ATMOchange Activities
Upcoming courses and events:
ATMO Grant writing bootcamp
Kloster Kirchberg, 5 – 10 July, 2026
In today’s academic landscape, the ability to secure funding is key to independence and career advancement, especially for early career researchers. The upcoming ATMO Grant writing bootcamp will equip PhD students in their final year and postdocs with the time, the tools, mindset, and feedback network they need to succeed. They will leave not just with the foundation of a refined proposal, but also with the confidence and strategic insight to navigate future calls successfully.
The event consists of
- a preparatory 3,5h online webinar to sharpen your proposal idea and get an overview on potential funding programs,
- a 5-day on-site bootcamp as a retreat in a quiet, inspiring location, Kloster Kirchberg, guided by two experienced trainers, Dr. Stefan Götze and Dr. Elija Bleher. The retreat includes - short daily input sessions (e.g. on creativity, story-telling, peer review processes and reviewer’s mind-set, important elements of a proposal, AI as a writing tool), focused writing sessions, peer exchange, time for reflection and networking, ‘on-demand’ sparring partners Elija Bleher and Stefan Götze.
More information on the bootcamp and the application details see here.
Application is open until 29 April 2026.
ATMO webinar series on AI
From 31 January to 18 February 2025 we will offer a 3-module webinar on “Next-Level Science using AI Assistants”. AI-based tools revolutionize science and enable researchers to work more efficiently and effectively. However, it is important for researchers to use these tools judiciously and with an understanding of their limitations. This 3-module webinar series will dive into the use of AI assistants, providing you with a fundamental understanding of how generative AI works and what limitations it currently has. You will gain hands-on experience in applying AI to your daily research challenges and beyond. All details on trainers, dates and registration can be found in our flyer.
ATMOchange PhD Days
Since the beginning of the new funding phase (PoF IV, 2021-2027), the so-called ATMOchange PhD Days take place once a year. These PhD days are a continuation of the ATMO PhD Days (PoF III, 2015-2020) and promote a exchange between doctoral researchers from the Helmholtz centers involved in Topic 1 "The Atmosphere in Global Change" of the program "Changing Earth - Sustaining our Future".
- In 2021 the event was held as a virtual meeting due to the corona pandemic. The focus of the event was on the methodological orientation of the PhD theses and allowed the doctoral researchers to present and discuss the methods they use in their PhD work. The event was complemented by a workshop on stress management.
- The ATMOchange PhD days 2022 took place again in presence. The venue was the KIT's Campus Alpin at the IMK-IFU. The doctoral researchers presented their research topics and worked in small groups to identify the intersections of their research and how these contribute to the "Changing Earth - Sustaining our Future" program. There was also a panel discussion on possible post-doctoral career paths within and outside of research.
- In 2023, the ATMOchange PhD days took place at FZ Jülich.
- In 2024, the ATMOchange PhD days took place in Karlsruhe. Doctoral researchers showcased their dissertation topics through presentations or posters. The event also featured a keynote talk by Annika Oertel and concluded with a workshop on the topic of science communication.
ATMO Career Talks
Mid 2026 we will start the new webinar series ATMO Career Talks. This series is designed for PhD candidates and postdocs especially of the ATMO program who are curious about career opportunities beyond academia and who are wondering how others have navigated the transition from research to different professional paths.
Three to four times per year we plan to organize a 60min online session and invite a speaker who previously worked in academia (maybe even in the ATMO program) and has since moved into a different field. In a relaxed interview-style conversation, we will talk about their career journey, e.g. why they decided to explore opportunities outside the university system, how they made the transition into their current role, what skills helped them succeed along the way and what they wish they had known earlier.
If you have ideas or suggestion for speakers, feel free to contact Elija Bleher via Elija.bleher∂kit.edu
Past courses and events:
Webinars 'Application training'
From the end of February to mid-April 2024, four webinars were offered on the topic of “Application training for early career researchers”. They were designed to help participants prepare successful applications, present themselves well, identify the right positions and find the right job, and avoid mistakes: Gaps in the CV, excessive requirements, dealing with missing degrees. The four 2h-webinars were heldby coach Dr. Susanne Dönitz from Karriere.Haus.
Course 'Competency Profile'
The ‘Competency Profile’ course is targeted towards 12 PhD students and postdocs of all IMK institutes. This online course aims to analyze competencies in detail and to identify strengths, in order to use this competency profile in future job applications. The course also includes information about the job market.
The course is held by trainer and coach Dr. Iris Köhler (www.TheScientistCoach.de); it includes 3 webinars (2h each) and individual coaching sessions in a time frame of 5 weeks in November and December 2023.
MHFA courses
The so-called Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a global program developed along the successful lines of physical first aid, but aimed at mental health first aid. The course wants to enable lay people to recognize and address mental health crisis or problems in people in their environment, e.g. colleagues, in good time, to encourage them to seek professional help and activate further resources.
