Postdocs at HZB: Crucial for research, innovation and diversity
At HZB, 117 postdocs from 29 countries are employed. They play a crucial role in driving the main research activities, fostering creativity and innovation. To honor them, the Postdoc Appreciation Week was first organised in the USA in 2009 and has in the meantime become a regular event in Germany as well in the third week of September every year.
The Postdoc Appreciation Week will take place from 16 to 20 September 2024 and is an important occasion to recognise and celebrate postdocs for their significant contributions to research and academic life.
Bernd Rech, Scientific Director of HZB, emphasizes: "Our postdocs make a crucial contribution to scientific progress at HZB. They are not only involved in research but also contribute to the development of scientific infrastructures, take responsibility for supervising doctoral researchers, and support their career development. The Postdoc Appreciation Week is an excellent opportunity to highlight how indispensable our postdocs are to HZB, with their diversity and creativity."
During the Postdoc Appreciation Week, HZB postdocs have the opportunity to participate in various online trainings and events organized by institutions across Germany. More information about and registration sites for these events can be found here.
- Prashanth Menezes awarded prestigious VAIBHAV Fellowship by Government of IndiaThe Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, has announced the recipients of the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellowship, a flagship initiative aimed at fostering collaboration between the Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) diaspora and leading research institutions in India. Among the 2025 awardees is Dr. Prashanth W. Menezes, Head of the Department of Materials Chemistry for Catalysis at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB).
- Sasol and HZB deepen collaboration with strategic focus on digitalisationSasol Research & Technology and Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) are expanding their partnership into the realm of digitalisation, building on their joint efforts in the CARE-O-SENE project and an Industrial Fellowship launched earlier this year. This new initiative marks a significant step forward in leveraging digital technologies to accelerate catalyst innovation and deepen scientific collaboration.
- Porous Radical Organic framework improves lithium-sulphur batteriesA team led by Prof. Yan Lu, HZB, and Prof. Arne Thomas, Technical University of Berlin, has developed a material that enhances the capacity and stability of lithium-sulphur batteries. The material is based on polymers that form a framework with open pores (known as radical-cationic covalent organic frameworks or COFs). Catalytically accelerated reactions take place in these pores, firmly trapping polysulphides, which would shorten the battery life. Some of the experimental analyses were conducted at the BAMline at BESSY II.