The RCC team is available to (prospective) doctoral candidates who have questions about degree programmes, would like to discuss issues and develop solutions, and are interested in career planning, by individual appointment.
TIP: If you would like to take advantage of advice that is more strongly based on a specific specialist culture, you can find out more about the respective academic background of the team members and then decide who you would like to talk to
Target group: Doctoral Candidates
Individual Coaching on How to Write Research Proposals for PhD Theses in the Natural Sciences
Are you currently preparing your research proposal for a doctorate in the Natural Sciences? If yes, we can offer an individual coaching session where you can receive feedback on the draft of your proposal.
During the session, we will discuss your proposal and focus on its comprehensibility as well as the presentation of the research question and the planned methodology. We will check the text for clear structuring and whether the goals of your planned research project are clearly formulated.
When applying for the coaching, please indicate whether you have already been in contact with your supervisor, for which subject/research area you would like to submit the proposal, and in which phase of writing your proposal you are (first draft, almost finished text, etc.).
Important: The coaching provides support for structuring and formulating the proposal. The scientific content is not the topic of the coaching and has to be determined together with the supervisor.
Coach: Dr. Yasmin Dolak-Struss is a trainer and systemic coach for researchers. She studied Technical Physics and did her doctorate in Biomathematics at the Vienna University of Technology. After several years in research, she joined a large research funding organisation where she advised and coached international researchers on European funding programmes and career development. As a certified systemic coach, she supports researchers in finding a successful and happy career path.
We provide advice in personal meetings, via email and by telephone/ video call. Inquiries are, of course, treated confidentially. If necessary, we will refer you to relevant experts within and outside the university. Examples for how a personal consultation can be useful:
- Taking stock of your own career portfolio & planning next steps
- Effectively designing job search & application processes
- Developing strategies to create a supportive environment (i.e. mentors, communication with superiors, teamwork)
- Gaining confidence in new professional roles (i.e. leadership role, independent researcher)
- Financing one's own research
- Time management, compatibility of career & personal well-being
- Networking with key people & targeted information provision
- ...and much more!
External Coaching: The RCC offers a contingent of sessions with professional coaches. Possible areas where coaching can help:
- professional development,
- strategic career planning,
- negotiations,
- job applications,
- drawing professional boundaries,
- overcoming challenges or conflicts,
- working on leadership and team style,
- resilience/well-being.
Special formats:
- From academia to new career paths
- Coaching offer for those in career positions: Coaching für LaufbahnstelleninhaberInnen
For a free list of coaches write to rcc@uni-graz.at. If budget is available, we will confirm your spot, and you can schedule the appointment on your own. We do not share information about researchers who use coaching with third parties. After coaching, we will send you a brief satisfaction questionnaire to ensure that we are providing quality services on an ongoing basis.
Individual writing coaching for doctoral candidates
Are you completing a doctoral programme at the University of Graz and looking for professional support in writing your dissertation?
In individual writing coaching we discuss your questions relating to the writing process or the organisation of your dissertation project and develop specific solutions tailored to your individual needs. Possible focal points may include:
- Structuring: How do I organise my complex ideas and develop a clear line of argument for my dissertation?
- Focussing: How do I narrow down a research topic in order to be able to work on it in depth?
- Structure: How could the structure of my dissertation or individual parts of the text be more comprehensible, logical and convincing?
- Writing flow: How do I get started writing - and establish a productive, joyful mode of writing?
- Writer's block: What can I do when my writing is blocked?
- Reading: How do I manage and organise my literature research and reading without getting lost?
- Revision: How do I revise and improve academic texts - and how can I recognise when a text is finished?
- Writing style: How do I ensure a clear, convincing and comprehensible writing style in my academic texts?
- Dealing with negative feedback: How do I deal with feedback that is demotivating or incomprehensible?
- Time and project planning: How do I plan my dissertation project realistically and maintain an overview and timeline despite other commitments?
- Dealing with pressure and perfectionism: How do I deal with perfectionism or the feeling that my writing might never be “good enough"?
This offer is aimed at doctoral researchers from all disciplines and is consisting of three coaching sessions (60 minutes each, online via Zoom). If required, all or part of the agreed coaching time can be used for written text feedback: in this case, you will receive detailed feedback with specific suggestions for revision on a submitted text excerpt.
The coaching can be held in German or English. German and English text excerpts can be submitted for text feedback.
To register for writing coaching, please send an e-mail to doktorat(at)uni-graz.at. Please outline your request in one or two sentences. Once you have been approved, you will be contacted directly by your writing coach Claudia Macho for further consultation.
Dr Claudia Macho has been working as a writing trainer and coach in the academic field for over 10 years. In this role, she supports doctoral candidates in particular in developing and professionalising their academic writing skills. Further information can be found at: www.claudiamacho.at
NOTE: There are also active writing groups at the University of Graz. You can find more information here.
You can sign up for a coaching session with Desiree Dickerson. In order to be able to arrange the individual appointment, we will contact you as soon as possible after your registration (per e-mail to rcc@uni-graz.at).
During coaching session, you will explore the way that you think. Thoughts that shape how you interpret the world around you and that drive how you act and interact. Thoughts that determine how you feel and in turn impact significantly on your motivation, enjoyment, curiosity and creativity.
These thinking patterns, however, often work against us.
In this age of ever-increasing pressure and competition, these thought processes can amplify the stress and uncertainty you feel, and the anxiety, burnout and depression academics as a community are increasingly experiencing.
Together, you’ll focus on exploring thought patterns that hinder your productivity; that distort how you perceive your abilities; and that provide a constant drain on your energy and mental space.
You will address how alternative mental models can enhance motivation, attention, and creativity; increase your resilience to stress, anxiety and burnout; and enhance your well-being and work-life balance.
Your well-being AND peak performance are not mutually exclusive. The goal is to maximise your cognitive and emotional performance whilst creating a sustainable, effective and enjoyable lifestyle.
Desiree Dickerson is an academic resilience coach who specialises in mental health and well-being of the academic community. As a former postdoc in the neurosciences and a clinical psychologist, Desiree works with academic institutions, research groups, and individuals in the pursuit of a healthier approach to research.
She has also contributed to the dialogue around mental health and well-being in academia through pieces on imposter syndrome, grad school mental health and a recent one on Mental health strategies during COVID.
Connecting you to professionals for an informal chat about their own careers: Over the years, we’ve built a network of experienced individuals in research-related leadership roles, in research positions outside the university, and with really exciting jobs which suit a person with a research background. Upon request, we make this contact list available to our University of Graz postdocs. It‘s a curated list of selected people, and like a good library it can provide information from a great diversity of disciplines and fields. You can browse these professionals‘ profiles and we can facilitate contact with one of them. All of the professionals on the list are happy to have an informal chat with you about their career path, their daily work life, success strategies, networking tips, and more. Request via email!
For all those personal or interpersonal problems where you do not know whom to turn to, the Doctoral Academy Ombudsperson Office is there for you. Here you can gain an insight into the inquiry process and the ombudspersons who can offer you support.