Scope
Professional Skills Training
The Professional Skills Training of the EES Academy focuses on skills that go beyond electrochemical energy storage itself, but which are nonetheless essential for scientists and engineers, both during the doctorate and in preparing for a future career in science or industry.
The Professional Skills Training of the EES Academy is organized into four categories: Communication, Management, Good Scientific Practice / Research Ethics, and Equal Opportunities / Diversity / Mentorship.
Communication
Communication is central to science, and it matters for every doctoral researcher, research results are of little value if no one else knows about them. Communicating science takes many forms: writing articles for scientific journals, presenting talks and posters at conferences, engaging with the public, and, ultimately, writing a PhD thesis, which every doctoral researcher must complete. Courses in this category include academic writing, preparing posters and presentation slides, and voice training, among others.
Management
A PhD thesis can be thought of as a project, much like many third-party-funded research activities. Beyond their own research, doctoral researchers often take on additional responsibilities, for instance, supervising bachelor’s and master’s students. As a result, management skills prove useful well before graduation, and typically become even more important later, whether in academia or, especially, in industry. Courses in this category range from time- and self-management to project management.
Good Scientific Practice / Research Ethics
Following the rules of Good Scientific Practice (GSP) is non-negotiable for every scientist. But what exactly do these rules entail? What responsibilities does a doctoral researcher hold? What kinds of conflicts might arise during a doctorate, and how should one respond to a suspected violation? Our Good Scientific Practice / Research Ethics courses address these and related questions.
Research Data Management
Reliable research also depends on sound Research Data Management (RDM). For this reason, RDM courses are categorized under Good Scientific Practice within the EES Academy Qualification Program. Our approach to RDM goes beyond simple compliance with good-practice guidelines: in close collaboration with the RDM activities of the Cluster of Excellence POLiS, we also aim to unlock additional scientific value through systematic data handling and broader data reuse across our research community. We offer workshops on making the best use of Kadi4Mat — developed at KIT — which combines an electronic lab notebook (ELN), a robust data repository, and advanced analysis tools in a single platform.
Equal Opportunities / Diversity
Our doctoral researchers form a diverse group, differing in gender, social and cultural background, nationality, and more. Courses in this category aim to support and empower each individual researcher throughout their doctorate and to help them prepare for their future career, while also strengthening collaboration across this diverse community. Courses include intercultural training, workshops on unconscious bias, career planning and application-process workshops, and more.