How to prepare for the symposium and interview
Selected candidates are invited for a personal interview and presentation in Berlin. These usually take place in mid-January.
The presentation at the symposium is open to and attended by all SCIoI members (PIs, (post)doctoral candidates and staff) and questions from the audience after the presentation are to be expected.
Interviews are conducted separately with the subcommittee for each position/project.
Venue
The last symposium took place at SCIoI in Marchstraße 23, 10623 Berlin
Individual interviews take place in the SCIoI offices in Marchstraße 23, 6th floor.
All talks and interviews are conducted in English. Your personal attendance at the symposium is mandatory.
Dress code
There is no dress code as such. Most importantly, you should wear something that you feel comfortable in. However, you cannot go wrong with “business casual”. Also, keep in mind that January is one of the coldest months in Berlin.
Presenting at the Symposium
– consider your audience: PIs, fellow applicants, postdocs and PhDs from diverse research disciplines
– remember that your audience may be several feet away from the screen and may not be able to read or see very small details.
– do not crowd your slides. If you feel you need too many elements on one slide, chances are your focus is not quite clear
– less is more. You have only 10 minutes to present. Choose your slides well or you will end up flashing through too many slides with insufficient time to explain each one
– try to calm your nerves; don’t forget that you received an invitation because we are impressed with your academic achievements. Now we want to get to know you and your research better
During the presentations of your fellow applicants
– Keep in mind that some of the presenters may be your future colleagues and this is a great opportunity to get to know them.
– We encourage you to ask questions during the symposia.
– We hope you will attend as many presentations as possible.
Preparing for your interview:
After the presentations, candidates will interview individually with the respective subcommittees. Interviews will be about 30 minutes long. Representatives from the HR department and from the Equal Opportunity office are invited and may attend some of the interviews (observation only).
During the interview, members of the subcommittees will ask you about your research, your interest in SCIoI in general, and the position in particular. They may also refer to your presentation.
While all interviews can be nerve-wracking, we would like to remind you that they also offer an opportunity for you to get to know the project PIs. Questions from you are most welcome.
Social program
Besides our academic schedule, you will have plenty of time to meet with your fellow candidates, socialize and have fun experiencing Berlin.
Practical information
Travel and accommodation
SCIoI will cover travel and accommodation costs for interview candidates not residing in Berlin.*
Due to environmental considerations, SCIoI will cover flight tickets for trajectories from 1000 km and above.
In all other cases, only train or bus fares will be reimbursed.
*Return ticket, economy class.
Accommodation (60 EUR/night) for a maximum of 4 nights.
Travel costs and reimbursement
You will be refunded for travel and accommodation AFTER the interview has taken place.
To shorten the process, please make sure you provide us with the correct bank and account details.
Please bring your bank details and your residential address connected to your bank account in paper copy to the interview.
N.B. ALL GERMAN RESIDENTS, regardless of citizenship, are required to provide their tax number as well (“Steuernummer”).
Visas
If you need a visa, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can write a letter of support for you to take to the embassy.
We may also be able to contact the embassy directly once you have a registration number for your visa.
