Are you looking for support?

Being a post-doctoral researcher comes with its own set of challenges, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Unfortunaly, those challenges can sometimes add up to a burden that is hard to carry. Know that you are not alone, and that one of our aims at PNM is to provide a social support network, with other post-docs that can understand your situation.

If you wish to seek professional help, which is highly recommended no matter how "small" you think your concerns might be, know that the University of Münster provides:

• A counselling service: click here
• Outpatient psychotherapy: click here
• Representatives for employees with severe, long-term impairments, that can help you get official recognition of your diagnoses and adapt your working conditions: click here

On top of taking care of your health directly, do not hesitate to reach out to members of the University of Münster to discuss your professional situation. You can for example contact:

• The "Personalrat" = German equivalent of HR. You can find out more here
• The CERes (=Center for Emerging Researchers), that offers confidential, cross-disciplinary consultations to provide you with information and resources, and give you advice about possible steps you can take: click here

Power imbalance in academia: young researchers at risk

Do you feel a pit in your stomach every day when you arrive at work? Have you been the witness to verbal abuse? Do your vacation requests get denied without written documentation?

Above are just a few examples of what can be symptoms of a situation of "abuse of power". Hereafter is one of several ways to define it:

"Abuse of power is the misuse or excessive use of authority to achieve goals through coercion, manipulation, or exploitation. It involves an asymmetry in power—where the person in charge can influence others’ rights, opportunities, or welfare without adequate checks or accountability."( source)

Unfortunately, the nature of academic culture makes it a perfect set up for situations of abuse of power to arise. Fortunately, mindsets are progressively changing, and initiatives against its pervasiveness are emerging. Here are a few places you can turn to:

• At the scale of Germany, an academic-specific network exists to support you in this situation: the Netzwerk gegen Machtmissbrauch in der Wissenschaft
• At the scale of Nordrhein-Westfalen, you can get free legal counselling here: NRW Machtmissbrauch Rechtsberatung
• At the scale of the University of Münster, you can file a complaint with the Compliance Office

If you believe you may be the subject of discrimination, you can also turn to:

• At the scale of Germany, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency, that can provide free initial legal advice on your situation:click here
• At the scale of the University of Münster, the Equal Opportunity office: click here

In the mean time, do not hesitate to write down everything that has taken place, including the time and date, and carefully document what may become of use later. Do not remain isolated, strength comes in numbers! We are also here for you.