We are happy to announce our next GAUSS Career Service online workshop on the topic “How to plan and write a competitive research proposal” by Dr. Thomas Koch.

This workshop is intended for postdoctoral researchers and late-stage PhD students who are currenty writing their first scientific research grant or are planning to start writing within the next 3 months. Therefore, it is crucial that you already have an idea about the research topic and ideally the funding scheme you would like to apply to.

• Date: Tuesday, 9 July 2025 plus 4h pre-teaching prior to the workshop
• Duration: 1 full day + 4 hours self-study
• Location: online
• Trainer: Dr. Thomas Koch

Registration: Please register here (in case you are not yet registered) and send an email to career@gauss.uni-goettingen.de including a short statement on your motivation to attend the workshop.

Workshop description:

This compact, yet highly interactive workshop employs theoretical input, plenary discussions, individual and small group work, experience sharing and expert advice. Participants are expected to complete some assignments for the pre-teaching activities, which will be provided one to two weeks before the workshop.

By participating in this workshop, you will get an overview of the German research funding landscape including selected EU programs and learn how to identify the right funding opportunity for your research endeavor. Furthermore, you will benefit from learning what makes a fundable research project, how to tailor your case for support to meet the evaluation criteria and how to structure and schedule the writing process.

By participating in workshop, you will be better equipped to

• identify funding opportunities for different research settings,
• understand what makes a fundable research project,
• tailor your case for support to meet the evaluation criteria,
• structure and schedule the writing process,
• move from smaller to larger grants.

Testimonials by former participants:

• The workshop was highly practical, teaching me how to effectively structure a research proposal and design a project within time and budget constraints. The ‘Lean Canvas’ method and insights into European funding were especially useful. It’s an excellent resource for those new to grant writing.
• The workshop was extremely beneficial and more fun that I anticipated. The balance between the lectures and the interactive exercises was really good. Thomas expertly managed to summarize a great deal of information in a very short time, in a very condensed but clear form. Thank you!
• The workshop gives a compact overview of the German funding landscape and provides excellent efficiency strategies for grant writing. A great way for early -but also for late- career scientist to learn about funding options and how to successfully approach them!