Gender Equality Office
The Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods thrives on outstanding scientific talent and creativity. We believe that a diverse and equitable workplace not only fosters innovation and creativity but also reflects our commitment to social responsibility and ethical business practices.
At our institute, we strive to create a culture and atmosphere in which everyone can develop their individual abilities. In creating equal opportunities, we also focus on reconciling family life and research, especially by supporting young academics at the beginning of their careers.
This page provides an overview of our local gender equality offers as well as hyperlinks to several central services and contact points. Contact details for all the staff mentioned here can be found in the
This page provides an overview of our local gender equality offers as well as hyperlinks to several central services and contact points. Contact details for all the staff mentioned here can be found in the people section. In addition, you are very welcome to contact us, the local Gender Equality Officers, with any concerns or questions you may have. Emails to geo@coll.mpg.de are visible to all currently appointed Gender Equality Officers. We look forward to hearing from you!
Family Service
The compatibility of research and family is very important to us and requires support in several areas. Specifically, the Max Planck Society (MPG) and our MPI offer the following:
- The Max Planck Society cooperates with pme, a private consultancy for family services. In particular, all employees have access to parental and childcare counselling as well as (elderly) care counselling. Please visit the MPG's Family Office intranet site for more information and contact details.
- Our institute cooperates with one of the largest childcare providers in Germany to support employees in finding a place at a daycare center (KiTa) in Bonn or Cologne. Please contact our personnel managers for assistance.
- If you need time to care for relatives, for example, please also contact our institute’s personnel managers to discuss possible options.
- There are reimbursement options for childcare services during business trips. Please contact our travel expense manager before applying for the business trip.
Sexual harassment
Sexual and sexualized violence are an everyday reality. The International Labour Organization ILO estimates that one in two women has experienced sexualized harassment in the workplace. The vast majority of sexualized harassment is experienced by women, but men can also be victims. If you feel discriminated against because of your gender, or if you have experienced or observed sexualized harassment or violence, you can either send us an email or contact Laura Breitkopf directly. Everything you share with any of us will be treated confidentially. You can also find more information here.
General counselling: EMAP
We would like to draw your attention to a service that is offered in the area of mental and corporate health. All employees of the Max Planck Society who face personal, job-related, or (mental) health issues can contact EMAP (Employee and Manager Assistance Program) to receive free and immediate counselling.
Promotion of women
The MPG offers several programs to support female scientists in their careers. The programs target different career stages, and whether they are relevant for you depends on your personal situation and goals:
- The “Minerva FemmeNet” is an MPG-wide mentoring program that offers support to all female junior scientists – from graduates to top qualified scientists – tailored towards their respective professional qualifications.
- Other career building programs, such as “Sign Up!”, are introduced here. For example, Sign Up! aims to prepare female postdocs for managerial positions in science.
- The “Minerva Fast Track” program offers outstanding female scientists the opportunity for long-term career planning after completing their doctorate. A call for nominations for these positions is published in the late summer of each year. After successfully completing a dissertation or first postdoc, candidates have the opportunity to receive several years of funding with the aim of subsequently applying for an open topic Max Planck Research Group or to start a scientific career elsewhere.
- The Lise Meitner Excellence Program was created for highly talented young women scientists who received their doctorates no more than nine years ago (family breaks are taken into consideration accordingly). The MPG offers them the opportunity to apply for a position as a Leader of a Lise Meitner Research Group in all fields of science.