Supporting early career scientists is one of our central aims

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Early Career Investigator Program

From high school students to advanced post-docs, clinicians, and awardees of ERC starting grants, we strive to promote innovative ideas:

  1. by providing early systems neurology training for natural science undergraduates and medical students
  2. by offering a structured promotion for graduate students
  3. by enabling international networking and early independence for post-docs
  4. by giving outstanding young scientists the opportunity for collaboration and participation

All measures are designed as inter-institutional programs that are open to early career scientists from SyNergy labs, irrespective of their primary affiliation.

Neurocamp

NeuroCamp is an international, annual summer camp in Munich for high school students. It is organized by students and young researchers from different universities and research institutes in Munich. The aim is to get students enthusiastic about the fascinating field of Neuroscience and promote the interest in science in general. SyNergy sponsors and contributes to NeuroCamp. 

Jugend forscht

Collaboration with the German high school student science Olympiad “Jugend forscht”. Prize winners can apply for funded research fellowships in SyNergy labs and gain first-hand lab experience.

Anna (19): "My daily schedule was very diverse: from working on the research project to attending scientific presentations, reading papers, and analyzing experiments – I got to observe all the different facets of lab work and combine theory with practice."

Lale (20): "It was an important confirmation that I definitely want to do my MD thesis in a wet lab, possibly in the neuroscientific field. And that in the meantime, I want to continue doing lab internships."

Vera (20): "The internship showed me what life could look like after my studies. It motivated me to continue with my studies."

Vivien (16): "You really learn what everyday laboratory life is about. My advice for future interns: Be open, take it all in, and have fun!!"

MSc fast track to MLST (PhD Program “Medical Life Science and Technology”) [coming] and to GSN (Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences), which focuses on biomedical neuroscience and neurology. 

Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), an Excellence Graduate School at the LMU, is focused on systems neuroscience and brings together PIs from all SyNergy partner institutions.

PhD Program “Medical Life Science and Technology” (MLST) of the TUM School of Medicine with a focus on neurosciences and neurology.

International Max Planck Research School for Molecular Life Sciences (IMPRS), a Graduate School of the Max Planck Institutes in Martinsried, organized in conjunction with the two Munich universities.

  1. General support: Post-docs can take advantage of programs that provide early exposure to Munich neuroscience by funding visits of post-doctoral candidates (e.g. TUM “Research Opportunities Week” or LMU “Harvard-LMU Young Scientists’ Forum”).
  2. Networking: An annual SyNergy Spring Retreat to give Cluster post-docs their own opportunity to interact amongst each other and with external scientists of their choosing [coming].
  3. Career development: Funded career development courses, coaching sessions, as well as didactics and transferable skill training. Comprehensive intramural programs that support all aspects of career development at LMU and TUM, but also venture outside, joining or locally initiating courses, e.g. offered by EMBL. SyNergy offers job search-related travel grants allowing to scout opportunities ahead of official interview invitations.
  4. Internationalization: Exchange programs with dedicated partners (such as Washington University’s neurology program or the Harvard Center for Brain Sciences); SyNergy conferences – such as the Spring Retreat and the Eibsee Meeting – as well as individual initiatives that SyNergy funds.

To promote early career researchers and train clinician-scientists in the methods and concepts of systems neurology, we offer attractive clinician-scientist packages that ensure full independence, while offering mentoring by senior scientists. The LMU and TUM neurology departments have agreed to implement a fast track towards board certification ("Facharzt") for these young neurologists. SyNergy offers Early and Advanced Residence Modules:

  • Early: for young clinical residents (year 1-3 year of their residency)
  • Advanced: for adavanced clinical residents (> 3 year of their residency) 
  • Post: (just finished residency)

SyNergy established an "Early Excellence Academy" to give outstanding young scientists the opportunity for collaboration and participation in the SyNergy cluster. Requirements for the admission are a succesful award of an ERC starting grant / Emmy Noether programme / Sofja Kovalevskaja Award and a research focus in line with the SyNergy cluster.

More about the Early Career Investigator Program