functional supervisors support the visibility and profiling of the postdocs by

a) time for independent research,

b) enabling them to participate in conferences or organise their own such events independently,

c) the possibility of research stays at home and abroad,

d) the opportunity to participate in training measures on career-related topics and to acquire career-related skills,

e) support in applying for scientific awards.

6) Teaching Activities

Postdocs whose employment is financed via university funds are obligated to teach in accordance with the academic workload guidelines. Third-party funded postdocs are encouraged to participate in teaching if the funding conditions allow for this.

7) Leadership Experience

Postdocs should be given the opportunity to supervise students in their theses or doctoral dissertations as well as to support them in other projects.

8) Academic Self-Administration

Postdocs participate in the academic self-administration of HHU within the scope of their possibilities.

9) Research Contributions

Individual achievements of postdocs are transparently presented when writing project proposals or publications according to the rules of Good Scientific Practice.

10) Third Party Funding

Postdocs who acquire their own third-party funding are autonomously responsible for its management.

11) Flexible Work

Postdocs agree with their functional supervisor whether and to what extent flexible working arrangements, e.g. remote working, are possible.

12) Work in Life Balance

Functional supervisors strive to enable postdocs with care responsibilities to reconcile family and work.

13) Feedback

Functional supervisors are called upon to give postdocs regular (at least once a year), clear feedback on their academic performance and advise them on their career development. All career paths should be considered on an equal footing.

14) Career Decision

Three years after starting the postdoc phase at the latest, postdocs should decide whether they intend to remain in research.

15) Career Planning

Six months before the end of the contract at the latest, the postdoc and functional supervisor should hold a reflective exchange on the career planning of the postdoc.