TT-Interviews

Dr. Sophia Rudorf, tenure-track professor for Computational Biology at Leibniz University Hannover (LUH)

Why did you choose the tenure track career path?
After working at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces directly after the conferral of my doctorate, a professorship seemed like the natural next step in my career. I found the tenure-track professorship particularly attractive because, unlike other typical career moves, it offers realistic long-term prospects to continue working in research and teaching.
A reduction of the teaching hours is a great advantage of the tenure phase. One is also “spared” somewhat from participating in committees during this time. The focus is very clearly on good teaching performance and the establishment of an own research group.

From today’s perspective, would you advise a young scientist to apply for a tenure-track professorship in Germany? Why or why not?
Notwithstanding the aforementioned advantages, potential candidates should clearly understand that the performance expectations for tenure-track professors are high. One must be able to withstand the resulting pressure during the probationary period, which is after all five years. From today’s perspective, I would definitely advise any passionate young scientist with staying power to apply for a tenure-track professorship in Germany. It’s an excellent opportunity to build a long-term academic career and to work in a demanding but rewarding environment.

What made your job offer attractive and why did you decide to accept this offer?
The opportunity at Leibniz University came at exactly the right time for me and was a perfect fit for my research area. It was clear that I would have many interesting points of contact within the faculty, the university, the city and the region. I have already been able to initiate numerous new cooperation projects since coming to LUH more than three years ago. I consider this perfect fit of my expertise with the local circumstances to be essential for success in the tenure-track programme.
The prospect of a W3-level tenure position was another attractive aspect of the job offer. The university’s location is also ideal for me and my family, making a professorship at LUH much more attractive than, for example, a comparable position abroad. Altogether these factors were decisive for my ultimate decision in favour of the Leibniz University Hannover’s offer.

What tips do you have for potential applicants for a tenure-track professorship based on your personal experiences in the selection and appointment process?
I think it’s extremely important to take sufficient time for the application and to do thorough research. You should intensively examine the question of what makes you a good fit for the advertised position and what makes you attractive for the faculty. It’s crucial to also give teaching its due and to prepare a high-quality demonstration lesson. Above all, you should have a concrete and convincing idea of how to move the institution forward in cooperation with colleagues.
One can however encounter surprising details in the process: In my case, for example, it only became clear after the application procedure that the agreed goals in fact had to be reached after just four rather than five years. It can also be helpful to inform yourself in advance of what happens if the tenure process is unsuccessful or in case the tenure phase is interrupted, for instance by the birth of a child.

What support programmes (aimed at professional development, family obligations and/or equal opportunities, for example) have helped you personally? What additional support would you like to see?
The support of people close to me, in particular the director of the institute and faculty colleagues, was especially helpful. LUH also offers practical support, for instance an outstanding ERC application service as well as free, readily accessible emergency childcare. Professional coaching is also offered for professors along with numerous offers for new appointees that benefited me a great deal as a tenure-track professor.

To what extent was the tenure-track professorship career path decisive in choosing to focus on Germany for your further scientific career planning?
My family situation would have made a career abroad much less attractive. For me, the opportunity to have long-term prospects for an academic career in Germany was decisive for the application. I would not have applied if the position had not included a commitment to the tenure track.

You have successfully completed the interim evaluation. How did that go and what was the process like for you? What tips do you have for other scientists?
An interim evaluation in that sense is not done at LUH. Instead, you have a status meeting with the dean. This meeting is intended to identify any existing risks and to offer suggestions for corrective actions. I prepared for the meeting by extensively documenting my performance to date and writing a report on my activities. After the meeting, I felt that my assessment that I am already very well positioned was confirmed. I think this reflection can be very helpful, even though the status meeting in Hannover has no direct consequences for the process.