TAM Cluster-Wide Offers

These programmes and opportunities are available to all TAM researchers — regardless of location and career stage. Use them to complement your local university support.

I Research Training Colloquia, Schools II Skills Training Workshops, Courses III Visits & Exchange Secondments, Buddy IV Networking Events, Symposia V Funding Grants, Stipends VI Career Development CDPs, TACs

The TAM TrainingHub provides a cross-university umbrella for individualised, interdisciplinary and international training and exchange. All offers listed here are available cluster-wide — accessible to ECRs at JLU Gießen, Marburg, TU Darmstadt, and Goethe University Frankfurt. Not sure where to start? Contact the TAM TrainingHub Coordinator — see below.

Group I

Research Training Events

Colloquia, journal clubs, and international summer schools

Group II

Complementary Skills Training

Ethics, grant writing, leadership, open science, EDI

Group III

Visits & Exchange

International secondments, welcome centre, buddy system

Group IV

Networking Opportunities

YoungPro events, symposia, career path seminars

Group V

Funding Opportunities

Treasure Box, intramural grants, bridge funding, JRG support

Group VI

Career Development Structures

CDPs, TACs, mentoring teams, peer-to-peer mentoring

Research Training Events

Regular scientific events — proposed and hosted by ECRs, open cluster-wide

Programme	What you get	Frequency	Level
Colloquia Bi-weekly Colloquia	World-leading scientists hosted by ECRs — streamed and posted online for broader impact; occasionally held fully online in support of sustainability	Every 2 weeks	Core
Community Ad hoc Journal Clubs	ECR-organised journal clubs on current research, logistically supported by the TrainingHub coordination office	Ad hoc	Core
Summer School Visual Neuroscience Summer School	Thematically focused international summer school open to top talent worldwide — travel stipends available, including for scientists from LMICs. Selection by steering committee based on predefined criteria incl. EDI goals.	Biannual	Optional

Complementary Skills Training

Transferable skills tailored by career level — in coordination with university graduate centres

Course	What you get	For whom	Status
Mandatory Research Data Management & Open Science	Dedicated course on data management, FAIR principles, and open science practices — aligned with TAM's strategic goals	All TAM members incl. PIs	Mandatory
Mandatory Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)	Course aligned with TAM's EDI strategy — promotes inclusive research culture across all career stages	All TAM members incl. PIs	Mandatory
Mandatory Public Outreach & Translation	Training on communicating research findings beyond academia — press, policy, and public audiences	All TAM members incl. PIs	Mandatory
Skills Ethics Courses	Research ethics training, integrated into the skills portfolio and aligned with institutional graduate centres (GGN, MARA, Ingenium, GRADE)	All ECR levels	Core
Skills Grant Writing	Courses supporting acquisition of third-party funding and independent grant development	PhD, Postdoc	Core
Skills Leadership Training	Training to foster leadership skills required for academic independence and research group management	Postdoc, JRG Leaders	Core
Skills Scientific Communication	Courses on academic communication, presentation skills, and dissemination of research findings	All ECR levels	Core
Skills Work-Life Balance	Training addressing sustainable academic careers and personal well-being	All ECR levels	Core
Skills Science Management & Mentoring	Courses on project management, administrative competencies, and mentoring skills within academia	Advanced ECRs	Core
Industry Industry Secondments & Non-Academic Training	Complementary option for non-academic career paths — project management, legal issues, and sector-specific competencies	All ECR levels	Optional

III

Visits & Exchange Programme

Research secondments, welcome support, and social integration for incoming & outgoing ECRs

Programme	What you get	Duration / Budget	Level
Exchange Research Secondments (Outgoing)	Research stays in leading labs worldwide to acquire new scientific skills (e.g. robotics, CBT) and intercultural competencies — ECRs from LMICs receive particular support	Up to 6 months · €50K/year total	Core
Exchange Incoming International Researchers	Bidirectional exchange — international top talent joins TAM labs for research stays and training; integration into TAM structures fully supported	Up to 6 months · within €50K budget	Core
Welcome Onboarding & Integration Support	Structural support for orientation and integration into TAM and host institution — provided jointly with international offices, welcome centres and graduate centres	Continuous from arrival	Core
Welcome TAM Buddy System	Each incoming researcher is supported by a member of a TAM host group — assistance with everyday tasks outside research and social integration into the community	From day 1	High

Networking Opportunities

ECR-organised events and seminars to build lasting peer and professional networks

Event / Format	What you get	Frequency	Level
Community YoungPro Events	ECR-organised, ECR-only networking events — peer connections across all TAM sites, dedicated budget of €20K/p.a.	Regular · €20K/year	Core
Networking Career Path Seminars	Alumni describe their career paths inside and outside academia — practical orientation and professional networking with former TAM researchers	Ongoing	Core
Networking Yearly Symposia & Workshops	Symposia and workshops with a mix of up-and-coming and senior international speakers — organised by ECRs with support from the TrainingHub coordination office	Annual symposia	Core
Networking Workshops with Top Speakers	Topic-specific workshops with top international speakers — proposed by ECRs to address their specific research needs	As proposed	Optional

Funding Opportunities

Tailored financial support at each career stage — from Masters through to Junior Group Leader

Programme	What you get	Amount / Scale	Level
Stipend Master Student Stipends	Monthly stipends enabling Master's students to engage in TAM-related research early — up to 20 students per yearly cohort	Up to 6 months	Core
Grant Annual Treasure Box Competition	Competitive funding for short interdisciplinary research proposals by doctoral researchers — fosters independence and innovative project ideas within TAM	Up to €5K · 4 projects/year	Core
Grant Intramural Research Funding (Postdoc)	For 6–12 month projects addressing core TAM research questions — interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches encouraged; annual call	Up to €10K · 4 projects/year	Core
Bridge Start-up Bridge Funding	Spans significant gaps in financial support — enables postdocs to finalise manuscripts, write grants, or conduct secondments and attend conferences	Up to 1 year · own position + €10K · 2/year	Core
Grant LMIC Research Projects	Specific grants for ECRs from Low- and Middle-Income Countries — research projects at TAM applicant or participating institutions, including travel costs	Up to €10K + travel · 2/year	High
Launch JRG Launch Support	Start-up support for Junior Research Group Leaders — financial support and mentoring structures to strengthen independent research careers	€50K + 1 PhD + €5K/year	Optional

Career Development Structures

Individual and structured support for long-term academic and professional progression

Structure	What you get	When	Level
Planning Career Development Plans (CDPs)	Individualised plans covering scientific goals, training needs, and career trajectory — developed with your mentoring team and reviewed regularly	From month 1	Core
Supervision Thesis Advisory Committees (TACs)	Regular structured meetings with an interdisciplinary advisory panel to track progress, identify challenges, and ensure quality of the doctoral project	From month 3 onwards	Core
Mentoring Mentoring Teams (Postdocs)	Continuous support from a dedicated mentoring team — discussing progress, identifying training needs, and forging connections for the next career step	From month 1	Core
Mentoring Mentoring for Junior Research Group Leaders	Structured mentoring and guidance for JRG leaders to strengthen independence and navigate leadership challenges in early career PI roles	From JRG start	Core
Peer Peer-to-Peer Mentoring	Informal peer support network across TAM — connecting ECRs at similar career stages for mutual learning, accountability, and community building	Ongoing	High
Monitoring Monitoring & Evaluation of Career Progress	Regular review of individual progress against CDPs — ensures timely adjustments to training plans and support measures throughout the TAM career stage	Annual	Core

How to use TAM offers alongside your local university support

Local — Depth

Use your university's graduate school (GGN, MARA, Ingenium, GRADE) for day-to-day training, administrative guidance, and wellbeing support at your site.

TAM — Breadth

Use TAM TrainingHub offers for interdisciplinary exposure, international exchange, funding opportunities, and connections across all TAM partner institutions.

Combined — Profile

The combination gives you local roots and cluster-wide reach — a balanced profile that opens doors in academia and beyond.

Unsure where to start or how to prioritise? Rebekka Volmer at the TAM TrainingHub serves as a central orientation point across all TAM sites and helps you identify the right offers at the right time.

Contact the TrainingHub →