Joint press release by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Research Foundation (DFG)

Network meeting of German science abroad 

The German Academic International Network (GAIN) invites early career researchers to the 24th GAIN Annual Meeting in San Francisco from 23 to 25 August. The GAIN conference is the largest networking event for international academic careers in Germany and brings together researchers with high-ranking representatives from German academia, politics and business every year. For the first time since 2019, it is being held on the west coast of the USA and is aimed at researchers from Germany who are currently working on the American continent. 

Whether it's a career path to a professorship, entering science management, switching to the research-based economy or founding a start-up: for three days at the end of August, GAIN24 will be all about Germany as a centre of science. At the joint event organised by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) in San Francisco, researchers in the postdoc phase will receive intensive advice on career planning at German universities, research institutions or in the research-based economy. More than 25 workshops are dedicated to topics such as fields of work and career development at international organisations or offer insights into appointment procedures and tenure-track professorships. The GAIN conference also includes a "Talent Fair", where around 60 organisations from the research sector will present career opportunities and job vacancies. In addition, the three inviting funding organisations will provide information about their programmes for researchers in the early stages of their careers. In addition to information and dialogue, GAIN24 offers entertaining science communication: scientists will present current research results in a science slam.

Prominent guests 

On 23 August, leading representatives of the organising organisations will open the conference after being welcomed by Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger. During the three days of the event, high-ranking representatives from the Bundestag, politics, universities, industry and non-university research will then be available to answer questions from participants. The GAIN conference is being held in San Francisco for the first time in five years - and the appeal is huge: over 400 people have already registered. In addition to the face-to-face event, GAIN is also offering a digital workshop on 19 September, which is aimed at German postdocs worldwide.

The German Academic International Network

The German Academic International Network (GAIN) is the network for German academics working around the world. Since 2003, GAIN has been supporting the cultivation of contacts to German academic institutions with a diverse programme, preparing academics for their return to Germany as a centre of science and research and helping them to articulate their interests to political decision-makers. GAIN is a joint initiative of the Humboldt Foundation, the DAAD and the DFG and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Associate members are the Fraunhofer Society, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association, the Max Planck Society, the German Rectors' Conference, the German National Academic Foundation and German Cancer Aid. Other co-operation partners from science, industry and politics regularly support GAIN's work.

GAIN Programme

GAIN24 will take place from 23 to 25 August at the Hotel Marriott Marquis San Francisco. Further information on the network can be found at www.gain-network.org; the conference programme can be found here. 

Offers for journalists

If interested, we can arrange opportunities for media representatives to talk to people attending the GAIN conference. Highlights of the conference will be available on social media under the hashtag #GoGAIN24.

If you have any questions, please contact

Anna Oberle-Brill, Programme Director GAIN, oberle-brill@daad.de, +1 (212) 758-3223-217 
(please note the time difference of minus 6 hours (New York) or minus 9 hours (San Francisco))

Press contacts

AvH, Kristina Güroff, Press Officer, +49 228 833-144, presse@avh.de

DAAD, Michael Flacke, Press Officer, +49 228 882-454, presse@daad.de

DFG, Magdalena Schaeffer, Press and Public Relations Officer, +49 228 885-2109, presse@dfg.de