Information for early career researchers

Contents

    Participants of an Oberwolfach Seminar in front of the Boy surface sculpture in OberwolfachPrograms for early career researchers

    Two out of the six main programs of the MFO address especially to early career researchers: The short-term program "Oberwolfach Seminars" and the long-term program Oberwolfach Leibniz Fellows.

    Oberwolfach Seminars

    The Oberwolfach Seminars are week-long events for up to 25 participants. They are organized by leading experts in the field and address Ph.D. students and postdocs from all over the world. The aim is to introduce the participants to a particular hot development. The topics are announced at the beginning of each year in our annual schedule. Thanks to the support of the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation, travel expenses can be reimbursed up to 150 Euro in average per person. See the details on the application process.

    Oberwolfach Leibniz Fellows

    The focus of the program Oberwolfach Leibniz Fellows (OWLF) for postdoctoral researchers is to support outstanding mathematical junior researchers in the realization of own research projects during an important period of their scientific career. Early career researchers, having received their doctoral degree not more than 5 years ago, can apply for a stay from one to three months at Oberwolfach in order to realize a research project either individually or in small groups. Applications can be made at any time. More information can be found in the overview of the program.

    Grants

    Depending on the scientific program you are participating in, we are able to offer several grants covering travel expenses. Early career researchers may for example apply to participate in an Oberwolfach Workshop as

    Your eligibility for any of these grants is decided by the MFO, subject to a prior application. Please find details on each grant and information how you can apply in the overview of grants.

    Support for families

    Oberwolfach strives to enable parents with children to participate in its activities. If you can only participate if you bring your child with you, it is essential to contact our administration in advance to clarify whether this can be arranged. Please contact us well in advance of your stay and fill out the application form.

    We only have a limited number of rooms suitable for families with small children. While we cannot provide babysitters, we can try to accomodate an accompanying person to help with childcare, subject to prior approval and capacity. If your request is approved, we will charge only for meals, not for accommodation (€125 per week instead of €375 for adults; children’s meal charges depend on their age).

    In some cases, we may need to refer you to nearby external accommodations. Please note in particular that we are unfortunately unable to accommodate older children or other accompanying persons at the Institute. 

    If you stay at the Institute with small children, the reception can provide further information about the facilities available on site.

    Further hints and external resources

    The Leibniz PostDoc Network has prepared a "Welcome Package for PostDocs" (PDF) -  a document with general information on the stay in Germany, the academic work life in Germany and special support programs within the Leibniz Association. The Welcome Package document was prepared by PostDocs for PostDocs.

    Please check also our information pages on funding opportunities in Germany and our cooperations with other institutions.

    Group of early career researchers in front of the Boy surface in Oberwolfach

    Experiences of other early career researchers

    Early career researchers can benefit from our scientific program in various ways. In many cases a stay in Oberwolfach was the bridge for the further research career. People often mention the excellent networking possibilities and the inspiring and supportive atmosphere. Here are some of their impressions from a survey of 2015 and from reports of former Oberwolfach Leibniz Fellows:

    “Time passed extremely quickly, but I was more productive than in any other five weeks this year.”

    “The Leibniz fellowship is probably unique in being able to offer young researchers the opportunity to talk with so many different mathematicians. As a consequence, we now have a joint research project.”

    "I invited three of my collaborators and we were able to start a new project in one case and finish one in the other case."

    "[...] my stay at the MFO was by far the best time in my whole scientific life. The impact on my scientific career was huge: - An OWP report I published was the basis for my habilitation in Germany. - I had the time to introduce myself in new areas of research. - I started collaborations with different researchers."

    "The Oberwolfach Workshop had a huge impact on my scientific career. I had an opportunity to meet in person so many people in my area of research, including several with whom I've moved on to have several joint papers and many more from whom I've received important professional advice and seminar invitations. The talks exposed me to many possible topics related to my research program. The ideas and contacts I've initiated during my MFO stay have powered my research program for several years."

    "[...] My first visit was before I received my PhD and my last was after I had become Professor. Along the way, the interactions at Oberwolfach inspired my research [...] Thank you Oberwolfach."

    More impressions can be found in the reports of former Oberwolfach Leibniz Fellows. Furthermore, in our annual report of 2016 we published an interesting interview with Eleonore Faber.