• Structured and supportive
  A clear division of responsibilities, a buddy system, a departmental wiki and regular supervision provide guidance and foster development right from the start.

• Individual development with prospects
  Your own ideas, grant writing, first steps in teaching and supervision, as well as the development of your own research interests, are actively supported – both within and outside academia.

• Space for academic progress
  A fixed day of the week for analyses and manuscripts, lab meetings, journal clubs and writing weeks ensures reliable time for research.

• Open, collaborative and learning-oriented
  Flat hierarchies, an open-door policy, team-building days, regular feedback and a culture of learning from mistakes strengthen collaboration and innovation.

• Networked and socially relevant
  Through international collaborations (e.g. King’s College London and Maastricht University) as well as working with local communities, strong development environments with high practical relevance are created.

• Multi-day retreats
  On the one hand, these focus on key topics determined by the department’s shared research objectives (e.g. the further development of digital interventions). On the other hand, participants work specifically on optimising internal processes and workflows by identifying problems and jointly developing solutions (e.g. a flagging system for schedule delays). The retreats conclude with shared activities such as barbecues, group games and hiking, providing opportunities for informal exchange and team-building away from the daily work routine.

• Participation and co-creation
  Those affected are invited to take part in research surveys. Collaboration with external stakeholders is established (hackathons, local communities). This gives rise to sustainable and practical projects that reflect the real-life circumstances of those affected.

Website of the Central Institute of Mental Health