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Women@DDc Network

The Women@DDc Network is a joint initiative of Unit 9.3 Diversity Management at TU Dresden, the Barkhausen Institut, and the Head Office of DRESDEN-concept to connect female researchers and scientists of all status groups as well as female science managers within the DRESDEN-concept research alliance and to increase their visibility.

Der Schriftzug Women at DDc-Network in einem angeschnittenem Achteck Logo

The network is open to women researchers and science managers, including

  • Doctoral students and postdocs
  • Group Leaders
  • (Junior) Professors
  • Program/Science Coordinators
  • Project managers
  • Diversity/Equal Opportunities Officers
  • Administrative managers
  • Science communication/transfer/PR managers

 

 

Women@DDc Network receives funding from the Flow Fund initiative

The Women@DDc Network has been selected for funding from the Flow Fund. This initiative, launched by the Schöpflin Foundation and the Kinnings Foundation, supports projects that strengthen democratic participation and social cohesion in eastern Germany.

This funding recognizes and honours the important work of the Women@DDc Network, which aims to create stronger networks for women in science and science management within the Dresden research landscape and increase their visibility. The funds make it possible to implement innovative ideas, expand existing offers and provide new impetus for the promotion of exchange, networking and visibility.

Women@DDc at the Flow Fund Conference
On July 2 and 3, Katrin Saure from TUD’s Diversity Management will represent the network at the Flow Fund Conference. The exchange with other funded initiatives on topics such as community building and participation offers valuable impulses for the further development of the network.

Special thanks go to the Flow Fund initiative, Flow Funder Juliane Elsner and all those involved for their trust and support. The funding opens up new opportunities to network women in science and science management more closely, increase their visibility and make a long-term contribution to greater participation and cohesion.

We look forward to shaping the next steps together with our community and advancing our vision of the network. All interested parties are invited to become part of this growing community.

Events 2026

Events until 2025

9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Online

Being visible in key personal and digital networks is of exceptional importance for scientists. Platforms such as LinkedIn offer exciting opportunities to establish oneself as an expert and pave the way for future career advancements. This online workshop addresses the fundamental questions that scientists often encounter when shaping their online presence:

• How can I benefit from LinkedIn as a scientist to advance my career?

• Which platform aligns best with my professional goals and topics?

Participants will gain actionable insights into:

Becoming visible as a scientist within and beyond the scientific community.

Choosing platforms that optimize general visibility.

Understanding how LinkedIn and ResearchGate work to maximize impact.

Optimizing visibility for transitioning from academia to industry.

Attracting recruiters and increasing the likelihood of receiving job offers.

Developing and utilizing specific keywords to position oneself as an expert.

This interactive workshop is designed specifically for female doctoral candidates and postdocs. Participants will learn how to craft and refine their digital profiles using strategic keywords, helping them expand their reach. This increased visibility will enhance their reputation both in the scientific community and in the job market, positioning them for opportunities within academia and beyond.

Workshop language: English

Recommendation for the workshop: Have created accounts of LinkedIn and ResearchGate. It can be empty, but should exist.

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: Barkhausen-Bau (BAR), Room II/63A

This workshop offers women in science the opportunity to explore how to integrate AI tools effectively into their writing process. The workshop focuses on the use of AI tools in scientific writing: from brainstorming and structuring to abstracts and the comprehensive review process. Participants learn how to use AI in a targeted way to support their daily writing process. Specific tools are presented, tried out, and reflected upon. Ethical aspects, citation, and data protection are also critically discussed.

Trainer: Dr. Sarah Müller-Sägebrecht (We explain AI)

Workshop language: English

Oct 28, 2025, 09:00 AM – Oct 29, 2025, 12:30 PM
Online

Note! Two half-day, consecutive online seminars! This workshop is designed for female scientists and science managers who want to strengthen their on-camera presence. Please note: This is a 2-part workshop taking place on two consecutive days, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm each day. Registration is only possible if you are able to attend both sessions.

Note on language: English

Trainer: Karin Gante

About the seminar:

In this practical, interactive online seminar, you will learn how to increase your presence and impact in virtual settings – including group meetings, job or grant interviews, review panels, and consortia meetings.

We will focus on how to communicate your message clearly and confidently, using a short presentation (e.g. interview or proposal pitch) as a central practice tool.

In addition, you will explore key techniques for building a convincing online presence:

  • how to use your voice intentionally to create resonance and persuasiveness,
  • how to optimize body language, camera setup, lighting, and background.

Throughout the session, you will receive actionable tips and exercises to help you appear more confident, competent, and authentic on camera.

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Barkhausen-Bau (BAR), Room BAR I/15

At some point, the time has come. You have to decide whether you want to continue working in academia. Before you make this decision, it is very useful to know the rules of the game for becoming a professor.

This workshop will have a closer look at the process and the written and unwritten rules of appointment procedures at German universities as well as on the content and style of your application documents (please bring a draft of your CV).

Participants reflect the meaning and typical questions in the context of scientific talk, demonstration lesson and interview with the appointment committee. The workshop will also give comprehensive information and hints on negotiations for professorial positions (e.g. facilities, salary).

This workshop is aimed specifically at female scientists (PhD candidates, postdocs, and group leaders) interested in a pursuing a professorship.

Note on language: English

Conflict occurs when there are mismatches between the needs and wants of participants. Conflict navigation is finding your way through times of conflict, ideally contributing to the best results possible for all involved.

This full day workshop will equip you with practical tools to navigate high-stakes, emotionally charged, and challenging conversations in the workplace. This agenda blends evidence-based frameworks for dialogue, feedback, and self-inquiry, practicing actionable skills from leading conflict and feedback literature with self-inquiry for stress reduction. At the end of the workshop, you will leave with practical strategies for real-world application.

After the Women@DDc Webinar on the ERC Starting Grant, we now have organized the next online information event for those planning on applying for an ERC Consolidator grant.

We are pleased to present our speakers:

  • Prof. Dr. Yana Vaynzof, Director of the Institute for Emerging Electronic Technologies (IET) at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (IFW), and ERC Consolidator Grantee 2022
  • Dr. Susanne Liermann, National Contact Point European Research Council (NCP ERC)
  • Stefanie Kohl, European Project Center, TU Dresden

Dr. Susanne Liermann will present the basics, dive deeper into the application and evaluation process and end with tips and hints for the application process.

Prof. Yana Vaynzof will be giving first-hand accounts on her successful pathway to the ERC Consolidator Grant.

You will also meet Stefanie Kohl, who will be there to answer your questions and who would support you locally with a possible application as your contact point at the European Project Center of TU Dresden.

Event language: English

Following the continued positive response to the previous events, the Women@DDc Network invites participants to the third Women Professors’ Breakfast on 25 June 2025 – once again offering an opportunity for informal exchange on academic experiences and challenges.

This networking format is aimed exclusively at female professors within the DRESDEN-concept research alliance. It provides a dedicated space for sharing experiences, best practices, and for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. The focus remains on open dialogue about issues that continue to shape the experiences of women in academia – also at the professorial level.

The breakfast will take place from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the GenussManuFaktur, located in the Bruno-Ehrlich-Haus (Chemnitzer Straße 84, 01187 Dresden). The event is funded by the Women@DDc Network (DRESDEN-concept).

AI Gender Gap – What keeps women from using AI more intensively? Identifying reasons. Overcoming Barriers. Building AI Literacy.

This workshop offers women in science the opportunity to understand the existing AI gender gap and identify ways to actively overcome it. Participants will explore how to integrate AI tools quickly and effectively into their daily work routines. Through group discussions, reflections, and collaborative exercises, we will identify current usage patterns as well as potential barriers. Together, we will then develop strategies for a confident and successful entry into the world of AI. In addition to practical application, the workshop places a strong emphasis on critical engagement with the topic.

Trainers We explain AI team:

  • Sarah Müller-Sägebrecht (Founder)
  • Anne Jantos (Co-Founder, CPO)
  • Isabell Lippert (Co-Founder, CTO)

Format: presence

Workshop language: English

This Women@DDc workshop is aimed at female scientists and science managers.

Communication is a crucial building block in the world of science. Asserting ourselves, appearing confident and confident and being quick-witted are among the challenges we face in one-to-one discussions, on committees, in job interviews and many other situations.

The workshop teaches us to assert ourselves and to stand up for our own interests. Communication rules are made clear and a goal-orientated approach is trained. Your own authentic presence is strengthened so that you can assert yourself in a conversation, demand respect and leave a lasting impression.

Contents include

  • Gender-specific communication patterns – dealing with them effectively
  • Strengthening your authentic speaking style and increasing your confidence
  • Asserting yourself – positioning yourself – demanding respect
  • Breath, body and voice as a supporting element
  • Perception training, setting signs – interpreting signs
  • A certificate of attendance will be issued for this workshop.

Workshop format: Presence

Workshop language: German

Trainer: Sabine Scheerer (impulsplus)

After our well-received Women@DDc Talk last year with three female ERC Consolidator Grant awardees, we are happy to have been able to organize a first online information event with three invited speakers for ERC “newcomers”, in which you will learn the basics of the ERC Starting Grant application process.

We are pleased to have on board:

  • Dr. Susanne Liermann, National Contact Point European Research Council (NCP ERC)
  • Dr. Claire Donnelly, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (MPI CPfS) and Starting Grant Awardee 2023
  • Stefanie Kohl, European Project Center, TU Dresden

Dr. Susanne Liermann will present the basics, dive deeper into the application and evaluation process and end with tips and hints for the application process.

Claire Donnelly will be giving first-hand accounts on her successful pathway to the ERC Starting Grant.

You will also meet Stefanie Kohl, who will be there to answer your questions and who would support you locally with a possible application as your contact point at the European Project Center of TU Dresden.

Event language: English

It is especially at PhD level that it is important you get a clear idea of how to pursue a career in science. For this short workshop, we invited four experts to offer information and hands-on accounts on what paths there are in science and how to pursue them.

The workshop starts with a short input by Dr. Patricia Grünberg (Barkhausen Institut), one of the founders of the Women@DDc Network, on the different career paths after the PhD. Subsequently, experienced scientists share their individual career paths:

  • Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Elizabeth von Hauff, Chair of Coating Technologies for Electronics, Institute for Solid State Electronics (IFE), TU Dresden, Executive Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP
  • Jun.-Prof. M. Sc. Nora Huxmann, Junior Professorship in Planting Design, Institute of Landscape Architecture, TU Dresden
  • Dr. rer. nat. Darja Andreev, Research Group Leader, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD)

There will be room for questions from the audience and for networking. This workshop addresses, in particular, female PhD students.

Event language: English

The number of participants is limited to about 25 persons.

After a successful kick-off of the Women Professors’ Breakfast last year, the Women@DDc Network is inviting to the second Women Professors’ Breakfast on 26 March 2025  – an opportunity to talk about challenges and successes in the academic environment in an informal setting at eye level.

This format was created to provide an exclusive platform for female professors from the DRESDEN-concept research alliance to promote the exchange of experiences, best practices and interdisciplinary cooperation. The exchange of perspectives and the discussion of current issues affecting women in science also remain an important topic at professor level.

The platforms LinkedIn and ResearchGate offer exciting opportunities for scientists to become visible as experts for their further professional path. When it comes to their own presentation on the Internet, the following questions arise for scientists:

To what extent can I benefit from LinkedIn and ResearchGate as a scientist for my further career path? Which online platform can support me with my topics and my professional goals?

This short workshop provides answers to the following questions:

  • What do I have to consider in order to be visible to recruiters? How do I get job offers?
  • Who and what can I reach via the social media channels?
  • What are the first steps for a digital profile on LinkedIn and ResearchGate?
  • Which keywords are important to me and how do I develop them in order to be visible as a scientific expert?
  • How do the platforms LinkedIn and ResearchGate work?
  • How can I use these platforms to increase my reputation and visibility?

This workshop supports doctoral candidates and postdocs in developing their profile as experts on a specific topic. Using specific keywords, participants will learn to expand their range. This makes them more visible on the one hand in the scientific community and on the other hand for the job market and recruiters.

Note on language: English

Recommendation for the workshop: Have created accounts of LinkedIn and ResearchGate. It can be empty, but should exist. Apply changes in your accounts along the workshop.

Result at the end of the workshop: You will have nicely updated profiles.

Venue: Barkhausen Bau BAR II/63a

In this full day workshop, we will identify your most significant challenges and synthesize Kolb’s Experiential Learning Framework, Amann’s Resilience Circle Training, and Rashid’s Applied Somatics work to develop resonance in practical, applicable skills for navigating your professional and personal challenges.

During the training, you will come to understand how you are wired to both gain and lose energy, and how to seek maximal flow state optimization. You will be introduced to the Reinvention Process for maintaining creative productivity. The eight factors of the Resilience Circle will be explored for both strengthening existing, and building new, resilience capacities. Resonance strategies for optimizing communication and collaboration with other people will also be explored. You will come away with an individualized Resilience & Resonance plan you can refer back to in your day to day lives.

Note on language: English

This workshop offer is free and open to members from the Women@DDc Network. Places are limited to 12. Please register via LinkedIn registration or by email to women-at-ddc@barkhauseninstitut.org by Nov. 6, 2024. Once the workshop is full, we will open a waitlist.

Venue: COSMO Science Forum at Kulturpalast Dresden

As sequel to the workshop “Professional & Successful writing of research proposals” on 24 October, this workshop focuses on the phase 2 of the project life cycle: Planning—the foundation of your entire project.

In this 3-hour face-to-face workshop, Carolin Bauder, experienced project manager at Vodafone Chair TU Dresden and Women@DDc member, will be your trainer and guide you along the topics of defining work packages and milestones, scheduling, budgeting, resource assessment, and RACI matrix.

At the end of the workshop, you will leave with a better understanding of the project planning phase and useful tools to manage your project and its resources.

Notes on the workshop

  •     Trainer: Carolin Bauder (Vodafone Chair TU Dresden)
  •     Language: English
  •     Format: present
  •     free workshop for members of the Women@DDc network

Places are limited to 12. Please register via LinkedIn registration or by email to women-at-ddc@barkhauseninstitut.org by Oct. 28, 2024. Once the workshop is full, we will open a waitlist.

 

Venue: COSMO Science Forum im Kulturpalast Dresden

In our full-day face-to-face workshop, you will learn how to successfully submit a research proposal – from idea development to submission. After an introduction to the funding landscape, you will work out your own project idea and develop the right approach for your application. You will learn how to read and apply guidelines correctly and gain an insight into the experts’ point of view in order to understand what reviewers expect and how you can convince them with your proposal.

Finally, a practical writing workshop will show you how to formulate your application clearly and concisely. Register today to increase your chances of success with funding applications!

Notes on the workshop

  •     Trainer: Dr. Elisabeth Holuscha
  •     Language: English
  •     Format: present
  •     Nearest entrance: At the corner of Georg-Schumann-Str. and Nöthnitzer Str.
  •     free workshop for members of the Women@DDc network

Please register via LinkedIn registration or by email to women-at-ddc@barkhauseninstitut.org by Oct. 14, 2024. Once the workshop is full, we will open a waitlist.

Barkhausen-Bau Raum BAR II/63a , Helmholtzstraße 18, 01069 Dresden

In our full-day face-to-face workshop, you will learn how to successfully submit a research proposal – from idea development to submission. After an introduction to the funding landscape, you will work out your own project idea and develop the right approach for your application. You will learn how to read and apply guidelines correctly and gain an insight into the experts’ point of view in order to understand what reviewers expect and how you can convince them with your proposal.

Finally, a practical writing workshop will show you how to formulate your application clearly and concisely. Register today to increase your chances of success with funding applications!

Notes on the workshop

  •     Trainer: Dr. Elisabeth Holuscha
  •     Language: English
  •     Format: present
  •     Nearest entrance: At the corner of Georg-Schumann-Str. and Nöthnitzer Str.
  •     free workshop for members of the Women@DDc network

Please register via LinkedIn registration or by email to women-at-ddc@barkhauseninstitut.org by Oct. 14, 2024. Once the workshop is full, we will open a waitlist.

Venue: Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden, Friedrich-List-Platz 1 01069

 

In this workshop, women in science will learn how to successfully manage the demands of care work and professional responsibilities. They will identify personal stressors and resources to enhance their ability to act through self-regulation. Through effective communication and self-management, they will master everyday challenges and develop routines for balancing family and research work.

Learning objectives:
– Understanding dysfunctional mechanisms in care responsibility and professional stress
– Identifying and activating personal resources
– Effectively communicating one’s own emotions
– Strengthening self-regulation ability
– Developing compatibility and self-care routines

The workshop consists of 5 modules:
1. Module: Understanding Care Inequalities 2. Module: Personal Approach to Care Work 3. Module: Becoming Resourceful with Your Own Resources 4. Module: Short- and Long-term Implementation Strategies – Self-regulation and routines 5. Overcoming everyday hurdles, establishing new habits (separate follow-up session)

This workshop provides an opportunity to better understand the mechanisms of care work, develop individually effective strategies, and implement them sustainably. The practice-oriented methods can be easily applied in everyday life and contribute to fair and agile relationships and families.

Please register by August 26, 2024 via the LinkedIn event or by contacting Ms. Carolin Schaufel at carolin.schaufel@htw-dresden.de.

The workshop is funded by the Professorinnenprogramm III at HTW Dresden and takes place in cooperation with the Women@DDc Network.

The Women@DD Network is inviting you to a Women@DDc Network Summer Party on 28 August at 4 pm. There will be an impulse talk by Dr. Merle Emre and plenty of networking opportunities.

Venue: Bärengarten of TU Dresden (courtyard garden behind Alte Mensa, entrance from Helmholtzstraße)

We look forward to enjoying a chill summer afternoon over drinks and fine fingerfood.

In everyday life, there are always new challenges, both in your private life and with regard to your scientific work.

Are you a doctoral candidate or postdoc and do you sometimes feel stressed or overwhelmed, especially when balancing your scientific work and your family? Do you sometimes feel like you’re not living up to your full potential?

Clear your head, recharge your batteries and learn methods for more balance in your work life. In this workshop you will learn to be more attentive to yourself, to recognize stress triggers quickly and to deal with them better. Setting priorities is also an important building block for making everyday life more relaxed. In this way you gain more quality of life, stay healthy and efficient for your everyday life and yourself.

Workshop content:

  • Dealing with stress in a relaxed way
  • Setting priorities correctly
  • Self-management in everyday life
  • Finding sources of strength in everyday life

Note on language: English

For better planning, please register by 20 June 2024 preferably via LinkedIn event registration or by email (carolin.schaufel@htw-dresden.de). Places are limited to 10.

The workshop is co-organized by the Women@DDc Networkand the Professorinnenprogramm III at HTW Dresden

Join us for a summer movie night and networking!

On 17 June, the Women@DDc Network is showing the Hollywood movie “Bombshell.” 

At 5 pm, drinks from Club 11 e.V. will open on the terrace and stairs of Fritz-Foerster-Bau. The movie starts at 6 pm and will be shown in the seminar room inside the Fritz-Foerster-Bau on the first floor.

Seize the opportunity to enjoy some cool drinks and to network in a chill summer atmosphere before and after the movie!

About the film: Bombshell is a 2019 American drama film directed by Jay Roach and written by Charles Randolph. The film stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie, and is based on the accounts of the women at Fox News who set out to expose CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.

In 2023, five female scientists from Dresden were awarded the ERC Consolidator Grant. We are pleased to say that we were able to invite 3 of the female ERC Consolidator Grant awardees for a Women@DDc Network event addressed at female scientists from DRESDEN-concept institutions. The three invited scientists will be giving first-hand accounts on their successful pathways to an ERC grant, talking about the work of developing and writing their ERC grant proposals, and will be sharing insights into and learnings from their ERC experience. After the talk, there will be an opportunity for networking.

Event language: English

The confirmed speakers are:

  • Dr. Meritxell Huch
    Group Leader, Meritxell Huch Group, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)
  • Dr. Dora Tang
    Group Leader, Dora Tang Group, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)
  • Prof. Dr. Elena Hassinger
    Chair of Low-Temperature Physics of Complex Electron Systems, Institute of Solid State and Materials Physics, Technische Universität Dresden

Please register via LinkedIn registration or by email to women-at-ddc@barkhauseninstitut.org by May 24, 2024.

More info on the network: www.tud.de/diversity/women-at-ddc See less

 

Fotomontage Rektorinnen

Date: April 8, 2024, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Venue: Lecture Hall, IFW Dresden.

Registration required via LinkedIn by email to women-at-ddc@barkhauseninstitut.org by March 22, 2024.
Please note that this event takes place in German.

Meet Dresden’s three female rectors for a talk:

  • Prof.in Dr. Katrin Salchert, Rector of Dresden University of Applied Sciences (HTWD)
  • Prof.in Dr. Ursula M. Staudinger, Rector of TUD Dresden University of Technology
  • Prof.in Dr. Silke Geithner, Rector of University of Applied Sciences for Social Work, Education and Nursing (ehs – Evangelische Hochschule Dresden)
  • Prof.in Claudia Schmidt-Krahmer, acting Rector of the Dresden College of Music Carl Maria von Weber

Afterwards, we invite you for networking with drinks and snacks.

Weblink: https://tu-dresden.de/diversity/meeting-dresdens-rectors
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/events/meetingdresden-sthreefemalerect7128009009936117762/

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, Diversity Management at TU Dresden and the Women@DDc Network are showing the film biography Hidden Figures.

Date: March 8, 2024, 5 to 7 p.m.
Venue: Zentralkino Dresden

The film will be shown in the original language (English) with subtitles.

After the film, the organisers look forward to a joint exchange and networking at the cinema bar.

Date: February 5 and 12, 2024, 3 to 6 p.m.
Venue: APB Andreas-Pfitzmann-Bau, Nöthnitzer Str. 46

Date: February 11, 2024, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Venue: CeTI TU Dresden, Barkhausenbau

Women@DDc Workshop:
Rhetorical Self-Defense
Date: September 19, 2023
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Venue: Andreas-Pfitzmann Building (APB), Nöthnitzer Straße 46, 01187 Dresden, room 1096

The workshop is fully booked. Waitlist ist open: register preferably via LinkedIn registration or by email to women-at-ddc@barkhauseninstitut.org

Women@DDc General Assembly – Growing together
Date: September 7, 2023
Time: 1:00 to 3:30 pm
Location: Dülfersaal, TU Dresden (Dülferstr. 2 01069 Dresden)

Women@DDc Virtual Lunch Meeting #5
What is DRESDEN-concept?

Date: August 23, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: Online

Women@DDc Virtual Lunch Meeting #4
What Works: Gender Equality by Design

Date: June 28, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: Online

Women@DDc Virtual Lunch Meeting #3
Equal opportunities @ Fraunhofer
Date: May 24, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: Online

Women@DDc Tuesday Expert Talk #4:
Postdoc and graduate programs (Master/PhD/Postdocs)
Date: May 9, 2023
Time: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Location: COSMO Wissenschaftsforum at Kulturpalast Dresden

This event series is co-organized by the Women@DDc Network and the Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine and Bioengineering (DIGS-BB).

Women@DDc Virtual Lunch Meeting #2
TUD International Campus – Campus and community for university and DDc?

Date: April 26, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: Online

More information is provided on the website of Equal Opportunities at TU Dresden.

LinkedIn

Female science managers and scientist, who are interested in the network, can register via the platform LinkedIn, where they can connect and receive information about events and activities in the network.

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