Newsroom
The STRUCTURES Young Researchers Convent (YRC) has elected Thalia Traianou, Fabius Krämer, and David Maibach as its new speakers for 2026 in its recent General Assembly. We warmly congratulate the new speaker team and wish them a successful start!
Reflecting on her motivation to run for the position, Thalia Traianou says: “I have benefited enormously in my academic path from communities that made me feel visible and connected as an early-career researcher, and I want to help shape that for others.” Fabius Krämer emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary exchange: “I am committed to encouraging and enabling young researchers to broaden their knowledge beyond their primary research area. STRUCTURES provides an excellent environment for this, and I would be glad to actively support this mission.” David Maibach, who previously served as a YRC speaker during his PhD in Heidelberg, adds: “I have already been a speaker during my PhD here in Heidelberg and thoroughly enjoyed the work that comes with this position. For me, there lies great potential in having an overarching organisation for young scientists through which they can discuss, exchange, and actively contribute to the cluster's future.”
The new speaker team succeeds the previous speaker trio, Ricardo Waibel, Freya Jensen, and Marvin Sipp, whom we warmly thank for their exceptional commitment and outstanding service to the Young Researchers Convent. Their dedication, approachability, and sustained engagement significantly contributed to fostering a vibrant and supportive community. We are deeply grateful for their tireless efforts and the strong foundation they have built for the next speaker team.
The Young Researchers Convent (YRC) is the dedicated early-career platform within the STRUCTURES Cluster of Excellence. It brings together Bachelor's and Master's students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers who are either funded by STRUCTURES or working on research topics that align with the cluster’s mission. The YRC supports early-career researchers in realizing their own projects – ranging from travel funding for conferences and workshops worldwide to the organization of seminars and talks. Any early-career researcher working in a field connected to STRUCTURES can apply for YRC membership.
The YRC speakers take responsibility for organizing funding calls, evaluating applications for travel and event support, processing membership requests, and representing the YRC as full members of the Steering Board – ensuring that the perspectives of early-career scientists help shape the future direction of the cluster. In this way, the YRC plays a central role in strengthening early-career independence and support, while fostering exchange, collaboration, and a strong sense of community across all career stages within STRUCTURES.
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