Parenthood poses a structural challenge for academic careers – particularly for women, whose research activities are statistically more frequently interrupted due to maternity leave, breastfeeding, and parental leave. In lab-intensive disciplines such as Technical Chemistry, this leads to significant career disadvantages, as many scientific tasks require physical presence in the lab. Once pregnancy begins, working in laboratories becomes severely limited. For pregnant researchers, this results in interruptions to their research and thus publication activities, which can significantly impact their career progression. This is especially critical when considering time-limited or project-based funding, which creates a gender-specific career risk the Faculty of Technical Chemistry aims to address.

The goal of this project was therefore to concretize and pilot faculty-specific implementation proposals aimed at improving the compatibility of academic work and parenthood. The results are based on interviews with researchers, leaders, and the Occupational Health Service; workshops with members of the university community; and an analysis of structural and cultural framework conditions.

The outcome focuses on three core areas: infrastructure, existing processes and personnel resources, and corporate and leadership culture. Details and an opportunity for discussion will be offered at the upcoming event on the 13.6.