Heidelberg University is highly committed to the principles of diversity and equal opportunities for all its members regardless of gender, diversity, and sexual orientation, religion and belief, age, national, ethnic and cultural origin, disability, chronic illness and neurodiversity, social background, parental status and care work. The University successfully passed the Audit Family-Friendly University and the TOTAL E-QUALITY Certificate (for equal opportunities and diversity) in 2017, with a re-certification in 2021 and signed the Charta der Vielfalt (Diversity Charter) in 2015 and Familie in der Hochschule (Family at the University Charter) in 2018. The University recently established a central unit, UNIFY (Unit for Family, Equality and Diversity) and, thereby, supports all University members with questions of professional development, including compatibility of family and career. Furthermore, for female scientists UNIFY provides individual academic counselling on topics such as career planning and qualification, support programmes and provides support in gender and diversity consulting for departments and institutions in developing, implementing and performing measures and projects together with these departments. To foster gender balance in all positions, especially in leading positions, the University established the Olympia Morata Programme and the Rahel Goitein-Straus Programme. Via these programmes women scientists are granted access to intensive consulting and coaching services, as well as networking events, courses for professional development and FundFamily during a two-year funding period. All female researchers in the GenoMiCC research unit may apply for these positions. The compatibility of family and profession is further supported by additional initiatives, including KidS (counselling for students with children), backup services (e.g. congress childcare and flexible emergency care), support for organising and handling domestic duties, support and career advice for “Academia and Family”, dual career services and general support in family care matters.
We will work together with the UNIFY team to develop the following measures to meet family, diversity and equality requirements according to the standards of the University and DFG:
An Equal Opportunities Officer (EQO) will be an integral member of the Steering Committee, elected by the General Assembly. The EQO will be involved in all questions related to the strategic development of the unit, recruitment processes and policies and all funding decisions taken by the Steering Committee. Funds for gender and equality that are granted to the research unit by DFG and the Mannheim Medical Faculty are distributed through the Steering Committee after approval by the EQO. The EQO will work closely together with UNIFY to ensure that all policies, regulations and standards according to the University and DFG guidelines on family, diversity and equality are met. Expenditures beyond the equality allowance allocated to women and men will be separately monitored between and within projects (gender budgeting).
Recruitment: So far, 8 female PIs joined the GenoMiCC consortium (8/9 female/male PIs); Present/Past Nationalities of the PIs: Argentinian/Chinese/German/Russian/Swiss. We will actively recruit female Post-Docs, PhD and MD students for the available positions within GenoMiCC and set up a dedicated mentoring programme for female scientists. Mentors will meet with mentees twice a year to give advice on science career and other potential issues. Newly recruited researchers who relocate to Mannheim or Heidelberg will benefit from a “Welcome Package” which will include information on administrative issues, a dedicated mentor to help in the adjustment to the new working space and the research environment, and other relevant information, e.g. on GUIDE, our central conflict management procedure, the Senate Guidelines on fair conduct to work and research together, as well as information on health, including the University mental health programmes (MHFA).
Financial Support and Budgeting: The Mannheim Faculty provides tailored support for female clinicians and scientists to continue and advance their career in science (Mittel für Gleichstellung und Familienförderung) in the amount of up to € 330,000 per year. All PIs and post-docs within the research unit who are part of the Mannheim Faculty are entitled to apply for funding through this programme. Most PIs in the GenoMiCC unit are parents, and we have three families in which both parents are active as PIs in the consortium. We will provide additional funding to female and male candidates in case they wish to take parental leave or plan to provide home care to family members, respectively. With our funding laboratory work substitution can be provided by short-term employment of a novel person (e.g. student assistants), or by increasing the working time of existing technical staff (e.g. of a part-time technician). Student assistants can be hired for up to 10 hours per week. They may provide routine services in the laboratory or administration. Applications may be sent to the Steering Committee via the coordination office. The EQO will recruit and allocate appropriate students and funds. Mannheim Faculty will provide funding for two student assistants. In addition, funding from DFG may be used for childcare support during training and educational activities (including lectures, attendance of conferences or workshops), as well as for equipment needed to work from home (“home-office”), if applicable.
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