Skills Courses

Overview of Skills Courses

The skills courses are designed to develop skills required in science, such as learning how to effectively present one's results, write up one's results, creatively explore questions, and design posters for conferences.
To get an impression of what one of these courses entails, click Skills Course 3: Posters and Layout to find out more.

ECTS Credits	Class
2	Skills Course 1: Scientific Writing
2	Skills Course 2: Presentations
1	Skills Course 3: Posters and Layout
2	Skills Course 4: Grant Writing
1	Skills Course 5: Preparation for PhD project and Job Market

8	Total

Instructors: Volker Witte, N.N.
Semester: Second half of 1st semester
Course No.: P1.2
Description: Students learn how to do a literature search. They learn how to write the different sections of a scientific paper: abstract, introduction, material and methods, results, and discussion. They practice writing, get feedback and give each other feedback. This course is designed to help the students write a successful IRT1 report.
Goals: Students will be able to do a literature search and will understand the basics of writing a scientific paper.
Type of Instruction: Seminar
ECTS points: 2

Instructors: Dirk Metzler & Justyna Wolinska
Semester: First half of 1st semester
Course No.: P2.2
Description: Students will learn to prepare presentations in various formats (from concise summaries to scientific talks of 15-20 min length). Topics that will be discussed include: structure of a talk, contact with audience, preparation techniques and the use of different media.
Goals: Students will be able to prepare and deliver concise summaries and short scientific talks on topics they have researched. They will have practiced giving scientific talks and have improved their presentations through feedback and revision.
Type of Instruction: Seminar
ECTS points: 2

Instructors: Justyna Wolinska, N.N.
Semester: 2nd semester
Course No.: P6.2
Description: Students learn how to make a poster using standard software. They also learn about software for layout and making figures. They apply this knowledge by preparing a poster about their IRT2 research project, which is presented at the annual EES Conference.
Goals: Students will know how to present their work as a poster, including layout for tables and figures.
Type of Instruction: Seminar
ECTS points: 1

Instructors: Justyna Wolinska & Stefan Laurent
Semester: 3rd semester
Course No.: P9.2
Description: Students learn how to write a grant proposal, following the guidelines of big funding agencies. They learn how to make a time plan and budget. They get an overview of the most important grant agencies in Germany and Europe. During this course, students will prepare their IRT3 report, which is a grant proposal that they will submit to the IRT3 Committee during the IRT3 Conference.
Goals: Students will be able to write a good grant proposal. They will know the most important funding agencies of Germany and Europe.
Type of Instruction: Seminar
ECTS points: 2

Instructors: Parsch
Semester: 4th semester
Course No.: P11.3
Description: The topic of this seminar will vary depending on the year. In this seminar relevant topics for the student's future are discussed. Possible topics are writing manuscripts, doing scientific presentations, the peer-review system for articles and grant proposals, career prospects inside and outside academia, networking, writing and presenting for laymen, teamwork, negotiations, project management, how German universities are organised, the daily life of a professor, open source journals, and gender issues in academia. During the past two years, students have fulfilled this requirement by helping to organize the EES Seminar Series, including compiling a list of possible speakers, inviting and arranging speakers' schedules, and advertising the seminar.
Goals: The students will be prepared for the next step in their career.
Type of Instruction: Seminar
ECTS points: 1