Heidelberg University 626 Years of Research and Teaching
Molecular and Cellular Biology in Heidelberg
- an Interactive Campus
Institute of Human
Genetics/
Interdisciplinary
Center for
Scientific
Computing
Biochem. Center
Heidelberg (BZH)
Inst. of Physical
Chemistry
Centre for
Organismal Studies
(COS, 2011)
Heidelberg
Bioquant Center (2002)
on Systems Biology
University Hospital
Center for
Molecular
Biology
(ZMBH, 1985)
Institute of Hygiene
Centre for
Institute for Pharmacy
Organismal Studies
and Molecular
(COS, 2011)
Biotech. (IPMB)
Heidelberg
German Cancer
Max-Planck-Institute
European Molecular
Research
For Medical
Biology
Center (DKFZ, 1964) Research (MPI, 1930) Laboratory (EMBL, 1978)
Present State of PhD Student Education
P. Mondrian:
Broadway Boogie Woogie
P. Mondrian:
Composition with Yellow Patch
Impact and Vision of the Graduate School
 Highly visible center of higher education: attracts the best
students to Heidelberg
 Harmonizes PhD student education in Heidelberg
 Strong interdisciplinary education and research
 Establishes high common standards
 International integration
 Full faculty rights for all members
Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate
Education
BSc
present
Graduate School
years
0
1
2
MSc
3
4
Medical Education
PhD Thesis
5
6
7
MD / PhD Thesis
Science
Courses
Master degree
BSc
MSc/PhD Program
8
9
Clinic
10
The Concept
HBIGS Organigram
Executive Board
Prof. Elmar Schiebel (Speaker)
Prof. Michael Lanzer (Speaker)
Prof. Michael Boutros
Prof. Rüdiger Hell
Prof. Ilme Schlichting
Prof. Jochen Wittbrodt
Scientific Advisory Board
Prof. Sonntag (Chair)
Prof. Hermann Bujard (Vice Chair)
Prof. Iain Hagan
Prof. Anne Spang
Prof. Valerie Doye
(Student speaker)
Administrative Office
Dr. Rolf Lutz (Program Coordination)
Manuela Arlt (Finances)
Claudia Roos (Secretariat)
Career Development
Center
Sandra Martini
HBIGS Faculty
Systems Biology
10 PIs
Neuroscience
13 PIs
Molecular Plant Sciences
8 PIs
Biochemistry & Structural Biology
14 PIs
Developmental Biology
9 PIs
Infectious Diseases
11 PIs
Molecular Medicine
21 PIs
Molecular & Cellular Biology
30 PIs
Molecular Biotechnology & Biophysics
7 PIs
 108 PIs in total and still growing
 In 2010, 12 PIs became new members of HBIGS. 6 PIs were moved to
inactive status.
HBIGS PhD students: Numbers & Nationalities
Country
# Students
Austria
2
Belarus
1
Belgium
1
Bosnia-Hercegovina
1
Bulgaria
1
Chile
3
China
7
Columbia
2
Croatia
1
England
1
Ethiopia
1
Germany
126
Ghana
1
Greece
2
India
16
Italy
7
Kenya
1
Korea
1
Lithuania
1
Luxembourg
1
Malaysia
1
Mexico
1
Netherlands
1
Peru
1
Poland
3
Russia
1
Serbia
1
Spain
1
Taiwan
8
Turkey
4
Uganda
1
Ukraine
1
Vietnam
1
 number of students: 202
 from 33 different nations worldwide
 EU countries: 149 students
non-EU countries: 53 students
40% international students!
gender: 52% female, 48% male
Continent
Europe
Asia
Americas
Africa
Australia
No of
students
157
34
7
4
0
as of 11 Oct 2010
Application & Selection process
HBIGS - Selection process
Application
(online)
pre-selection
Skype Interview
Panel-Interview
Heidelberg
Panel Interview
5 - 7 min Presentation
13 – 15 min Discussion
Personal Interview with the PI
lab visit, scientific presentation
GRE Test
90 min
Admissions to HBIGS 2008-2010
biannual admissions
monthly admissions
250
50
10 HBIGS
Fellowships
45
200
40
35
150
30
25
100
20
15
50
10
5
2008
2009
Admissions total
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Feb
Mar
Jan
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sep
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
0
Jan
0
2010
Admissions per month
as of 8 Sep 2010
Reasons to decide for a PhD at HBIGS
(multiple answers possible)
Family support
20%
Advertised position 28%
67% Scientific
environment
Scientific
Social Activities 30%
Reputation
Scientific
Group lea
Career Service 30%
Career Se
59% Reputation of
Social act
Heidelberg UniversityAdvertised
Family su
Group leader‘s advice 50%
57% Scientific quality
of the program
(Source: HBIGS survey, February 2010, n = 46, HBIGS Classes Summer & Winter term 2009)
Scientific Programm of HBIGS
HBIGS Core Course
Extracurricular Courses
HBIGS Lecture
HBIGS Summer School
HBIGS Students Retreat
Credit Point System
HBIGS-Teaching program
HBIGS
PhD Core Course
Once
HBIGS Lecture
Monthly
Thesis Advisory Committee
Annually
Science & Soft Skills
Host Lab
Others
Summer School
Annually
Annual Meeting
Annually
Lab Meeting
Weekly
Journal Club
Weekly
Science & Soft Skills
Scientific Meeting
PhD Term
Panel interview
Advertisement
Doctoral Viva
PhD Core Course
-1
0
1
TAC
Meeting
• Lab Meeting
• Journal Club
• Lectures
2
3
Annual
Meeting
years
Summer
School
Career Advisor
Credit Point System of HBIGS
 Students must collect a total of 15 credit points.
 Min. 6 CP must be collected within the HBIGS Core Course.
 Up to 9 CP must be collected in accompanying teaching
modules, either of HBIGS or other institutions. Modules may
include:
- Method courses
- Soft skill trainings
- Workshops
- Scientific Meetings with personal contribution
- Summer schools
- Student-led initiatives e.g. Retreats
 Scientific lecture series that are part of institutional PhD
programs can be accredited with max. 1.5 CP dependent on
the duration, frequency, attendance.
 No CP is awarded for regular lab seminars.
HBIGS Core Course
Purpose of PhD Core Course
 to establish high common standards
 to teach cutting-edge technical skills
 to teach complementary skills
 to establish networks and collaborations
 to coin the corporate identity
HBIGS Core Course
Topics (e.g.)
 Yeast as a model system
 Electron microscopy
 Imaging, FRAP, FRET
 Animal handling
 Bioinformatics I
 microRNA Analysis (Qiagen)
 Flow Cytometry (Becton Dickinson)
 Protein Purification & Analysis (GE)
Extracurricular Courses
 Basic Business Administration (22 June - 11 July 2009)
Course Contents:
Introduction to business administration, sales and marketing,
strategic management, cost accounting, fundamentals of
human resource management
Speakers:
 Introduction to Patent Law (23 Oct 2009)
Course Contents:
Patentability, parts of a patent application, procedural
aspects, prior art search, Patent Attorney – a job description
Speaker:
Dr. Uwe Preßler, Group leader "Intellectual property", BASF SE,
Ludwigshafen
Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)

The TAC consists of the main supervisor and two additional members

The first TAC meet within the first six months post commencement of
the PhD

The TAC monitors the student’s scientific progress on an annual basis
and recommends future directions and strategies
Summer School
HBIGS International Summer School 2009 on Cell Cycle Regulation
 from 18 to 21 May 2009, in Boppard
 The concept of the Summer School is to invite internationally
renowned scientists working in distinct areas of cell cycle
regulation.
 Participants are 20 PhD students and 10 scientist
 Topics:
- Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs)
- Mitotic Kinases, Centromere Biology
- Centrosome Biology
- Spindle Assembly Pathways
- Regulation of DNA Replication
- Chromosome Segregation /AP,
- Spindle Assembly Checkpoint
- DNA Damage Checkpoints
- Mass spec of Mitotic Regulators
Career Service
&
Family Support
HBIGS- Career Service
Information
 Job market situation
 vocational fields in
and beyond academia
 Trainee Programs
 cooperation with
industrial partners
(“Kamingespräche”)
 compatibility of
family and career
…
Training
Individualized career
advisory session
 talk about goals and needs
 discuss different career
options
 analyze strenghts &
weaknesses
 adress open questions of
job search and application
procedure
 CV and resume review
Duration approx. 1-1.5 h
 Job interview
 Assessment Center
 Basic Business
Administration
 Project Management
 Marketing & Sales
 Self-Marketing
 Soft Skills
…
Kamingespräche
 Springer Verlag, Heidelberg (23. April 2009)
Career perspectives in scientific publishing at springer
 Qiagen AG, Hilden (05. May 2009)
Career perspectives at Qiagen AG
 Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim (07. July 2009)
Roche Inside
 Abbott GmbH, Ludwigshafen (03. Dec 2009)
“Career perspectives at Abbott”
HBIGS Family Support
Family Support




helps organizing childcare for infants
reimbursement of childcare costs
5 PhD students / 9 kids supported
1 technical assistant employed for 6 months to
support PhD student during pregnancy/maternity leave
Evaluation
Facts & Figures
Satisfaction with HBIGS
 Level of satisfaction with supervision - compared to other graduate programs
and universities in the field of Biosciences:
[%]
100
29,6
15,4
25,0
80
22,2
25,4
16,7
60
34,6
31,9
37,0
48,1
40
20
0
HBIGS
very satisfied
satisfied
Program at
Heidelberg
University
Heidelberg
University
somewhat satisfied
(Source: IFQ Evaluation, September 2009, n= 56)
Program at
another
university
dissatisfied
another
university
very unsatisfied
Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate
Education
Graduate School
years
0
1
2
3
4
Medical Education
5
6
7
MD / PhD Thesis
8
9
10
Clinic
Science
Courses
√
Master degree
BSc
MSc/PhD Program
In progress