Promoting the compatibility of family & career as well as equal opportunities for male and female scientists is of particular importance to all members and institutions involved in MARIE.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) provides MARIE with separate funds for targeted support measures to make jobs in science and academia more family friendly and especially support female scientists in their career and qualifications. These funds are only intended for those measures especially researchers of the SFB/TRR 196 are benefiting from.

In the first phase of MARIE, there was an close exchange between all scientific female staff in the goal of offering appropriate support for discussing and understanding the issues of reconciliating scientific work and family life. We were able to provide support for two pregnant doctoral researchers during the time of maternity protection as well as after childbirth by hiring appropriate staff. Thereby, not only the progress of the respective projects was ensured, but also adequate support was provided to the corresponding young scientists. Furthermore, additional childcare services were provided for young parents, whenever established facilities at the universities could not be used.

In the seconde phase, MARIE will intensify its efforts to support the already above average number of female PhD students as well as additional female scientists. Therefore, the following innovations are planned for the seconde phase:

• MARIE will initiate the coaching and mentoring programm FEMIE for its female PhD students in oder to plan their scientific careers, not only during the time they pursue their PhD projects, but by adressing a long-term perspective in science. At the beginning of the four phases of the FEMIE program a professional personal coach will be selected to accompany the PhD students during all phases. In the seconde phase, the clarification phase, the student-specific needs and milestones during the funding period and beyond will be defined. The emphasis will be on the reconciliation of work an family planning, providing opportunties of how to combine both in an adequate manner. In the third phase of FEMIE, the main phase, the previously determined goals and milestones are evaluated and adapted when necessary. This is achieved by a regular exchange of the PhD student with their respective coach in order to maintain a clear perspective on the defined milestones, however, leaving enough space for the PhD student to focus on their respective projects. To prepare the PhD students for the steps after their doctoral phases and also to encourage as many as possible to further pursure academic careers at an early stage, various options will be demonstrated an support provided. In the fourth and final phase of FEMIE the PhD students are at the end of their doctoral phases. Therefore the coach and the PhD students review the common process and the achievement of goals and milestones. The support of the PhD students is not terminated with the completion of the PhD projects. In fact, MARIE will further support the scientists with their next career steps. This will further be done with a strong focus on the work-life-balance to prevent disruptions at this rather challenging stage. 

• MARIE newly established the IEEE annual workshop series IWMTS (International Workshop on Mobile THz Systems) in 2018. With the (IWMTS) TalentTravel program MARIE will offer 5 travel grants each year to international undergraduate and graduate female students to attend the workshop. This will give the students an unique opportunity to get into touch with world leading scientists and research at a very early stage of their scientific careers.

• Also in MARIE's seconde phase childcare is offered to scientific staff, making use of established childcare services at the participating institutions as well as providing individual solutions in off-peak hours or during business trips.

• Due to the severe imbalance of male and female scientists in the field of Electrical Engineering it is of high importance that all scientists are aware of challenges female researchers face in academia. to this end, MARIE will organazie workshops on gender sensitiveness with the aim to deepen awareness and to demonstrate possibilities on how gender inequalities in academia can be adressed.

As a researcher of MARIE you may benefit from above mentioned measures. Detailed information is provided in the following DFG-guidelines. If you have any questions and need support, please feel free to contact the coordination office at any time.

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