What's on at BIF?

BIF fellowships are much more than just a monthly stipend. Our tailor-made seminars are designed to help you become an excellent and successful scientist. For that, one needs a wide variety of skills, not all of them unique to science. In addition, one needs people one can trust and rely on to discuss ideas, give and receive advice, cooperate, etc. The BIF seminars are designed to help you acquire both.

Below you find a list of the next BIF events and seminars. We invite all BIF fellows and alumni to the respective seminars whenever it is their turn. We will send further details with the invitations.

Upcoming events and seminars

For description of events, see below

When What Where
2024    
13 Dec BIF Christmas Party Mainz, Germany
2025    
21–26 Feb English-language communication training Lautrach, Germany
12–16 Mar 130th International Titisee Conference "Stress siganalling in development and disease"" Titisee, Germany
21–22 Mar Meeting of BIF's Board of Trustees  
8–12 May North America Meeting Woods Hole, USA
22–27 May English-language communication training Lautrach, Germany
27–29 Jun European alumni meeting Glashütten, Germany
11–12 Jul Meeting of BIF's Board of Trustees  
30 Aug–5 Sep Progress seminar Hirschegg, Austria
8–12 Oct 131st ITC "Warm, cold, and life - the impact of temperature on physiology and behaviour" Titisee, Germany
31 Oct–5 Nov German-language communication training Lautrach, Germany
14–15 Nov Meeting of BIF's Board of Trustees  
5 Dec BIF Christmas Party Mainz, Germany

Seminars, meetings, and events

We believe that inviting current fellows to present and discuss their research projects in person is much more conducive to research and personal development than written interim reports. If you work in Europe, you will be invited to our yearly progress seminar for current fellows in Hirschegg, Austria (yes, there is also some hiking). If you work in North America, you will be invited to our biannual North America meetings in Woods Hole near Boston, USA.

Presenting yourself and your results well can make the difference. We invite current fellows to a five-day intensive communication seminar at which experts teach them writing, rhetorical, and graphic design skills. Fellows are expected to participate once. Depending on your location and mother tongue, you will receive your training in the USA or in Germany.

Re-connect with other fellows, meet new people, learn about exciting new research and career options, and explore diverse topics, with titles like "Perception of reality", "Bodies of the future", or "Genetically modified organisms: hype, hope, hubris?". We invite all alumni working in Europe to our yearly meeting at Collegium Glashütten, near Frankfurt, Germany (formerly held at Gracht Castle).

Our meeting in the USA brings together alumni and current fellows working in North America to present and discuss their research. The programme is complemented by talks, e.g. on career opportunities, and leaves enough room for participants to get to know each other and to explore possible cooperation. This meeting takes place every two years at the Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole near Boston, USA.

In a separate programme, the BIF organizes two International Titisee Conferences (ITCs) each year for internationally leading scientists. The BIF's Board of Trustees selects the ITC chairpersons who, in turn, select all speakers and other participants. Participation in these highly acclaimed conferences is, therefore, by invitation only. However, a few current BIF fellows whose projects are within the scope of a conference's topic may attend.

Several times a year, we organize informal BIF meetings and – if our travels take us close – visit our fellows and alumni in their laboratories. We also hold a yearly Christmas party in the BIF offices in Mainz, Germany, where all BIF fellows and alumni are welcome. Whenever you are in Mainz and would like to visit us at our offices, please let us know ahead of time. We would be happy to see you.