FI EMS Young Scientists Retreat

YOUNG SCIENTISTS RETREAT

The Flagship Initiative Engineering Molecular Systems (FI EMS) invites all PhDs and PostDocs working in the field of EMS to the next Young Scientists Retreat. 
It will take place in Lobbach, from 14.09. - 16.09.2026.

The FI EMS was created to promote the research field of EMS at Heidelberg University, and one key aspect of this endeavour is the support of young academics in the field. One (very fun) measure to achieve this, is the organisation of the annual Young Scientists Retreat. At this retreat, we bring together junior researchers from the various scientific disciplines that feed into the field of molecular systems engineering - such as chemistry, physics, informatics, mathematics, material science, biology and medicine. It is meant to be an event for PhD students and Postdocs to meet fellow scientists who work in the same field but whose academic paths on campus don’t often cross – this includes also participants from our partner institutions EMBL, DKFZ, HITS and MPImR.

Besides the networking opportunities, this fully funded 3-day retreat includes one day of talks by all participants, one day with soft-skill courses (you can choose between learning how to best design your scientific figures or how to present your research results) and one day of group work on which you can apply what you have learned on the previous days. 

In Short:

Who? PhDs and PostDocs working in the field of EMS at Heidelberg University and its partner institutions EMBL, DKFZ, HITS and MPImR. Final year Master students, who are already affiliated with a laboratory, may also apply. Participants do not need to be funded by FIEMS.

What? Scientific presentations by all participants and participation in one of two parallel courses: you can choose between a course on creating valuable scientific figures or learning the skill of presenting your research results (for more information, see below). 

When?  September 14th - September 16th, 2026

Where? Martin-Sauer-Stiftung, 74931 Lobbach

Fees? paid by FI EMS 

Transport to event location? organized by FI EMS

Application Deadline: 31.08.2026

Registration process: Follow this link

Registration

and

1. Register for the retreat (see link)
2. Choose one course (see link)
3. Send an email to 

   fi-ems@uni-heidelberg.de

    with your name, position, affiliation, title and abstract (max. 2000 characters, please use template below).

Information on the courses offered:

1. Applying Design Principles to Schematic Figures – by Sandra Krahl

   For scientists, it is becoming increasingly important to communicate research to different audiences in clear and compelling ways. Visual representations of new knowledge, like schematic figures, can help both to communicate research findings and attract readers browsing busy journal sites and social media. In order to create a clear and attractive schematic figure, it is important to understand the underlying design principles that make the visual representation of information successful. In this workshop, participants will learn what design is and how to apply design principles to create their own compelling figures.

   What participants will learn in the workshop: 
   Throughout the workshop, participants will practice what they are learning in a total of 4 exercises. This is critical both to their engagement and to the long-term retention of the ideas they are discovering. During the exercises participants draw with marker pens on large sheets of white paper (flip chart size). This means that knowledge of applications like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop is not necessary and participants can instead focus on design principles that can be applied using any tool (digital or otherwise) that they choose. Laptops are only needed if participants want to look up information about their own work for the exercise in the second half of the workshop.

2. Presenting Your Research: Structure, Slides & Delivery – by heiSKILLS

   How can you turn your research into a clear and engaging presentation? In this hands-on workshop, we will explore key aspects of effective presentations, including how to structure your content, design clear and effective slides, and deliver your presentation confidently. We will also look at strategies for dealing with stage fright and engaging your audience.

   Before the workshop, you will work independently with the provided self-study materials and prepare a short presentation based on your own research. During the face-to-face workshop, you will put the principles into practice, present your work, and give and receive constructive peer feedback.