Helmholtz Munich Graduate School (HELENA)
The HELENA Graduate School Office supports and guides you throughout your journey as a doctoral researcher. Our office serves as a central hub for all administrative matters related to your academic and research pursuits. Our dedicated team is here to provide assistance and ensure a smooth and successful experience. Feel free to reach out to us for any assistance you may need during your time at the Helmholtz Munich Graduate School (HELENA).
The HELENA Team members are Monika Beer, Amudha Brugger, Lilian König and Angela Hoffmann. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us via email at helena@helmholtz-munich.de. Our HELENA Team will make every effort to respond to your inquiry within 1-2 days. To schedule a personal meeting, please email us or call 089/3187-3102.
If you have any inquiries regarding training opportunities, please feel free to reach out to Mirjam Lober (scientific-training@helmholtz-munich.de). For questions related to the postdoc phase, Neele Meyer (postdoc@helmholtz-munich.de) will be able to assist you. Nicola Bauer and Meike Rottermann from the Career Center provide a diverse range of services, including engaging career talks, informative industrial visits, inspiring workshops, and valuable resources. They also offer individual coaching sessions and advice on orientation and application processes, ensuring you receive comprehensive support. You can contact them at careercenter@helmholtz-munich.de.
Research Schools
The research schools are an integral part of the Helmholtz Munich Graduate School (HELENA), offering a specialized environment for advanced research and academic development. They provide a vibrant, interdisciplinary community, fostering intellectual exchange and collaboration among doctoral researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds. Through a range of activities, including seminars, workshops, and research stays, the research schools aim to cultivate a supportive and stimulating environment that promotes innovation, critical thinking, and scientific excellence.
Contact:
International Helmholtz Research School for Diabetes - Kalina Draganova
Environmental Health & Lung Research School - Melanie Penning
EpiCrossBorders: International Helmholtz-Edinburgh Research School for Epigenetics - Aloys Schepers
Munich School for Data Science - Julia Schlehe
DINI - Doctoral Researchers Initiative
Are you a newcomer at Helmholtz Munich and looking for assistance to settle into your new life at the Center and in Munich? If so, we encourage you to reach out to the DINI team. They organize various activities for the doctoral researchers' community, maintain regular communication with the HELENA Graduate School Office and management, and provide valuable information for doctoral researchers at Helmholtz Munich. Furthermore, you can always contact the team with any questions or requests for assistance by sending an email to doktorandeninitiative@helmholtz-munich.de. The Helmholtz Juniors are Simon Göllner, IBMI and Hannah Eichhorn, IML, they can be contacted at helmholtz.juniors@helmholtz-munich.de. We are currently searching for new doctoral representatives, if you are interested please send an email to helena@helmholtz-munich.de.
Career Center for Postdocs and Doctoral Researchers
Our Career Center is dedicated to assisting you in exploring and pursuing a wide range of career paths, both within and beyond academia. They provide a range of resources, services, workshops, career talks and personalized coaching sessions that are specifically tailored to meet your individual needs. Their goal is to support your professional development, enhance your skills, and ultimately improve your employability prospects.
Statistical Consulting Tokens
A comprehensive offer tailored exclusively for doctoral researchers seeking specialized statistical help. Through this fully funded offer by HELENA, eligible doctoral researchers are granted three one-hour consulting tokens for one-on-one consultations with experienced statisticians at the Core Facility Statistical Consulting.
This flexible framework enables doctoral researchers to obtain statistical support when needed, hence optimizing research quality.
Ombudspersons
All research at Helmholtz Munich is conducted according to the rules of Good Scientific Practice. The ombudspersons are the first point of contact for good scientific practice at Helmholtz Munich. They advise employees on all matters of good scientific practice and investigate allegations by talking to those involved. They also mediate in cases of conflict between doctoral researchers and their supervisors. All conversations are strictly confidential. These six ombudspersons are currently Prof. Dr. Dr. H.-Erich Wichmann, Prof. Dr. Rolf Holle, Dr. Melanie Waldenberger, Prof. Dr. Paul Pfluger, Dr. Siegfried Ussar and Prof. Dr. Aloys Schepers. For more information on good scientific practice and the ombudspersons, please visit the newly designed Helmholtz Munich homepage here.
Policy to ensure good scientific practice at Helmholtz Munich
International Staff and Family Services
The International Staff & Dual Career Services (ISDCS) team at the Human Resources Department is the established central point of contact at Helmholtz Munich for you as an international staff member and visiting researcher and your family members. Their goal is to provide you and your family with the best possible support to enable you to focus fully on your professional activities. They aim to provide you with targeted assistance to help you integrate into your new place of residence.
Health Services
Psychosocial counselling: Psychologists Petra Ritter and Alexander Witt are happy to provide advice and support when situations seem hopeless and you need a different perspective, independent input on different solution options, support in conflict situations, etc. They can be reached via email.
Company health management (BGM): As part of BGM, various sports courses are offered throughout the year (in attendance in Neuherberg or online). Sport is good for you and can help reduce stress before it makes you ill. Lectures and action days are also held regularly. Dagmar Vollrath is the right contact person here if you have any questions.
Company integration management (BEM): Antje Hausmann is available to answer questions about BEM. Employers must offer employees who have been ill for at least six weeks (not all at once) within 12 months the opportunity to integrate into the company. Here, Antje Hausmann checks with those entitled to BEM whether there are measures that can support their return to work. If you wish, you can also request this service and work coaching if you have been on sick leave for three weeks or more in the past 12 months.
Company doctor: Our company doctor, Werner Kirchinger, is available as a point of contact for health problems (also for advice).
Interpersonal Challenges
First Contact Points (FCP): According to the guidelines against harassment, discrimination and bullying, the FCP colleagues provide confidential support if you have problems with bullying, discrimination or sexual harassment. Contact persons are Gülcin Abbaszade, Jürgen Goetze, Jale Ernst, Marion Engel, Michael Rothballer, Melanie Waldenberger, Dagmar Vollrath, Stephanie Weberring, Andreas Hillmair und Ana Messias.
Works Council (BR): If you have any interpersonal problems in the working environment, you can contact any member of the works council of your choice (or betriebsrat@helmholtz-munich.de) for confidential advice.
Equal Opportunity Officer: Gülcin Abbaszade and Katharina Gückel advise and support you in case of problems concerning equal opportunity issues.