JUMP2 program – One Way to Tenure
JUMP2 is a professional development program specifically designed to address the needs of early-career research group leaders as well as junior and tenure-track professors. Its aim is to provide optimal support to scholars during a critical phase of their academic careers and to assist them in taking the next step in their professional development.
JUMP2 is coordinated by the University of Paderborn and implemented in cooperation with 12 additional universities across Germany as part of the “UA13” network. Faculty members from all partner universities are eligible to participate in the program’s activities.
Image: KI generiert| Upcoming events | |
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| Ways trough Everyday University Life | |
JUMP2 Peer Coaching The JUMP2 Peer Coaching offers you the opportunity to connect with junior research group leaders, junior professors, and tenure-track professors from other disciplines and universities, to exchange views on current challenges, and to support one another. | |
JUMP2 Leaders Talk Date: 18 November 2026, 6:00–7:00 p.m., online Host university: Paderborn University Speakers: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese, Prof. Oliver Günther, Ph.D. and Prof. Dr. Moritz Weber Registration deadline: 16 November 2026
| With the JUMP2 Leaders Talks, we are introducing a new format for exchange. Covering a range of topics, these events provide opportunities to engage with leading figures from UA11+ universities and discuss questions relevant to your own role and career in academia. The inaugural session will address a topic that is still rarely discussed in academia: setbacks in academic careers. How do you deal with rejected grant applications, unsuccessful job applications or other setbacks? When is it worth persevering, and when can a change of direction open up new opportunities? We look forward to exchanging ideas and experiences on these questions. Registration: Please email postdocsupport[at]uni-paderborn[dot]de |
JUMP2 Peer Consultation Date: 24 November 2026, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Facilitator: Svenja Burmann, Saarland University Kick-off session: 24 November 2026, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. The subsequent dates will be agreed upon with the group.
| The R3 career stage is characterized by challenging decisions and requires researchers to take on a wide range of roles. These include assuming leadership responsibilities and supervising early-career researchers, developing their own research profile and securing third-party funding, making strategic career decisions, and finding ways to balance professional and private life. These are just a few examples. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to these challenges, which makes exchanging experiences with peers facing similar situations all the more valuable. Peer consultation provides a structured opportunity for exchange in a confidential setting. In a facilitated process, participants discuss a range of questions and challenges within the group, opening up new perspectives, ideas and potential solutions. Peer consultation offers an opportunity to reflect on current challenges within a peer group and to expand one's professional network. Registration: Please email svenja.burmann[at]uni-saarland[dot]de |
Pathways to a Permanent Professorship | |
Strategic Positioning for Junior Professors and Research Group Leaders Host university: University of Wuppertal Trainer: Prof. Dr. Anja Frohnen (impulsplus) Date: 12 November 2027, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., online Language: German Registration deadline: 21 October 2027 | Leading a research group or embarking on a tenure-track professorship brings not only greater academic independence but also increased responsibility for one's own area of work. What do I want to be known for academically? Where should I focus my efforts? And how can I shape my area of responsibility so that it aligns with my goals and available resources? This workshop supports research group leaders, junior professors and tenure-track professors in reflecting on their academic positioning and their roles as leaders. Participants will explore different role expectations, identify effective ways to shape their areas of responsibility, and develop concrete measures for their strategic development while making efficient use of available resources. Register for the workshop using this registration form. |
Sharpening Your Research Profile – Making Strategic Use of Research Funding Host university: University of Kassel Trainer: Dr. Beate Scholz Date: 24 November 2026, 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m., online, followed by individual coaching sessions on the afternoon of 24 November and throughout 25 November. Language: German Registration deadline: 30 October 2026 | In this workshop, you will explore how to make targeted use of national and international funding opportunities to develop your research profile and actively shape your path towards a permanent professorship. The trainer will provide practical guidance on identifying the funding programmes best suited to your goals and offer individual coaching based on your CV. This will help you showcase your research strengths, develop them strategically and take a targeted approach to planning your career. Registration: Please email Sekretariat-EPEO[at]uni-kassel[dot]de |
Career Planning for Established Researchers: Pathways, Options and Decisions Host university: Chemnitz University of Technology Trainer: Dr. Annika Bartsch Date: 24 and 25 February 2027, 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. each day Registration deadline: 10 February 2027 | You have achieved academic independence – but this brings new strategic questions. How can you sharpen your research profile? How can you position yourself for a professorship? And what decisions should you make now to set the right course for your future career? This workshop helps participants reflect on their current position and plan their next career steps strategically. The focus is on their individual research profiles and research core, career paths and framework conditions within the German higher education system, and upcoming career decisions. By the end of the workshop, you will have developed a concrete and realistic roadmap for the next 12 to 24 months. Register for the workshop using this registration form. |
Navigating Everyday Academic Life | |
Small Talk for Researchers Host university: Leuphana University Lüneburg Trainer: Torsten Rother (Sprechwege) Date: 29 January 2027, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., online Language: German Registration deadline: 22 January 2027 | “Sometimes the most important part of a conference is the break” – at least when it comes to networking and career development for researchers. Being good at small talk makes it easier to strike up conversations with people you have never met before, in a relaxed and informal way. Small talk is the first step towards making new contacts and also helps strengthen existing connections. In this way, lasting professional relationships and productive networks can develop. For anyone who does not consider themselves a natural conversationalist, there is good news: small talk is a skill you can learn – and it can even be fun! Registration: Please email karin.becker[at]leuphana[dot]de |
Learning from Setbacks: Resilience and a Culture of Learning in Academia Host university: University of Wuppertal Trainer: Robert Kötter (Zweirat) Date: 5 March 2027, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., online Language: German Registration deadline: 11 February 2027 | Setbacks, criticism and uncertainty are part of everyday academic life – both in one's own career and in leading a research team. But how can we respond constructively to these experiences while also creating an environment in which mistakes can be openly discussed and used as opportunities to learn? This workshop is aimed at research group leaders, junior professors and tenure-track professors and brings together both perspectives. Participants will reflect on their own approach to failure and develop practical strategies for dealing with setbacks and difficult situations. At the same time, they will explore how, as leaders, they can foster psychological safety and an open culture of learning from mistakes within their teams. Register for the workshop using this registration form. |
Making Strategic Use of Research Funding Host university: University of Wuppertal Trainer: Dr. Beate Scholz Date: 4 May 2027, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., online Language: German Registration deadline: 12 April 2027 | Research funding is about more than financing individual projects. It is equally important to consider which funding instruments best fit your academic profile, which applications will support your next career goals, and how to develop a long-term funding strategy. This workshop helps participants use research funding strategically to advance their careers and develop their academic profiles. You will gain insights into the perspectives of funding organisations and reviewers and use these insights to develop an individual funding strategy for your next career steps. Register for the workshop using this registration form. |
Developing Effective Leadership Skills | |
Good Supervision of Doctoral Researchers Host university: University of Potsdam Trainers: Various Dates: mondays, 2:00–4:00 p.m. 2 November 2026, 9 November 2026, 16 November 2026, 23 November 2026, 30 November 2026 Language: German Registration deadline: 19 October 2026 | Supervising doctoral researchers is a demanding responsibility. It requires not only subject-specific expertise but also clarity about one's role, strong communication skills and the ability to think in a structured way. This series consists of five short sessions designed to help participants develop a sound supervision concept, reflect on and further improve their supervisory practice, and acquire practical tools for providing professional, structured and learning-oriented support throughout the doctoral process. Register for the workshop using this registration form. |
Effective Leadership Host university: Bielefeld University Date: 26 November 2026 Language: English | New to the position of Professor or Research Group Leader, you are faced with the task of further developing and advance your scientific profile in a focussed manner and at the same time take on leadership and management responsibility – in your own management area, with staff and within the university. This phase is both a departure and a setting of the course: you need to clearly define your own role, build visibility and prioritise between research, teaching and leadership. In order to fulfil these diverse requirements and at the same time preserve space for your own research projects, it is crucial to manage yourself and your team appropriately. The seminar imparts fundamental knowledge and proven methods for effective and efficient management in a scientific context. Registration: Please email advanced-researchers[at]uni-bielefeld[dot]de |
The program is open to all early-career research group leaders as well as junior and tenure-track professors at the University of Kassel.
In addition to the University of Kassel, the following universities within the University Alliance (UA11) are involved in JUMP2:
University of Bielefeld
University of Greifswald
Otto von Guericke-University Magdeburg
Saarland University
University of Wuppertal
The Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern-Landau
Leuphana University Lüneburg
University of Paderborn
University of Potsdam
University of Siegen
University of Trier
All activities are generally held online. There are no mandatory workshops or sessions; participants select the activities that best match their individual needs. There is no minimum or maximum number of activities that participants are required to attend.
JUMP2 peer coaching offers participants the opportunity to connect with early-career research group leaders as well as junior and tenure-track professors from different disciplines and universities. In small groups meetings, participants discuss current challenges, exchange experiences, and support one another on the path toward a tenured professorship.
Sessions are facilitated by JUMP2 coordinators and are typically held online.
In the coming months, participants will have the opportunity to exchange with colleagues who either
(a) have taken up their position within the past two years, or
(b) are expecting an (interim) evaluation within the next year.
Future JUMP2 announcements on the website may also include peer coaching formats with different thematic foci. Participants are welcome to contact us in advance with suggestions for topics.
As part of the JUMP2 program, we offer Future Leader Mentoring, which connects participants with established professors from one of our 11 partner universities. The goal of JUMP2 Future Leader Mentoring is to support the further development of participants’ academic profiles, provide targeted guidance for appointment to a tenured professorship, and expand their professional networks.
The JUMP2 qualification program offers professional development workshops designed to support participants at their current career stage. The workshops are explicitly and exclusively targeted at early-career research group leaders as well as junior and tenure-track professors at the participating universities. They are generally held online and are organized around three thematic areas: pathways to a tenured professorship, navigating everyday academic life, and pathways to effective (self-)leadership.
Detailed registration information on the individual modules and events can be found under "Upcoming events".
Participation is free of charge for members of the University of Kassel and the other partner universities.