ISTA Postdoc Office

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshops for Postdocs
2025-12-16 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/Vienna) | Moonstone Bldg / Ground floor / Seminar Room F, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400
Please register here: https://research-ethics-and-integrity.pages.ista.ac.at/dates-and-registration-for-workshops/
Each workshop is limited to a maximum of 20 participants.
Please note – you are required to attend one of these workshops during your first year at ISTA!

Applications training for Industry - mock interviews
2025-12-05, 2025-12-04 | Small meeting room, 2nd floor, Administration building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Applications training for Industry - Theory session (online)
2025-11-14

Vienna Postdoc Career Day, November 12, 2025
2025-11-12 09:00 - 20:00 | Van-Swieten-Saal, Van-Swieten-Gasse 1a, Vienna, 1090, Austria
Exciting news once again! 🎉 On November 12, 2025, the first-ever Vienna Postdoc Career Day will kick off, marking a unique collaborative effort among seven renowned Viennese institutions. This event is a powerful signal of our commitment to supporting postdocs in their professional development and opening up new perspectives. Our shared vision is to enhance the visibility, connectivity, and sustainability of the postdoc phase.
Join us for an enriching day filled with workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
REGISTER NOW! 👉 https://cc.lbg.ac.at/careerday
The Vienna Postdoc Career Day will feature inspiring role models, industry experts, and fellow postdocs from across institutions.
This event is open and free of charge for all postdocs from Austrian universities and research organizations.
📅 When: November 12, 2025
🔗 Register: Sign up for one or multiple sessions by November 4
📍 Where: Van-Swieten-Saal, Van-Swieten-Gasse 1a, 1090 Vienna
What’s on the Agenda?
Careers in Academia:
• From challenges to chances: Shaping your academic career with mentoring
• Role Models in Leadership: Insights from LExA Nominees
• Networking Lunch: Careers Inside Academia
•
Careers Beyond Academia:
• From Academia to Industry: Identifying Your Transferable Skills
• Beyond Academia: Careers at Bain & Company, a global leading management consulting company
• Apero Networking: The expanded scientific community as an employer
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity
Let’s make the postdoc phase more vibrant and connected. See you there! 🚀

Resilience & Well-being in Academia (Postdoc Appreciation Week)
2025-09-19 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-18 09:00 - 16:00 | Ballroom, Ground Floor, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
🔹 Resilience & Well-being
Are you searching for practical tools to enhance resilience against stress, anxiety, and burnout while promoting overall well-being? Then join this workshop led by Desiree Dickerson, PhD. Explore how self-critical inner voices can undermine motivation and enjoyment of work, and learn how mindset plays a crucial role in shaping both daily life and future career prospects. The workshop will also examine the impact of maladaptive coping strategies, such as procrastination and avoidance, which reinforce self-sabotaging thought and behavior cycles. Through practical techniques, you will learn how to reshape your thinking and behavior patterns to better align with your personal and professional goals!
When and where
📅 18 September 2025 | 9:00–16:30 | Ballroom
📅 19 September 2025 | 9:00–16:30 | Ballroom
Resilience & Well-being | Athena (log in to Athena first)
How to Register
Please register via Athena—make sure you’re logged in (your name should appear in the top left corner). Then return to this email and use the links above to access the registration pages directly.

Expert Talk: Bridging Science & Mindfulness (Postdoc Appreciation Week)
2025-09-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Online
Organized by LBG Career Center
More info and how to register here
Take a break from your to dos for mindful moments & meaningful insights!
How does mindfulness shape our brain, behavior, and well-being? In this session, we’ll explore the (neuro-)science behind mindfulness and meditation – and experience it firsthand.
Adrián Klepe, a PhD candidate in Neuroscience from the Medical University of Vienna and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology will share his expertise on mindfulness from a neuroscientific perspective.
Christine Hudetz, a meditation & mindfulness teacher at the LBG Career Center will guide through science-based mindfulness exercises and meditations.
What to expect?
Mindfulness exercises and guided meditations
Discussion on scientific findings and effects of mindfulness
Q&A
Why join?
Get insights into the science behind mindfulness
Experience simple yet effective mindfulness techniques
Take a mindful break from your to-dos

Brainfoods Breaks: Postdocs Lunchtime talk (Postdoc Appreciation Week)
2025-09-17 12:00 - 13:30 | Down-Town, Ground Floor, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
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)!

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

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

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)

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)

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.

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!

Application Training for Academia (Online)
2025-07-03 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-07-02 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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

Postdoc Orientation
2025-04-03 09:30 - 11:30 | Down-Town, Ground Floor, 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!

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

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshop
2025-01-21 14:00 - 15:30 | Mondi 1 / Central Bldg / O1, 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 & Publishing: A Three-Day Workshop on Writing Impactful Scientific Manuscripts
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.
