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Dear GAIN Community,
There is still plenty happening at the GAIN office: Together with our partners AvH, DAAD, and DFG as well as our colleagues from BMFTR, we have already begun preparations for the GAIN26 Annual Conference. We are also planning workshops and several new initiatives for the coming year, including updates to our Stammtisch meetups. At the same time, everyday office work continues: these past weeks have been filled with budget reports, the annual report, and many other administrative tasks.
We would like to share the first highlight of the new year with you:
GAIN26
August 21–23, 2026
San Francisco, CA
More information will follow soon.
Warm regards,
Anna Oberle-Brill and Jana Groh
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GAIN Year in Review 2025
The year 2025 was eventful, dynamic, and successful for GAIN, shaped by meaningful encounters, exciting new formats, and important impulses for transatlantic exchange.
The GAIN25 Annual Conference in Boston was a highlight: With 35 workshops, strong interest in the Talent Fair, and many new faces from academia, politics, and industry, it became clear how great the demand is for networking and career perspectives in Germany. Particularly encouraging was the growing participation of both German- and non-German-speaking postdocs, who bring our mission “Inform – Connect – Build Careers” to life. We would like to express our sincere thanks to our partners AvH, DAAD, and DFG as well as BMFTR for their constructive input and for encouraging us to expand the GAIN network to include non-German-speaking postdocs starting this year.
Our presence at career fairs and conferences across North America also continued to grow: Whether at WE25, the Penn Postdoc Association, or the Society for Neuroscience - GAIN was on site to advise researchers personally and support them on their path to (or back to) Germany.
With the launch of our new online event series GAIN Momentum, we also created a flexible and easy-access format that reaches postdocs around the world. The first session already showed how strong the demand is for compact, practical information on career development in Germany.
Another focus of the year was strengthening the local community: Several new Stammtische were founded or reactivated.
Last but not least, we significantly expanded our English-language communication: Both the updated English section of our website and our brand-new English newsletter are aimed specifically at international postdocs who cannot use German-language content.
2025 has shown that the demand for guidance, networking, and exchange in the transatlantic research space continues to grow - and GAIN is growing with it.
We thank our dedicated community for a successful year full of inspiring encounters and new ideas, and we wish you happy holidays!
We look forward to an equally dynamic and community-driven year in 2026!
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Get Connected: Researcher Stammtisch Meetups
The GAIN25 Annual Conference has inspired several of you to start new Stammtisch meetups or to revive existing ones. We regularly share updates about upcoming meetings and new groups on LinkedIn.
Are you interested in joining a Stammtisch? Looking for a group in your area or thinking about starting one yourself? Just get in touch with us. We look forward to hearing from you:
info@gain-network.org
https://www.gain-network.org/de/vernetzen/stammtische/
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German Postdoc Network: Career Planning in German Academia
January 8, 2026 @ 13:00 – 14:00 MEZ
Building a successful academic career is rarely straightforward. It is influenced by external structures, funding opportunities, disciplinary trends, and sometimes sheer timing. Career development, however, should not be left to chance—particularly within the German academic system, which is often perceived as complex and opaque.
In this interactive 60-minute session, we will explore seven key steps for planning an academic career, with a particular focus on issues relevant to international researchers in Germany. Participants will gain practical insights and inspiration to strengthen their sense of agency, recognize opportunities, and navigate the uncertainties of the German academic system with greater clarity and confidence.
Register here.
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DHV-Online-Seminar: How to become a Professor in Germany – Career Paths and Application for a Professorship in Germany
Date: January 23, 2026 (CEST)
Organizer: Deutscher Hochschulverband (DHV)
Location: Online
This seminar addresses early career researchers who are considering a career as a professor at a German university or are starting to apply for professorships in Germany. In the first part of the seminar the participants get an overview of the career paths to a professorship, covering the legal requirements, the appointment procedure and the legal status of a professor. The second part of the seminar addresses questions concerning the application documents and process, for example the search for relevant job advertisements, the typical structure and content of the written application documents expected by German universities and how to make a good impression during the further steps in the selection process.
Further information
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Horizon Europe 2026–2027: An Overview of Key Developments in EU Research Funding
The European Commission has released the new work program for Horizon Europe, aiming to make funding calls more streamlined, efficient, and accessible. Over €14 billion will be invested in research and innovation over the next two years. Reduced bureaucracy, more two-stage application procedures, and new horizontal calls such as “AI in Science” are intended to enhance the overall impact of the program. In addition, the Choose Europe for Science initiative will receive further support, while negotiations continue on FP10, the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.
Science|Business: "Commission releases Horizon Europe final work programmes for 2026-27"
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Aha Moments in the OECD Skills Outlook 2025
The new OECD Skills Outlook 2025 provides striking insights into how education, social background, and career trajectories intersect internationally and offers several surprising findings for Germany. While the influence of socioeconomic and migration background remains stronger in Germany than the OECD average, young people perform significantly better than older generations in reading, numeracy, and problem-solving skills. At the same time, the report confirms that education pays off above average in Germany, both in terms of returns to education and upward career mobility. A compelling counterpoint to common decline narratives - and an invitation to look more closely at where support is effective and where structural barriers persist.
Der Wiarda Blog: "Aha-Effekte im "OECD Skills Outlook" (in German)
OECD Skills Outlook 2025: Building the Skills of the 21st Century for All
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GAIN Program Director Anna Oberle-Brill in Interview
In this interview, Anna Oberle-Brill, Program Director of GAIN, offers insights into the current situation within the U.S. research system, explains why Germany stands to benefit particularly from international talent, and outlines how GAIN supports postdocs, from local networks to the annual conference. She discusses brain circulation rather than brain drain, the opportunities available to postdocs from around the world, and what Germany can do to become even more attractive for international research careers.
Hochschul-Job.de: "Profitiert die deutsche Wissenschaft vom amerikanischen Braindrain?" (in German)
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Info Talks on DFG Funding Opportunities for Research Careers
Germany’s largest independent research funding organization offers funding opportunities for all career stages between doctorate and professorship. The organization regularly offers info talks on funding instruments.
Upcoming talks in the Prospects Series:
- 12/11/2025, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. CET – DFG Funding Opportunities for Postdocs
- 14/01/2026, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. CET – The Heisenberg Programme
- 10/02/2026, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. CET – The Emmy Noether Programme
- 11/03/2026, 10:30 a.m. - noon CET – DFG-Förderangebote für Postdocs (in German)
- 14/04/2026, 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. CET – Das Walter Benjamin-Programm (in German)
Please check here for more information.
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Job Offer University of Lübeck
The University of Lübeck stands for excellent research and excellent teaching. We are a modern foundation university with thematically focused degree programs. Under the motto “Focusing on Life,” we offer a life-science–oriented spectrum ranging from medicine, health sciences, and psychology to mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and engineering.
Application deadline: December 26, 2025
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Job offer Leipzig University
With the establishment of the DFG-funded Cluster of Excellence Leipzig Center of Metabolism (LeiCeM), new opportunities will arise from 2026 onward at Leipzig University/its Faculty of Medicine to develop innovative research priorities in the field of metabolic diseases. Therefore, the Faculty of Medicine at Leipzig University will fill this permanent professorship, initially funded by the DFG, as of January 1, 2027:
Application deadline: December 26, 2025
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Job opportunities PhoenixD, Leibniz University Hannover
Field: Photonic Technologies
Location: Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD, Leibniz Universität Hannover
We invite applications from ambitious researchers interested in advancing their careers in optical technologies. Photonics, a key technology of the 21st century, is making groundbreaking progress in areas like medical diagnostics, quantum technology, and telecommunications. PhoenixD, unique in Germany for technical optics, is pioneering the development of innovative optical systems that integrate hardware and software.
We are currently seeking motivated individuals to contribute to projects in the following areas:
- Integrated Photonic Systems for Quantum Networks
- Silicon Meta-Surfaces for Quantum Technologies
- Inverse Design of Integrated Optics and Meta-Photonics
- Photonic Machine Learning with Sound Waves
- Quantum Opto-Acoustics
- Quantum Photonics
This opportunity is ideal for early-career scientists, especially those pursuing a PhD, who are eager to work at the forefront of photonic research. Interested candidates are encouraged to send their CV and a one-page letter of motivation indicating their field of interest to application@phoenixd.uni-hannover.de.
For more information about our projects and the PhoenixD Research School, please visit our website.
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Job Offer University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN)
The University of Technology Nuremberg (UTN), founded in 2021, is a living laboratory for the university of the future – adapted to the age of artificial intelligence and to constant technological, economic, and social change. Aiming to become a leading international institution with a focus on artificial intelligence, UTN is equally committed to excellence in research, teaching, and transfer.
Application deadline: January 31, 2026
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Job Offer HKA
Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA) is one of the largest and most research-active Universities of Applied Sciences in Baden-Württemberg. Its passion for excellent teaching and innovative research defines the institution and is reflected in its strong ranking results. HKA works closely with regional and national industry partners and stands for diversity, innovation, sustainability, international orientation, and collaboration, with students and staff at the center of its development. The following position is currently advertised:
Application deadline: January 23, 2026
Application deadline: January 29, 2026
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Job Offer Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences
RWU is a University of Applied Sciences located in one of the most beautiful and economically strongest regions in Europe. Our work is centered around our students. With a practical and collaborative approach, we equip them with the tools they need to shape their own professional paths. In doing so, we combine teaching with applied research and address the societal challenges of our time, regionally rooted and globally connected.
Application deadline: January 18, 2026
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GAIN is a joint initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Associated members include the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, German Cancer Aid, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association, the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, and the German Rectors’ Conference.
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GAIN - German Academic International Network
c/o DAAD New York
871 United Nations Plaza
New York, New York 10017
newsletter@gain-network.org
The GAIN newsletter is provided by:
DAAD office New York, 871 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017,
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Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V.,
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Tel: (212) 758-3223
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E-mail: info@gain-network.org
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Registered office:
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Editorial team:
Anna Oberle-Brill
Jana Groh
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