LeadNet was founded in 2009/2010 by Mario Albrecht from the MPI-I and our first symposium took place in May 2010 in Castle Waldthausen in Mainz. Below you can find a summary of the main activities of each of the past symposia.
LeadNet Meeting 2019
The LeadNet Symposium 2019 took place from May 6th to 7th, 2019 in the Harnack Haus in Berlin.
LeadNet Meeting 2018
The LeadNet Symposium 2018 took place from May 16th to 17th, 2018 in the Harnack Haus in Berlin.
LeadNet Meeting 2017
The LeadNet Symposium 2017 took place from May 9th to 10th, 2017 in the Harnack Haus in Berlin. We assembled an exciting program which includes
Our keynote speaker
Dr. Wilhelm Krull – the Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation
Get to know your section peers
Engage with your peers and share scientific and technology knowledge
Explore the latest digital tools and services
Immerse yourself and get hands on with digital solutions for MPG researchers
Become a Poster-Bird
Present a poster and get 50% discount off your accommodation (only for the first 40 posters)
Boost you career
Learn more about grant writing and get tips from experienced peers
Be part of us
Join our community of MPG research leaders: Become a shaping maker and visionary of LeadNet
Eat, drink, and connect
Network with other like-minded colleagues throughout the event
The LeadNet conference 2017 was free of charge thanks to the support of the General Administration of the MPG.
The LeadNet Jazz Night was supported by:
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LeadNet Meeting 2016
LeadNet Meeting 2015
The Sixth Max-Planck LeadNet Meeting was hosted in the newly renovated Harnack Haus – it was good to be back. After the LeadNet Business meeting on Monday morning the meeting started with four cross-sectional workshops covering the topics “Challenges in visualisation of complex data”, “Rise to the challenge – approaching science in different sections”, “Imaging facilities – get together session” and a “Postdoc workshop: How to organize a successful postdoc” – in the 2015 meeting, we explicitly started also inviting senior postdocs to the LeadNet meeting.
After a coffee-break, the first common session took place. We hosted a talk from Birgit Adam, who is developing the framework for an alumni network for the MPG, Ulrich Betz from Merch Serono, talking about the move from academia to industry. Most importantly, we were happy to welcome the new President of the MPG, Martin Stratmann, who talked about his vision for the MPG, followed by a discussion with the group leaders.
After dinner, we met for some snacks, for a drink and the poster session aiming to connect the various researchers of the MPG regardless of their status within the society.
The second day started with the common scientific session. Our keynote speaker was Nicole Dubilier (MPI for Marine Biology). Nicole was one of the co-founders of LeadNet and has meanwhile advanced to a director position in Bremen. She talked about her fascinating research about host-microbe interactions of the chemosynthetic habitats in our oceans. The talks from the three sessions followed, with Alban Kellerbauer (MPI for Nuclear Physics, CPTS), who talked about antimatter, Frank Schnorrer (MPI of Biochemistry, BMS) reporting on flight muscles and the wing commander and Dagmar Ellerbrock (TU Dresden, GSHS) talking about understanding violence and gun cultures.
The coffee-break prepared for the career session. Ulla Weber (MPG Headquarters) presented facts and figures on family and equal gender in the MPG, followed by a talk from Bernhard Keimer (MPI for Solid State Spectroscopy) introducing the Schiemann Kolleg as an instrument for mentoring young female scientists. The last talk of the session was by Dagmar Ellerbrock (TU Dresden), who talked about her experience of moving from the MPG to University and the long way to get there.
Following lunch, Bianca Habermann reported on the newest developments and achievements of the Presidential Committee for Career Development of Young Researchers in the MPG, which resulted in a vivid discussion on the situation of young researchers and their situation in the society.
In the last session and workshop, funding possibilities and strategies were discussed. Rüdiger Hesse (MPG, MPG Brussels office) presented the Horizon 2020 and the European schemes. Britta Mädge from the DFG talked about funding tools for group leaders.
Check out the LeadNet 2015 Page
LeadNet Meeting 2014
The Fifth Max-Planck LeadNet Meeting was hosted again at the Castle Waldhausen in Mainz. After the LeadNet Business meeting on Monday morning the meeting gained speed with three cross-sectional workshops covering the topics “Brains, Behaviour and Complex Dynamics”, “Renewable Energy and Energiewende” and “Making use of Omics”.
After a coffee-break all participants attended the common session focusing on the organization of the MGP as well as on career development within the MPG. Heidi Schuster (MPG Headquarters) reported on issues of data security and privacy, Michael Schmid (Ernst Strüngmann Institute of Neuroscience) and Dagmar Wachten (CAESAR) introduced the structure, organization and research focus of two unusual institutes within the Max Planck Society. As a highlight of this session Vice President Herbert Jäckle presented insights into the Max Planck Society and its primary goals. He talked about the organizational structure of the society, the individual governing bodies and the research activities and he answered – as all the years before – many questions coming from the audience initiating a lively discussion.
After a late dinner, everyone met for a get-together, for a drink and the poster session aiming to connect the various research groups of the MPG regardless of their status within the society.
The second day started with the keynote speaker Wolfang Schmidt (MPI for Coal Research) who gave a fascinating overview on energy- and petrochemistry-related applications of nanoporous solids. Three more Joint Scientific Sessions followed with the aim to bring the three sections of the MPG together. Martin Hilchenbach (MPI for Solar Systems Research, CPTS) reported on the exciting Rosetta mission, ESA’s comet lander, Christian Kost (MPI of Chemical Ecology, BMS) explained how bacteria become superorganisms by forming complex metabolic networks and Molly Henry (MPI for Hunan Cognitive and Brain Sciences, GSHS) introduced human perceptual experiences and how our brains depend on synchronization with the environment.
The coffee-break prepared for the next session with a career focus. Ulla Weber (MPG Headquarters) presented facts and figures on family and equal gender in the MPG, followed by a talk from Mario Albrecht (University of Graz) giving recommendations from his own experience how to reach a professor position from a group leader position at MPG. The last talk of the session was by Johanna Erdmenger (MPI for Physics) on the newest developments and achievements of the Presidential Committee for Career Development of Young Researchers in the MPG. For the first time the Max-Planck LeadNet meeting had the honor to have two Vice Presidents as speakers. Vice President Ferdi Schüth shared his view on the MPG, its functional bodies and structural organization and, as Herbert Jäckle before, answered in detail all the questions coming from the audience.
In the last session and workshop, funding possibilities and strategies were discussed in a round table atmosphere. Cornelia Schneider (EU-bureau of the BMBF) presented the Horizon 2020 and the FET funding programs and Katja Hübel (MPI für Eisenforschung GmbH) shared her experience of 10 years as a consultant and gave valuable advice on how to write a successful grant proposal.
Check out the LeadNet 2014 Website
LeadNet Meeting 2013
For the LeadNet Meeting 2013 we moved back to Castle Waldthausen in Mainz. Three scientific workshops were organized, two of which were cross-sectional. We looked at the concept of change – or ageing across the sections, discussed imaging technology in the three different sections and also organized a workshop that looked at mass-spectrometry in the different MPIs.
After the workshops, Barbara Müller from the MPG Headquarters introduced us to the role the Institute Representatives play as bridging the individual Institutes and the General Administration (GV). Next, Roland Diehl (MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics) explained the duties of the Scientific Representatives within their Institutes and also in their Section. Finally Vice President Herbert Jäckle talked about the Max Planck Society and answered many of our questions. Late after dinner, we had a post-doc special held by Masanori Nakayama (MPI for Molecular Biomedicine) and the Genome Center Cologne, represented by Richard Reinhardt and Lisa Czaja introduced itself.
This years Keynote Speaker was Martin Binder, a former MPG group leader, who now heads a group at the University of Sussex on Happiness and Economics, talking about what aspects of our lives are most important for our happiness.
In the Talks across the Sections, we had two speakers from CPTS this year: Silvia Kloster (MPI for Meteorology) talked about the effect Fire has on Earth’s climate. Jin-Song von Storch (MPI for Meteorology) introduced her project on high-resolution modeling of climate effects. Finally, Annette Baudisch (MPI for Demographic Research, GSHS) talked about the manifold ways, different organisms age.
In the Career Session of the second day, Anke Hübenthal (FemmeNet) talked about the support, female scientists and families can get from the MPG. Mario Albrecht talked about his experience in switching from a Group Leader position in the MPG to a University Professorship. Finally, Reinhard Jahn (MPI for Biophysical Chemistry) introduced the work the presidential commission is planning to support young researchers in the MPG.
In the last session, we hosted a 3rd party funding workshop. Katja Hübel (MPI for Iron Research, EU office) presented ways how to write a successful ERC grant, Reinhard Jahn (MPI for Biophysical Chemistry) gave the perspective of an ERC Panel Chair, Andre Schlochtermeier (EU-office of the BMBF) introduced the new Funding Scheme of the EU, Horizon2020. Finally, Andreas Strecker (DFG) introduced the Funding Instruments of the DFG for MPI-Scientists.
Check out the LeadNet 2013 Website
LeadNet Meeting 2012
In 2012, we hosted the meeting at the Harnack Haus in Berlin. We had our first truly cross-sectional workshop on the Evolution of Systems, organized by Sebastian Leidel. Workshops on Image Analysis in Living Systems, as well as NGS-Sequencing and Sequence Analysis were also organized. Finally, we hosted a soft-skill workshop on Media Skills: how to interact with the public and the press.
Herbert Jäckle again showed his support and joined us for a question&answer session on the first day.
On the second day, our Keynote Speaker was Peter Friedl from the University of Nijmegen, who introduced his latest work.
At the 2012 meeting, we had our first common scientific session, where excellent young group leaders from each of the three sections of the MPG introduced their work to the LeadNet participants. We hosted Björn Siemers (BMS), Dirk Notz (CPTS) and Nadjma Yassari (GSHS).
In the Career & Administrative Session of the second day, we hosted a session on Equal Gender Opportunity within the MPG, where Anke Hübenthal introduced Femmenet, the support network for female scientists at the MPG. Petra Schwille, the newly appointed director at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich talked about measures taken within the MPG to raise the number of female directors in the society and she gave a very personal talk on how to become a successful scientist as a woman.
The Career Path section was joined by Christoph Thiele, who talked about his experience on what it takes for a young Max Planck Research Group Leader to become a University Professor.
In the afternoon of the second day, we had a mini-Workshop on how to write a successful ERC-grant. Katja Hübel from the MPG was leading the workshop together with Salim Chehab from the ERC-office of the BMBF and Allesandra Ferrari from the EU-office in Brussels. Matthew Holt gave an account of the ERC-procedure as a successful applicant.
Check out the LeadNet 2012 Website
LeadNet Meeting 2011
In 2011, we moved the meeting to the Harnack Haus in Berlin. We hosted three workshops, one on Neural Coding and Neuromodulation, one on Computational Biology and the third workshop on Imaging Technologies was partly common and therefore represents our first cross-sectional workshop.
Herbert Jäckle again joined us for a question&answer session on the first day.
On the second day, we had our first keynote speaker, Eugene Myers, who now heads the Systems Biology Institute at the MPI-CBG in Dresden.
Non-scientific speakers included Marlis Mirbach from the Equal Opportunity Office of the MPG, Christine Beck, Head of Press and Public Relations in the Max Planck Society, and with Jörn Erselius, Managing Director of Max Planck Innovation and Heinrich Spiecker & Uwe Schröer, the founding directors of the Max Planck Spin-off LaVision Biotec, we had our first Career Path Talks.
Check out the LeadNet 2011 Website
LeadNet Meeting 2010
In our first meeting, we had invited speakers from the MPG, as well as the DFG. The meetings started with mini-Workshops on Computational Biology, as well as Host-Microbe Interactions. In the common session, the Vice-President of the Biomedical Section, Herbert Jäckle, informed us about the MPG and answered our questions for more than three hours.
On the second day, Benjamin Bowman from the Max Planck library, as well as Nicola Gaedeke, who organizes and leads the online Bioinformatics Workshops for the MPG informed us about their services.
A mini-workshop on Negotiation Strategies was offered by Gabriele Gebhardt.
Finally, we had very informative talks on 3rd party funding from the EU (Patrice Wegener) and the DFG (Dr. Nikolai Raffler).
Check out the LeadNet 2010 Website