Vienna Postdoc Career Day, November 12, 2025
2025-11-12 09:00 - 20:00 (Europe/Vienna) | Van-Swieten-Saal, Van-Swieten-Gasse 1a, Vienna, 1090, Austria
Exciting news once again! 🎉 On November 12, 2025, the first-ever Vienna Postdoc Career Day will kick off, marking a unique collaborative effort among seven renowned Viennese institutions. This event is a powerful signal of our commitment to supporting postdocs in their professional development and opening up new perspectives. Our shared vision is to enhance the visibility, connectivity, and sustainability of the postdoc phase.
Join us for an enriching day filled with workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.
REGISTER NOW! 👉 https://cc.lbg.ac.at/careerday
The Vienna Postdoc Career Day will feature inspiring role models, industry experts, and fellow postdocs from across institutions.
This event is open and free of charge for all postdocs from Austrian universities and research organizations.
📅 When: November 12, 2025
🔗 Register: Sign up for one or multiple sessions by November 4
📍 Where: Van-Swieten-Saal, Van-Swieten-Gasse 1a, 1090 Vienna
What’s on the Agenda?
Careers in Academia:
• From challenges to chances: Shaping your academic career with mentoring
• Role Models in Leadership: Insights from LExA Nominees
• Networking Lunch: Careers Inside Academia
•
Careers Beyond Academia:
• From Academia to Industry: Identifying Your Transferable Skills
• Beyond Academia: Careers at Bain & Company, a global leading management consulting company
• Apero Networking: The expanded scientific community as an employer
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity
Let’s make the postdoc phase more vibrant and connected. See you there! 🚀

Applications training for Industry - Theory session (online)
2025-11-14

Applications training for Industry - mock interviews
2025-12-04, 2025-12-05 | Small meeting room, 2nd floor, Administration building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshops for Postdocs
2025-12-16 14:00 - 15:30 | Moonstone Bldg / Ground floor / Seminar Room F, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400
Please register here: https://research-ethics-and-integrity.pages.ista.ac.at/dates-and-registration-for-workshops/
Each workshop is limited to a maximum of 20 participants.
Please note – you are required to attend one of these workshops during your first year at ISTA!

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshops for Postdocs
2026-01-23 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-06-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Mondi 2, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Postdoc plenary session - 27 Jan 2026, 09:15am
2026-01-27 09:15 - 10:15 | Big Seminar Room B, Ground Floor, Sunstone Building – I23.EG.102, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
The PDO is happy to launch the Postdocs plenary sessions starting January 2026.
We would like to invite all postdocs to have an open conversation with the PDO on several topics that we trust have significant impact on your life at ISTA.
The main aims of the sessions are to:
– Boost institutional transparency.
– Provide a participatory channel for respectful discussion and conversation among your peers and with the PDO.
– To acquire constructive feedback to develop related aspects of postdocs’ lifecycle.
– Act as a re-fresher for important topics.
In this first session we would like to talk about…ta-dah!
– Postdoc employment rules at ISTA
– In particular: Contract extensions
Please join us for a morning session before you kick-start your scientific day at ISTA on:
Date: Tue 27 January 2026
Time: 09:15 – 10:15 AM
Venue: Big Seminar Room B, Ground Floor, Sunstone Building – I23.EG.102
Please register your attendance here!
Also feel free to add in the registration form any questions, comments or concerns we should be addressing in the forthcoming session partaking postdoc employment and contract extension.
More info on the current rules and processes can be found here:
https://postdoc.pages.ist.ac.at/working-conditions/
https://postdoc.pages.ist.ac.at/contract-extensions/
All postdocs are welcome!
We will start the session with a very concise presentation on the topic (approx. 8 mins), after which we will open the floor for Q&A and discussion.
We would like to thank you for your collaboration and look forward to listening to your voices and contributions soon!

Special Colloquium - Kirti Jain, Postdoc Award recipient 2025
2026-02-02 11:00 - 12:30 | Raiffeisen Lecture Hall, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
Join us on Monday, February 02 for a talk by Postdoc Award Winner Kirt Jain. She will be speaking on “Basal Gene Expression Dynamics in Bacteria”.
The event begins with a reception in the foyer of RLH at 11:00 AM, followed by the talk at 11:30 AM. We look forward to seeing you there

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshops for Postdocs
2026-02-12 14:00 - 15:30 | Mondi 3 / Central Bldg / O1

Research Integrity and Ethics Workshops for Postdocs
2026-03-09 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-16 10:00 - 11:30 | Mondi 1 / Central Bldg / O1, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Postdoc plenary session – 18 Mar 2026, 13:00
2026-03-18 13:00 - 14:00 | Big Seminar Room B, Ground Floor, Sunstone Building – I23.EG.102, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
The PDO is happy to announce the second Postdocs plenary session!
In this forthcoming session we would like to talk about…ta-dah!
Career development: opportunities and resources at ISTA – presented by our Career Development Expert, Valentina Riva
Please join us for an after lunch get-together with coffee/tea and sweets before you return to your project:
Date: Wed 18 March 2026
Time: 13:00 – 14:00
Venue: Big Seminar Room B, Ground Floor, Sunstone Building – I23.EG.102
Please register your attendance here!
PROGRAM OF THE SESSION:
– Valentina will present the full program of training offer, workshops and other venues to boost your skills and more for this calendar year.
– Giorgia from the Graduate School Office will also present new teaching opportunities at ISTA!
– Q&A and discussion
DON’T MISS IT!
Also feel free to add in the registration form any questions, comments or concerns we should be addressing in the forthcoming session partaking Career Development after having reviewed the new ISTA Career Development website:
https://career-development.ista.ac.at
All postdocs are welcome!
PLEASE NOTE: hybrid arrangements possible. Please indicate your wish to attend online on the registration form.
We would like to thank you for your collaboration and look forward to listening to your voices and contributions soon!

Harnessing AI: Balancing Innovation with Responsibility
2026-04-10 09:30 - 12:30 | Mondi 2, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
Responsible use of generative AI and AI tools is crucial for researchers to ensure accuracy, transparency, reproducibility, while maintaining trustworthiness of their scientific findings. This workshop – led by Krishna Mutanwad (Research Ethics Officer, ISTA) – will cover a comprehensive range of topics essential for postdocs keen on using AI responsibly in their research activities. The participants will get insights regarding the expectations surrounding the use of AI tools in areas of scientific writing, grant applications, literature review, hypothesis generation etc., with a strong emphasis on upholding research integrity and ethical standards at every stage of the process. The interactive format of the workshop will also include discussions on various topics such as ethical dilemmas around using AI tools, environmental impact of AI tools, leveraging AI tools for career advancement – focusing on crafting impactful CVs and excelling in interviews.
https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/55924

Networking and Self-Marketing
2026-04-16 09:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-17 09:00 - 13:00 | Sunstone Bldg / 1st floor / Big Meeting room, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
This workshop targets PhD students and post-doctoral fellows who wish to improve their communication skills to advance their research through self-marketing prospects and make the most of their intercultural and interdisciplinary networking opportunities. They will learn how to make an impact in scientific contexts such as conferences and other events, how to deal with an international crowd and how to connect to an interdisciplinary audience. The workshop focuses specifically on self -expression in terms of vocal quality, body language and verbal expression in academic and professional contexts and offers practical tools to prepare content for potential networking and self -marketing conversations.
https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/50983

Application Training in Academia - online
2026-04-22 - 2026-04-23
This intensive and interactive webinar will prepare you to dive into academic applications and will be led by Ute Riedler (biography below). This online course is designed for learning how to strategically prepare for application procedures in Europe and overseas. The workshop gives insights and offers opportunities for exercises related to application procedures and salary/resources negotiations. It addresses both common questions and stumbling blocks in the application process. About the Instructor: Mag. Ute Riedler is an independent consultant, trainer and coach with many years of experience as a university councillor in Austrian universities. Together with Prof. Christine Färber, she has published the book “Black Box Berufung. Strategien auf dem Weg zur Professur”.
https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/50989

Creating Your Teaching Portfolio - online
2026-05-08 09:00 - 13:00
This intensive and interactive webinar will teach participants how to write their teaching portfolio and will be led by Elisabeth Weber (biography below). This online course is designed for future university lecturers—both early-career and experienced—who are preparing for or interested in teaching roles at universities or higher education institutions and wish to create a professional, internationally applicable teaching portfolio. They will learn what a professional teaching portfolio is, what it should include, and how to develop and articulate their teaching philosophy. Additionally, they will gain insights into effectively presenting their teaching experience, the key principles behind their instructional approach, and how to showcase them in their portfolio. Each participant will have the opportunity to schedule an individual 30-minute coaching session after the training. About the Instructor: Mag. Mag. Dr. Elisabeth Weber holds university degrees in Teaching English, Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, and English and American Studies. She also has a doctorate in English Linguistics and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Didactics. With over 15 years of teaching experience at both secondary and tertiary levels, she has worked extensively as an instructor.
https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/50992

Basics of fellowship writing
2026-06-01 16:00 - 17:00 | Mondi 2, Central Building, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
Dear scientists,
Are you considering applying for a fellowship for the first time? Would you like to fund your current or future research project, but don’t know where to start? Want to know what to consider when developing your fellowship application package? If so, please join us for our upcoming event: “Basics of fellowship writing”
Hosted by the Grant Office, the session will cover:
✅ Getting started: Turning a vague plan (or interesting but disconnected findings) into a project plan.
✅ Structure: Placing the right details in the right places.
✅ Strategy: Make the evaluator’s job as easy as possible.
Hybrid Event Details:
📆 Date: Monday, June 01st
🕓 Time: 4-5 PM
📍 Location: Central Building / O1 / Mondi 2b
or
join us on Zoom

Social Media For Scientists - online
2026-06-08 09:30 - 2026-06-11 11:30
This online workshop will be led by Dr. Karin Bodewits and it is designed to let Postdocs and PhD Students better understand the current state of digital science communication. She will explain how scientists can integrate social media into their activities — in a helpful and productive way. The workshop advocates a reflected media usage that keeps a close eye on how and when it is recommended to ‘go online’. More in details, this workshop will offer: • Professional assistance in clarifying your objectives for engaging with social media • Help in figuring out which of the many media platforms is the right one for you • How to create content for social media • Find assistance on how social media may help you explore your career options • Take first steps towards brushing up your personal professional online profiles All participants receive a script of the course in PDF format for offline and future use so that they can work through the material offline as well as after the course. The participants who have personal questions might ask for an open office hour to the trainer. About the Instructor: Dr. Karin Bodewits comes from the Netherlands where she studied Biology. After spending some time at Puleva Biotech in Spain and Unilever in China, she completed a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh. In 2012, she founded the successful company NaturalScience.Careers, a seminar and talk provider for natural and life scientists. In this function, she became book author, short story writer, speaker and seminar leader and published a wide range of career and soft skills related articles in magazines like Chemistry World and Naturejobs.
https://athena.ista.ac.at/node/52326

Leadership for Postdocs
2026-06-19 | Sunstone Bldg / 1st floor / Big Meeting room, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria
In this workshop, you will explore different leadership styles, share and reflect on personal experiences, and gain insights into various leadership approaches. You will also examine the role of social interactions and group structures, with special attention to diversity in leadership within international research teams.
The workshop is part of the “Act” category. This is because, at the end of the first day, you will receive a homework assignment based on real-world scenarios, designed to help you reflect on your own leadership experience so far.
🔗Leadership for Postdocs | Athena (log in to Athena first)

Leadership for Postdocs
2026-07-03

Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW)
2026-09-21 - 2026-09-25

How To Build Your Research Group
2026-09-22 - 2026-09-23 | Moonstone Seminar Room E, Am Campus 1, Klosterneuburg, 3400, Austria

Time and Self-management
2026-10-08

Harnessing AI: Balancing Innovation with Responsibility
2026-10-23

Interview Training for Industry
2026-11-18 - 2026-11-20
