ISTA Postdoc Office

Interviewing in industry - theory input
2024-11-11 13:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Vienna)
Recruiting in and outside of academia is quite different. Interviews are often perceived as stressful.
This workshop teaches you how to prepare for an interview in industry. The focus is on the general parts of the interview: your motivation, fit to company, your career path so far, etc. These are the parts where HR recruiters may be involved and that is often a cause for insecurities. Please note, the workshop will not cover technical questions you may in counter if you interview for positions in software development or data science.
In addition to online theoretical input, you get to do a mock-interview. The aim is to give you an experience that is close to reality. However, after the interview you will get detailed constructive feedback to increase your confidence and help you improve your interview skills. This is something that you do not get in real life!
Christine Mössler is just the person to do this. She has lot’s of HR experience, but she is also an expert on giving you valuable, honest feedback in a supportive manner.
Trainer: Christiane Mössler, https://christinemoessler.at/uebermich/
For more info please check here: https://career-services.pages.ist.ac.at/interviewing-in-industry/

IST-BRIDGE Fellowship program celebration for all postdocs
2024-11-21 14:00 - 18:30 | Moonstone seminar room

Women Peer Mentoring Program 2024 - quarterly workshop
2024-11-25 - 2024-11-27
The program includes one workshop per quarter to boost participates’ soft skills to the next level and prepares them in an optimal way for the next step in their careers. Topics for workshops in 2025 will be discussed with participants and will be scheduled throughout the program.
The first workshop will be on Nov 25-27, 2024 on the topic of leadership. The aim of this 2.5-day workshop is to provide women early career researchers with effective tools for actively stepping up into a 360° leadership position – i.e., leading in all directions (upward, downward, and lateral as well as oneself). One core focus of this workshop lies on how (formal or informal) leaders can create a fruitful team environment for innovation to become possible. Apart from preparing for a senior leader’s role inside or outside science, this workshop shows how early-career researchers can already step up and lead in a visionary way. The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Insa Flachsbarth.

Interviewing in industry - mock interviews
2024-12-05 09:00 - 17:00
Recruiting in and outside of academia is quite different. Interviews are often perceived as stressful.
This workshop teaches you how to prepare for an interview in industry. The focus is on the general parts of the interview: your motivation, fit to company, your career path so far, etc. These are the parts where HR recruiters may be involved and that is often a cause for insecurities. Please note, the workshop will not cover technical questions you may in counter if you interview for positions in software development or data science.
In addition to online theoretical input, you get to do a mock-interview. The aim is to give you an experience that is close to reality. However, after the interview you will get detailed constructive feedback to increase your confidence and help you improve your interview skills. This is something that you do not get in real life!
Christine Mössler is just the person to do this. She has lot’s of HR experience, but she is also an expert on giving you valuable, honest feedback in a supportive manner.
Trainer: Christiane Mössler, https://christinemoessler.at/uebermich/

Interviewing in industry - mock interviews
2024-12-06 09:00 - 17:00
Recruiting in and outside of academia is quite different. Interviews are often perceived as stressful.
This workshop teaches you how to prepare for an interview in industry. The focus is on the general parts of the interview: your motivation, fit to company, your career path so far, etc. These are the parts where HR recruiters may be involved and that is often a cause for insecurities. Please note, the workshop will not cover technical questions you may in counter if you interview for positions in software development or data science.
In addition to online theoretical input, you get to do a mock-interview. The aim is to give you an experience that is close to reality. However, after the interview you will get detailed constructive feedback to increase your confidence and help you improve your interview skills. This is something that you do not get in real life!
Christine Mössler is just the person to do this. She has lot’s of HR experience, but she is also an expert on giving you valuable, honest feedback in a supportive manner.

Time and Self Management
2024-12-09 09:00 - 16:00 | Moonstone Bldg / O2 / Lab Meeting Room (I24.O2.006)
This one-day workshop will teach students the basics of time management. How do I structure a day? A month? A year? A PhD project? How do I prioritize? What can I do against procrastination? How can my planning become sufficiently realistic? About the trainer: Dr. Andrea Tschirf has been a trainer and coach for scientists for almost two decades. She teaches time and project management as well as leadership. She has a background in economics and social sciences. https://www.tschirf.at/english/

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshop
2024-12-09 14:00 - 15:30 | Mondi 2, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
Please register here:
https://research-ethics-and-integrity.pages.ista.ac.at/dates-and-registration-for-workshops/
Please note – you are required to attend one of these workshops during your first year at ISTA!

Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Three-Day Workshop on Writing Impactful Manuscripts
2024-12-12 09:00 - 17:00 | Sunstone Building I23.01.101
‘Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Three-Day Workshop on Writing Impactful Manuscripts’ will take place on campus on Dec 12 + Dec 13 + Dec 20, 9.00-17.00 (see more information below).
Registration is limited, and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please register in Athena. If you register but end up not being able to attend, please make sure to de-register to allow others to participate.
12.12.2024 09:00 – 13:00 (Thu) Sunstone Bldg / O1 / Big Office Meeting room (101) (I23.O1.101)
12.12.2024 13:00 – 17:00 (Thu) Sunstone Bldg / Ground floor / Big Seminar Room A / 27 seats (I23.EG.102)
Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Three-Day Workshop on Writing Impactful Manuscripts
By the end of this three-day course, you will know how to: – tell a story with your science – structure your manuscript effectively – write a punchy title and abstract – write clear and simple sentences – choose the best journal for your paper – pen a persuasive cover letter that gets your manuscript sent for review – respond to editors and reviewers with clarity and confidence – draft an eye-catching social media post. Participants will be asked to complete two tasks 10 days before the course begins (Nov 29): 1) Select two published papers from the literature 2) Submit a 100-150 word abstract (more details will be provided).
About the trainer:
Dr. Alison Green received her PhD in chemistry from the University of Melbourne. She then moved into scientific publishing. Advanced Materials (Wiley) was where she honed her skills. Alison was later appointed to Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Chemistry. Soon after, she started the journal Environmental Chemistry. Alison is a native English speaker and fluent in German.

Scientific Writing & Publishing: A Three-Day Workshop on Writing Impactful Scientific Manuscripts
2024-12-13 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-12-20 09:00 - 17:00 | Sunstone Bldg / Ground floor / Big Seminar Room A / 27 seats (I23.EG.102)
‘Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Three-Day Workshop on Writing Impactful Manuscripts’ will take place on campus on Dec 12 + Dec 13 + Dec 20, 9.00-17.00 (see more information below).
Registration is limited, and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please register in Athena. If you register but end up not being able to attend, please make sure to de-register to allow others to participate.
Scientific Writing and Publishing: A Three-Day Workshop on Writing Impactful Manuscripts
By the end of this three-day course, you will know how to: – tell a story with your science – structure your manuscript effectively – write a punchy title and abstract – write clear and simple sentences – choose the best journal for your paper – pen a persuasive cover letter that gets your manuscript sent for review – respond to editors and reviewers with clarity and confidence – draft an eye-catching social media post. Participants will be asked to complete two tasks 10 days before the course begins (Nov 29): 1) Select two published papers from the literature 2) Submit a 100-150 word abstract (more details will be provided).
About the trainer:
Dr. Alison Green received her PhD in chemistry from the University of Melbourne. She then moved into scientific publishing. Advanced Materials (Wiley) was where she honed her skills. Alison was later appointed to Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Chemistry. Soon after, she started the journal Environmental Chemistry. Alison is a native English speaker and fluent in German.

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshop
2025-01-21 14:00 - 15:30 | Mondi 1 / Central Bldg / O1, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Research Integrity and Ethics - Training & Discussion
2025-03-03 10:00 - 23:30 | Mondi 2, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Bain Career Event for Scientists
2025-03-06 16:00 - 18:00 | Ballroom, Ground Floor, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
Bain & Company, a global leading management consulting company, is happy to return to ISTA for another Career event to meet & greet our scientists community.
If you are simply curious and would like to find out more, or if you are indeed looking for a job and career prospective in an international consultancy for a vast array of industries spanning from healthcare and life sciences, technology, energy & natural resources, all the way to financial services, automotive & transportation (…and much more!), please join Bain on:
Date: Thursday 6 March
Time: 16:00-18:00
Venue: Ballroom, Ground Floor, Central Building, ISTA Campus
REGISTRATION:
Please click here to register your participation!
Deadline for registration: February 27th, 2025
Refreshments will be provided.
The event is an amazing chance for you to:
• Get to know and interact first hand with a consulting company
• Explore what type of roles and opportunities are available
• Find out how the application and recruitment process work including preparation through case cracking exercise
• Ask as many questions as you want
Bain look forward to seeing you on March 6th!

Postdoc Orientation
2025-04-03 09:30 - 11:30 | Down-Town, Ground Floor, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Webinar: Introduction to Postdoctoral Fellowships
2025-04-23 11:00
At the end of the month, Grant Office will have their annual “Introduction to Postdoc Fellowships” webinar. In it, they will take a look at some of the main funding schemes available to postdocs, as well as how the ISTA Grant Office can help with information and applying (and more!). While some of the fellowships are limited to Austria/ISTA, many are European or even world-wide, so it may also be of interest to scientists looking to fund their next steps.
Please join Grant Office:
When: April 23, 2025 at 11am
Please check your emails for the Zoom link!

Research Integrity and Ethics - Training & Discussion
2025-04-29 14:00 - 15:30 | Moonstone Bldg / Ground floor / Seminar Room F, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400

How to bounce back from rejection
2025-05-13 11:00 - 14:15 | Mondi 2, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
This seminar will be led by Natascha Bushati. Natasha is a former journal editor at Nature Cell Biology, Nature Communications, and EMBO Molecular Medicine with research background in molecular, cell and developmental biology. Using her insider knowledge from 10 years of experience in scientific publishing, she now works with Life Science Editors to help researchers communicate their science more effectively and navigate the peer review process for manuscripts and grants. In her talk, Natascha will share how she can assist you and offer tips for handling manuscript rejections. The talk will be approximately one hour, but you will have a 45 min slot for ‘Coffee with the speaker’ at 1:30pm at the Error bar which will offer you a more informal opportunity to ask questions. Don’t miss the chance!

Leadership for Postdocs
2025-05-14 09:00 - 17:00 | Moonstone Seminar Room E, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
Leadership skills are essential for tackling today’s challenges in scientific work, and Mag.a Dr.in Andrea Schaffar (biography below) will guide you in developing these skills. This course will introduce you to the fundamentals of leadership and personal development. You will explore different leadership styles, share and reflect on personal experiences, and gain insights into various leadership approaches. Additionally, you will examine the role of social interactions and group structures while identifying and enhancing your individual leadership skills. Particular emphasis will be placed on diversity in leadership within international research teams, helping you understand and leverage diverse perspectives for improved team performance. At the end of the first day, you will receive a homework assignment that will serve as the starting point for the second workshop day. On this day, interactive peer consulting sessions will be conducted to work through real-world scenarios. About the Instructor: Andrea Schaffar holds a doctorate in Cultural Sociology. Although she is trained as a communication and social scientist, she has a strong focus on qualitative and interpretative research. In addition to her work as a consultant and trainer, she is currently a part-time postdoctoral researcher at Paris Lodron University Salzburg (PLUS), which allows her to maintain a deep understanding of academic life. This workshop is designed for postdoctoral researchers, who will be given priority. However, if the maximum capacity is not reached, senior PhD students will also have the opportunity to register.
REGISTRATION:
https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/47684

Harnessing Social Media for Creating Impact
2025-06-03 09:00 - 17:00 | Moonstone Seminar room C, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
This workshop will be led by Dr. Julius Wesche and it is designed to equip Postdocs and PhD Students with the skills to effectively leverage social media, enhancing the visibility and impact of their scientific work while building a strong personal brand within and beyond ISTA. More in details, this workshop will offer a solid introduction to social media in science communication with focus on Linkedin, covering key strategies to expand reach, engage with diverse audiences, and establish credibility. It will also explore how AI tools can streamline content creation, from generating engaging posts to optimizing outreach. This hands-on workshop provides a practical setting where participants apply insights, crafting and refining their own content while experimenting with AI-powered tools for text, visuals, and video. Online personal one-on-one sessions will be offered the wek after to up to 10 participants and tailored feedback and strategic advice for long-term social media success and science impact will be provided (30 min per person). About the Instructor: Dr. Julius Wesche has 12 years of research experience at Fraunhofer Society, Utrecht University, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He is a science communication and social media consultant with 7 years of experience. He delivered over 30 talks and workshops with major institutions across Europe. Founder of the enPower Energiewende Podcast (over 1 Million streams) and the Science Communication Accelerator Podcast (over 50,000 streams). Author of the book Science Impact – a Researcher`s guide to Social Media, Podcasts, and AI”, to be published by Cambridge University Press in late 2025.
➕ Optional individual 30-minute coaching session available upon request after training (up to 10 participants).
Registration: https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/49446

How to Write Your Teaching Portfolio (online)
2025-06-06 09:00 - 13:00
This intensive and interactive webinar will teach you how to write your teaching portfolio and will be led by Elisabeth Weber (biography below). This online course is designed for future university lecturers—both early-career and experienced—who are preparing for or interested in teaching roles at universities or higher education institutions and wish to create a professional, internationally applicable teaching portfolio. You will learn what a professional teaching portfolio is, what it should include, and how to develop and articulate your teaching philosophy. Additionally, you will gain insights into effectively presenting your teaching experience, the key principles behind your instructional approach, and how to showcase them in your portfolio. Each participant will have the opportunity to schedule an individual 30-minute coaching session after the training. About the Instructor: Mag. Mag. Dr. Elisabeth Weber holds university degrees in Teaching English, Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, and English and American Studies. She also has a doctorate in English Linguistics and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Didactics. With over 15 years of teaching experience at both secondary and tertiary levels, she has worked extensively as an instructor.
Optional: individual 30-minute coaching session available upon request after training.
Registration: https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/47689

Ethics requirements for projects involving human participants, samples, and data
2025-06-12 14:00 - 15:30 | Mondi 1 / Central Bldg / O1, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Basics of Fellowship Writing (hybrid event)
2025-06-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Moonstone Bldg / Ground floor / Seminar Room F, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400
If you’re still interested in answering questions like the ones below, we’d love for you to join us:
• Are you considering applying for a fellowship for the first time?
• Would you like to fund your current or future research project but don’t know where to start?
• Want to understand what to include in your ‘application package’?
If so, this session is for you!
Hosted by the Grant Office, we will cover:
✅ Getting started: Turning a vague plan (or interesting but random findings) into a project plan.
✅ Structure: Placing the right details in the right places.
✅ Strategy: Make the evaluator’s job as easy as possible.
Hybrid Event Details:
📆 Date: Monday, June 23rd
🕓 Time: 4-5 PM
📍 Location: Moonstone / Ground floor / Seminar Room F
Zoom link: please check your emails from June 2nd for the link

Application Training for Academia (Online)
2025-07-02 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-07-03 09:00 - 17:00
This intensive and interactive webinar will prepare you to dive into academic applications and will be led by Ute Riedler (biography below). This online course is designed for learning how to strategically prepare for application procedures in Europe and overseas. The workshop gives insights and offers opportunities for exercises related to application procedures and salary/resources negotiations. It addresses both common questions and stumbling blocks in the application process. About the Instructor: Mag. Ute Riedler is an independent consultant, trainer and coach with many years of experience as a university councillor in Austrian universities. Together with Prof. Christine Färber, she has published the book “Black Box Berufung. Strategien auf dem Weg zur Professur”.
https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/49110

Brainfoods Breaks: Postdocs Lunchtime talk
2025-07-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Down-Town, Ground Floor, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
🧠🍴 BRAINFOOD BREAKS 🍴🧠
Postdocs gotta eat too!
Dear Postdocs,
The PDO cordially invites you to a brand-new series of informal lunchtime talks for our postdoc community to:
✔️ Get to know other postdocs
✔️ Discover other researchers’ projects
✔️ Mingle and connect
✔️ …and most importantly, HAVE FUN (and FOOD)!
🎉 1ST EVENT – YOU’RE INVITED! 🎉
📅 DATE: Wednesday, 16 July
🕛 TIME: 12:00 – 13:00
📍 WHERE: Downtown, Central Building
🍽️ ON THE MENU:
FREE BUFFET LUNCH + Rapid-Fire Research Talks by our amazing NOMIS-ISTA Postdoc Fellows!
🎤 FEED YOUR BRAIN WITH:
Louise Fouqueau
Barton Group, ISTA & Willi Group, Univ. of Basel
Andrea Navas-Olive
Jonas Group & Vogels Group, ISTA
Andrei Militaru
Fink Group & Hosten Group, ISTA
🔗 REGISTER BY JULY 9th
We need to know how many stomachs to feed!
👉 https://postdoc.pages.ist.ac.at/brainfood-breaks/
Let’s feed our minds, our networks, and our bellies.
⏰ PROGRAM
12:00 – Welcome from PDO
12:05 – Fellow 1: Louise Fouqueau
12:12 – Fellow 2: Andrea Navas-Olive
12:19 – Fellow 3: Andrei Militaru
12:26 – Q&A & Discussion
12:36 – FREE BUFFET LUNCH 🍲
13:00 – End
🎯 DID YOU KNOW?
If your contract at ISTA started after June 13th, 2024, you may be eligible to apply for the current NOMIS-ISTA fellowship call!
📌 Great chance to ask questions to current fellows in person!
See you on July 16th! 👋
NEXT EVENT: September 2025
If you are looking for collaborator(s) or are already pursuing a collaboration and would like to present your project at the next Brainfood Breaks events this Autumn, please sign up here!

Present Your Poster With Impact: An Interactive Online Workshop
2025-09-05 13:00 - 16:00
If you are presenting a poster soon—or generally want to sharpen your science pitch—join ‘Present Your Poster With Impact: an Interactive Online Workshop’ on Sept 5, 1-4pm (Zoom).
Marloes ten Kate, a presentation coach, storytelling expert, and former science journalist, has years of experience helping scientists deliver impactful presentations. In this workshop, she will guide you through creating and practicing a jargon-free, engaging poster pitch.
Please register in Athena. The Zoom link will be shared just before the workshop.

Webinar “Communities for a more fun and kind academia" (Postdoc Appreciation Week)
2025-09-15 14:30 - 15:30 | Online
Organized by Johanna Stadlbauer from University of Graz and Valentina Riva from ISTA (online)

Postdoc Appreciation Week: Apero Kick-off event
2025-09-15 16:30 - 18:30 | Down-Town, Ground Floor, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
o Welcoming
o Presentation of the concept and appreciation campaign (Valentina Riva in coordination with Communication & Events)
o Message from Martin to ISTA postdoctoral community
o Presentation of the people who will be present at the kickoff event to facilitate the networking (PDO, PDA, Comms, EDI, GO and others)
o Creation of a “wishes board” (to be shared with ISTA community after the PAW): sticky notes will be available for the participants to write their wishes on a board. The wishes board will remain available on campus all week long. Pins will be available to fix the sticky notes and Valentina Riva will regularly check that no inappropriate messages are been collected.
o Aperitivo time: pizza, snacks & drinks will be offered (upon registration)

Online Expert Talk: Parenthood in Academia (Postdoc Appreciation Week)
2025-09-16 11:00 - 12:30 | Online
Organized by the LBG Career Center in collaboration with all partners involved
More details and how to register here
The panelists are:
– Rahel More (Uni Vienna / Uni Graz)
– Astrid Wirth (Uni Vienna)
– Laura Maggini (Uni Vienna)
– Niko Paresh Amin-Wetzel (ISTA)
– Alexey Cherevan (TU Wien)
The plan for the event:
• 30min Expert Talk by Rahel More and Astrid Wirth from the Motherhood and Science Austria Network
• 30min Panel Discussion
A diverse panel of parents in academia will share their personal stories, challenges, and successes.
• 30min Open Q&A / Discussion

Austrian Researcher Careers Wine and Cheese - on site (Postdoc Appreciation Week)
2025-09-16 16:00 - 17:30 | IWK, Berggasse 17/1, 1090 Wien, Berggasse 17/1, Wien, 1090, Austria
Hosted by the University of Vienna and LBG Career Center
