Gender Equality in Research and Family Friendliness

The University of Göttingen has a long and passionate tradition of striving for gender equality in research and education. It combines individual target-group specific measures (individual support) with gender-oriented development of the university’s structures and culture (gender mainstreaming).
All members of the RTG benefit from university-wide offers which are complemented by RTG specific measures to foster gender equality and family friendliness.
Annually, during the plenary assembly two responsible persons for equal opportunities and diversity are elected. They are are consulted and involved in every step of the planning, development, monitoring, and evaluation of measures taken.

In particular, PhD students and doctoral researchers can make use of the following offers:

Mentoring programmes (in cooperation with the Equal Opportunities Unit of the university)

• Dorothea Schlözer Programme, which supports female postdocs through career coaching, and both postdocs and PhD students through a mentoring programme


• Short-Term International Mentorship, promotes gender equality in collaborative research, as well as other research venues, by overcoming the empirically proven reduced access of females to networks. Therefore, on-site visits to establish lasting mentoring relationships, which will also provide access to the mentors’ scientific networks, are supported by this programme

Competence trainings, courses and individual coaching

• Trainings for female members on topics like self- presentation, self-marketing, conflict management, negotiation skills or grant application.


• Personal coaching with experienced external coaches can be organized on request

Measures to foster compatibility and family friendliness

• Emergency childcare, childcare during business trips, fieldtrips, conferences or workshops


• Whenever possible RTG courses and other events are scheduled during regular opening hours of childcare institutions


• Additional student assistants are financed for pregnant doctoral candidates or for those with childcare responsibilities


• Parent-child rooms and mobile toy boxes are available at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology for children accompanying their parent(s) to the workplace.

Measures to support gender awareness and diversity

• In addition, the RTG organizes courses for all PhD students and postdocs familiarizing them with a comprehensive gender and diversity management concept, deepen their own awareness of equality and develop competence in conflict resolution. These courses cover topics like gender and diversity and science, gender and diversity sensitive leadership.