Equal Opportunities

Talent, creativity and passion - that is what the Max Planck Society believes in. They support their employees regardless of their sex, age, disability, race, religion, nationality, cultural background or sexual identity, because this diversity forms the basis for the outstanding research carried out at over 80 Max Planck institutes.

The Max Planck Society offers

  • Childcare places at day-care centres; contract with the service company "pme Familienservice" to arrange care (including care for the elderly); financial subsidies for childcare at conferences; parent-child room
  • Subsidies for scholarship holders
  • Dual-Career-Service: help and care facilities for dual-career scientist couples in the appointment of director positions
  • Possibilities of part-time-working and teleworking
  • Central equal opportunities officer as well as local officers at institutes
  • Guide for a constructive interface between male and female scientists
  • Max Planck Institutes take part in a number of projects, such as the nationwide Girls’ Day initiative, student laboratories, experiments for children not yet of school age etc.

Special programs for female scientists

  • W3 Programme for the Advancement of Outstanding Female Scientists in senior positions
  • Minerva-FemmeNet: a mentoring network for female doctoral students and diploma students, for postdoctoral students and those working on lecturing qualifications
  • Elisabeth-Schiemann-Kolleg: a network for female scientists after their postdoc phase that is part of the MPG Chemistry, Physics and Technology Section
  • Option for female scientists to extend a fixed term contract by six months to allow for pregnancy and childbirth
  • Career development: MPG offers selected female scientists (postdocs) to take part in the seminar program  "Sign up! Careerbuilding"
  • Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard-Foundation: supports talented young female scientists with children
  • MPG uses the AcademiaNet database: The database aims to showcase excellent female researchers from all disciplines.
  • The Minerva Fast Track pilot project of the MPG Chemistry, Physics and Technology Section offers outstanding female scientists the chance of postdoctoral long term career planing; funding for max. three years directly after dissertation or after the first postdoc with the aim to apply for Max Planck Research Group Leader afterwards.

MPQ Equal Opportunities Officers

Equal opportunities officers are important protagonists in the Max Planck Institutes and facilities. In a voluntary or part-time capacity, they carry out gender equality work on site, championing gender equality and gender sensitivity. They are the points of contact for employees in all questions regarding career advancement and to help eliminate disadvantages. They "cooperate in all personnel, organisational and social measures concerning the equality of women and men, the compatibility of family and gainful employment as well as the protection against sexual harassment at the workplace". The position of Equal Opportunities Officer is a four-year elective office. All female employees of the MPG currently have active and passive voting rights.

In addition, the Max Planck Society also has a Central Equal Opportunities Commissioner. She advises and supports her local gender equality colleagues from the Max Planck Institutes and represents gender equality interests both internally and externally. She also acts as an interface between her institute positions and concerns are communicated to the other side. She advises the Max Planck Society on their gender equality policy and actively participates in the development of the gender equality programme and strategy.

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