What do researchers do to stay connected and create spaces of belonging for themselves?
Webinar report: “Communities for a more fun and kind academia”, 16.09.2025, Johanna Stadlbauer
Valentina Riva (of ISTA) and Johanna Stadlbauer (of the RCC/PostDoc Office) recently hosted a session on as part of PostDoc Appreciation Week Austria, and the participants had a whole lot of useful ideas!
Examples named during the session:
- Find like-minded people, often at conferences in (after!) talks - and keep contact beyond the specific conference
- Game nights at the department
- Biweekly coffee hours (on team-level or on university-wide postdoc-level), low-threshold to join and just chat about everything
- Offer something free or with little own fee (pizza / drinks)
- Don’t get discouraged if only a small number shows up: "it's not the quantity of people that counts, it's the quality (of consistent participants)"
- Use a structured way of finding group identity, a code of conduct, set expectations community canvas! community-canvas.org
- Have an icebreaker every time, aim to make people laugh and move
- If you want everyone to open up, go first
- Find at least one other person to start building up the community - more fun, more creative, contribute each one's strengths
- Don’t be scared to leave your comfort zone - it will be uncomfortable before it gets fun
- Consistency - keep it going even if not many people show up at the beginning
- Be aware of essentials like who is responsible for sending invites, rotate note-taking, ways of group communication
- Consider joining online communties with others in similar research topic/peer-supporting groups
- If you’re new: don't be afraid to get involved, if you’re not new: don't forget how it feels to be a newcomer
- It helps to be genuinely interested in people as persons, not only as researchers
- …and finally: Work less and enjoy life and people around you more!
More tips can be found in Blog post #55 (forming groups about advocacy), #43 (how to facilitate a peer group), Blog - Information und Service für PostDocs
What do researchers name when asked about what makes work fun for them? The participants came up with a lot, often centered around food!
Examples of a work environment that is fun and kind:
- Working with a PI that understands that there's more than hard work and allows you to actually take time to enjoy what you do
- Having colleagues/office mates that are interested in being social
- Being a part of professional networks that consciously practice kindness
- Organizing conferences that have flat hierarchy, an open and welcoming culture, include student talks and awards, and honors everyone for participating, as well as chocolate, a dance party and dinner with games
- Access to dedicated funding from schools/departments for social activities among postdocs (or having the PI pay for pizza!)
- Access to a postdoc office that helps with future career plans
- Breakrooms with couch and some means to “play” during work breaks
- Bringing food to share to work
- Art-science interactions
- Being involved in interest group meetings to talk, share, present and have pizza
We like that the topic of food features so much here - that means we are right in offering our semesterly pizza night (coming up again on Oct 15!)!