24th Young Researchers Meeting 2026

Career planning for Climate Scientists

11 and 12 June 2026, Hotel Meielisalp, Leissigen am Thunersee

REGISTRATION FOR THE YOUNG RESEARCHERS MEETING IS CLOSED.

Scope

What comes after a PhD? The YRM 2026 edition addresses the topic of career planning. You will receive practical assistance with your application dossier and with marketing yourself at job interviews. You will also assess your options in the job market, and discuss the opportunities, requirements and limitations of careers in academia versus industry or administration.

Program

Thursday: Andrea Biedermann, a researcher, trainer and career coach, will present and lead workshops addressing how to identify the right job for you, understand current job markets, and prepare to reach the second round of assessments.

Friday morning: Julia Cahenzli from the Swiss National Sciences Foundation will focus on current and future funding opportunities, and Flavio Anselmetti will focus on competing for Postdoc fellowships, taking from his experiences of writing proposals and being a member of review panels.

Friday afternoon: Gesa Eirund, Chantal Camenisch, and Sven Kotlarski will discuss their career paths in academia, industry, and administration, share insights on planning careers, and offer perspectives from the interviewer's side.

Venue and Travel

Hotel Meielisalp: www.meielisalp.ch
Accommodation: Full board. Double room as a default, triple or four-bed rooms may be assigned.
Meals: Please note that we will opt for vegetarian food. You may specify special diets in the registration, but need to be aware that not everything can be catered for.
Costs: The costs of the meeting (full board accommodation and teaching material) are covered by the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research. Reimbursement of travel expenses must be organized through the individual projects / research groups.
For any further question and requirements please contact Isabel Jakob (isabel.jakob@unibe.ch)

These are the ideal connections from Bern to Spiez Bahnhof.
09:04 dep. Bern (IC to Interlaken Ost)
09:34 arr. Spiez, board the private shuttle bus to the hotel.
Upon notification (see registration), you can make your own way to the hotel. If you prefer to walk from Leissigen, for instance, count with 30 - 45 minutes steep uphill.

On Friday, the shuttle bus to Bahnhof Spiez will depart at 15:50 to make the connection to Bern.