A look back at the 2026 Young Talent Forum

A heartfelt thank you to all 17 participants from various locations – from Bielefeld to Göttingen and as far afield as Austria! – who came together on 24 March 2026 for the first Early-Career Forum organised by DiCE. A wonderful mix of curiosity, experience and shared goals: Helping to shape the future of chemistry education – together, as a network, with a focus on the next generation.

What happened?
After a warm welcome and a round of personal introductions, we headed straight into the future:
Writing weekend: 8–10 May 2026 in Bielefeld – time for ideas, writing and discussion amongst like-minded people.
Social Hour: 15 May & 5 October 2026 | 2–3 pm – short breaks, great conversations.
Young Researchers’ Meeting at the FGCU Annual Conference: 23 September 2026 in Göttingen – a highlight we’re already looking forward to!

The discussions were profound, honest and inspiring:

• How can you publish your doctoral thesis cost-effectively?
• What are the differences between the various locations, and how can we use these to develop shared strengths?
• What are the financial hurdles during the PhD phase and how can we work together to find solutions?
  → Let’s do a bit of research: Are there funding opportunities for PhD students in the final stages?
• What is the best approach: Thesis → Research or Thesis → Work → Secondment or Research → Thesis?
  → The majority voted: Combining research and practice – that’s the key. However: reality is often complex – authorities, permits, bureaucratic hurdles.
• Teaching hours – for example, within the LemaS Initiative – already contribute significantly to linking theory and practice, but: these individuals rarely conduct research themselves.
  → Can this be changed?
  → Yes! New research models in educational research could be a valuable addition here, particularly if they are participatory, practice-oriented and focused on early-career researchers.

Our aim?
We’re collecting your tips, tricks and experiences – on publishing, funding and research practice – and making them available on our Working Group for Early-Career Researchers homepage. Your voice counts and your experiences are valuable.

We are more than just PhD students, postdocs and junior lecturers. We are a community that conducts research, networks, supports one another and works together to further develop chemistry education.