August 2026

Dear early career researchers,

With the summer semester slowly coming to an end and the new winter semester approaching, we are delighted to bring you this month’s news, workshops, offers, and events for doctoral researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and beyond.

• Summer Get-Together hosted by the FU Doctoral Council 
  The Doctoral Council is organizing an informal summer get-together with snacks and drinks at the FU Dahlem Campus (the green area between Fabeckstr. 36 and Arnimallee 22) → Registration
• New event series „Elsa Goes to the Museum – Tours by Elsa Neumann Doctoral Fellows”
  Elsa Neumann Scholarship recipients give guided tours of Berlin museums and provide insights into their research → Calls & Announcements
• Workshop program for winter semester 2026/27 is live!
  Look through our program, choose the workshops and events that suit you, and prepare your account before the booking start on September 16 at noon → Workshops & More

For more, find the latest updates under Research Integrity, Workshops & More, and Calls & Announcements.

Best wishes, take care, and don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your DRS-Team
skills@drs.fu-berlin.de

***

JuLY 2026

Dear early career researchers,

We hope your summer is off to a productive start, and we are delighted to bring you this month’s news, workshops, offers, and events for doctoral researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and beyond.

• Workshop program for winter semester 2026/27 live starting July 15!
  Look through our program, choose the workshops and events that suit you, and prepare your account before the booking start on September 16 at noon → Workshops & More
• DRS-Podcast episodes with our supervisor award winners from 2025
  Listen in on our conversations with Prof. Hartmann and Prof. Schubert, DRS supervisor award winners for the year 2025 and gain useful insights into the topic of good supervision. → DRS Podcast
• DRS Summer Party
  Join us in celebrating doctoral research and excellent supervision at Freie Universität Berlin at the DRS summer party on July 3. Connect with fellow doctoral researchers and meet our team in person. → Workshops & More
• Austauschtreffen für First Generation Students
  Die Veranstaltung bietet Raum für Information und Austausch zu Erfahrungen an der Universität. Das Treffen findet am Dienstag, den 30.06. in Raum KL29/135 (Rost- und Silberlaube) von 16:15 bis 17:45 Uhr in deutscher Sprache statt.

For more, find the latest updates under Research Integrity, Workshops & More, and Calls & Announcements.

Best wishes, take care, and don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your DRS-Team
skills@drs.fu-berlin.de

***

June 2026

Dear early career researchers,

With the summer officially beginning, we have many exciting events and workshops to look forward where you can both enjoy the sunny weather and network with your fellow doctoral researchers.

• First Gen Docs Connect
  Are you the first in your family to pursue a doctorate? Do you want to network with like-minded people? Then join the Berlin University Alliance Event „FirstGen Docs Connect“, hear the experiences of people that are/were in your position and build a support network. → Workshops & More
• New podcast episode out now!
  Listen in on our conversation with our colleague at Dahlem Research School and first generation doctoral researcher, Lito Kyriakidou, sharing her experiences as an international researcher in Germany. → Workshops & More
• DRS Summer Party
  Join us in celebrating doctoral research and excellent supervision at Freie Universität Berlin at the DRS summer party on July 3. Connect with fellow doctoral researchers and meet our team in person. → Workshops & More
• Dialogue on Doctoral Education
  More than 30 university stakeholders joined the first in-person “Promotion im Dialog” meeting at Freie Universität Berlin to discuss key topics in doctoral supervision. Insights from the workshop will now feed into the revision of the “Good Supervision” guidelines. More information and opportunities to get involved will follow soon. → Research Integrity

For more, find the latest updates under Research Integrity, Workshops & More, and Calls & Announcements.

Best wishes, take care, and don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your DRS-Team
skills@drs.fu-berlin.de

***

MAy 2026

Dear early career researchers,

• Exchange forum „Dialogue on doctoral education“: Stakeholder meeting
  Join the dialogue about good supervision at Freie Universität Berlin by coming to the stakeholder meeting of our exchange forum „Dialogue on doctoral education“ on May 18. → Research Integrity

• First Gen Docs Connect
  Are you the first in your family to pursue a doctorate? Do you want to network with like minded people? Then join the Berlin University Alliance Event „First Gen Docs Connect“, hear the experiences of people that are/were in your position and build a support network. → Workshops & More
• European Doctoral Day
  Join the event „European Doctoral Day 2026: Impulse for starting Your Career in Germany“ to learn more about career options in Germany – within academia and beyond – and how to navigate the specific structures of the German job market.
  → Workshops & More
• Looking for inspiration on your research journey?
  Tune into the DRS podcast for the latest episode covering the library starter kit for doctoral researchers at Freie Universität Berlin. Find out about all different offers and services of the University Library all in one place. → Workshops & More

For more, find the latest updates under Research Integrity, Workshops & More, and Calls & Announcements.

Best wishes, take care, and don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your DRS-Team
skills@drs.fu-berlin.de

***

April 2026

Dear early career researchers,

Welcome to the summer semester! We are delighted to welcome our new doctoral researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and hope you will take advantage of the many exciting events and opportunities we have lined up this month. From onboarding sessions to qualification workshops, we have something to offer at every stage of your doctorate.

• New to a university within the Berlin University Alliance?
  Launch your doctorate with our onboarding event – a great opportunity to connect with fellow researchers and gain valuable insights into academic life in Germany. → Workshops & More
  
• New to Freie Universität Berlin?
  Join our online onboarding talk for doctoral researchers to learn about the wide range of services available to you and how the university is structured. → Workshops & More
  
• Looking for inspiration on your research journey?
  Tune into the DRS podcast for episodes covering topics such as changing universities during your doctorate, beginning your PhD as a first-generation immigrant, and – for those nearing the finish line – guidance on publishing your thesis. → Workshops & More

For more, find the latest updates under Research Integrity, Workshops & More, and Calls & Announcements.

Best wishes, take care, and don’t hesitate to reach out.
Your DRS Team

***

March 2026

Dear early career researchers,

Workshop booking opens on March 18, 2026, at 12 noon: Explore our offers and secure your place early via our booking platform. Be quick as some workshops are booked up within minutes. → Upcoming Workshops & Events

• Workshop “Gute Promotionsbetreuung: Prozessorientiert fördern; fordern und ermöglichen” (20 March 2026) – A practice-oriented training for professors and supervisors who (will) supervise doctoral researchers. → Upcoming Workshops & Events
• New online session as part of exchange forum “Promotion im Dialog”: Join the ongoing conversation on good doctoral practice at FU Berlin and take part in the next session on March 26, featuring a study on „Erste Generation Promotion“. → Calls & Announcements
• Elsa-Neumann-Scholarship: Applications are open until 15 April 2026. The scholarship supports outstanding doctoral researchers with a monthly stipend plus research allowance. → Calls & Announcements

Best wishes and take care,
Your DRS Team

***

February 2026

Dear early career researchers,

With workshop bookings opening soon and a full line-up of events, calls, and resources ahead, now is a good moment to get organized and look beyond the next deadline. Here’s what’s coming up in the weeks ahead:

• Workshop booking opens on March 18, 2026, at 12 noon – mark your calendars and be prepared, as many sessions fill up quickly. → Upcoming Workshops and Events
• New podcast episode out now: Learn how social background, financial security, and mentoring shape doctoral pathways in our latest Navigating your Doctorate episode with Dr. Steffen Jaksztat. → DRS Podcast
• Research integrity in focus: From research data management workshops and Love Data Week to the Rosalind Franklin Award call – discover what’s coming up and how to get involved. → Spotlight on Research Integrity
• New exchange forum “Promotion im Dialog”: Join the ongoing conversation on good doctoral practice at FU Berlin and take part in the next session on February 11, featuring the doctoral representatives. → Calls & Announcements
• Doctoral Council survey: Help us understand how budget cuts affect doctoral researchers in Berlin. The anonymous survey takes about 10 minutes. → Calls & Announcements

Best wishes and take care,
Your DRS Team

***

January 2026

Dear early career researchers,

Looking back at this year, we had the pleasure of celebrating outstanding academic excellence at Freie Universität Berlin.

Through the Ernst-Reuter-Preis and the Tiburtius-Preis, we honored some of the best doctoral dissertations completed at FU Berlin, showcasing innovative research across disciplines. At the same time, the DRS Supervisor Award allowed us to recognize the exceptional commitment, guidance, and support provided by our most dedicated doctoral supervisors.

We warmly congratulate all award winners for their remarkable achievements and their valuable contributions to the research community at Freie Universität Berlin:

We wish you a peaceful holiday season and all the best for a healthy, inspiring, and successful New Year.
Your DRS Team