Annual Report 2011 Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

104 Further Activities / Compatibility of Science, Work, and Famoöy
Ralf Launhardt was project scientist at eSpri.
Dietrich Lemke war associated editor of the “Journal of
Astronomical Instrumentation” (World Scientific). He
wrote the book “Im Himmel über Heidelberg” on the
occasion of the 40 th anniversary of the MPIA. The
book was presented with represantativs of the archive
of the MPG (Berlin) to the public at a ceremonial act
on May 23 rd .
Hendrik Linz was guest scientist at the NRAO in
Socorro, New Mexico, USA.
Markus Nielbock contributed on the “Tag der Astronomie
2011” at the Engadiner Astronomiefreunde in St. Moritz,
Switzerland. He is member of the Astro no mieschule
e.V., Heidelberg.
Sarah Ragan was postdoc representative at the MPIA.
Kasper Borello Schmidt organized the monthly
Heidelberg discussion forum on gravitation lenses
“LiHD – Lensing in Heidelberg”.
Referees at Science Journals: Coryn A. L. Bailer-
Jones (ApJ, A&A, MNRAS); Henrik Beuther
(A&A, ApJ, MNRAS, Nature); Elisabete da Cunha
(A&A); Friedrich Huisken (Advanced Materials,
Nanotechnology, Science, NanoLetters, Applied
Physics Letters, Journal of Applied Physics, Chemical
Physics Letters, Chemical Reviews, Journal of
Chemical Physics, Journal of Physical Chemistry,
Journal of Nanoparticle Research, Computational
Materials Science); Viki Joergens (Astrobiology,
Icarus, ApJ, A&A, ApJL, PPS, Springer); Oliver
Krause (ApJ, Nature); Hendrik Linz (ApJ).
Referee for Research Grants: Henrik Beuther (DFG, ERC
National French Agency of Research); Christian
Fendt: Externer Gutachter für Forschungsmittel
des “Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council of Canada”, FWO, Foundation for Scientific
Research Belgium; Friedrich Huisken (DFG, EU
(Marie-Curie), Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen
Forschung in Österreich, der Grant
Agency of the Czech Republic, der naSa, dem
American Chemical Society Petroleum Research
Fund, der German Israeli Foundation for Scientific
Research and Development.
Compatibility of Science, Work,
and Family
To present informations and solutions for better compatibility
of job and family was in 2011 again an important
matter to the MPIA. The institute supports men and
women in all cases equaly. Main focus was set on the
following domains:
1. Flexibility on the working environment:
Flexible configuration of the working hours is a fundamental
premise for a better compatibility of job and
family and an important aspect for scientists and other
employees, who wants to bring their job in harmony with
child care, care-dependent relatives or job related change
of residence of the life partner. The MPIA supports different
models or working. A flexible working environment
is offered at the MPIA for both scientific as well as
non-scientific employees. This includes family induced
time-outs, temporary reduction of the working hours, or,
if necessary, the flexible choice of the job location, for
example at the home office.
2. Care services for employees with children and care for
needy families:
The MPIA has together with the other Heidelberg MPIs
access to a total of 21 nursery and kindergarten places.
The MPIA cooperates with the MPI for Nuclear Physics
for the rapid implementation of a kindergarten. The institute
provides in-house support and a baby office for
employees with breastfeeding children. In exceptional
cases or emergency situations, employees may come to
work with children. The international office offers advice
in finding suitable places in nurseries, kindergartens
and schools and in holiday childcare. The MPIA also
provides support for employees with care-dependent
relatives through the family service “Besser betreut” and
via the information portal of the “Bündniss für Familie”.
3. Information portal at MPIA:
The information portal of the MPIA includes an e-mail list
for parents and for employees with caring responsibilities
for relatives. Here you find assistance, tips, suggestions
and answers. Additional information on dual-career
issues, including a dual-career job board can be found
also on the related web pages of the institute at http://
www.mpia.de/Public/menu_q2.php?MPIA/jobs/dualcareer.html.
Related posts in the institute offers an information
board with current postings. In family-related downtime
employees may – if desired – stay connected via
a contact retention program and attend training events,
staff meetings and other important meetings.
4. Informationen for leaders:
When recruiting staff the service offerings of the Institute
on “combatibility of work and family” in employment
negotiations are integrated. Executives at MPIA know
the people to contact about work and family issues, as
well as dual-career work-life balance and can refer as
needed to the appropriate contact person. By the end of
2011 the subject “awareness and involvement of leaders”
in the working group “work and family” was selected in
the Heidelberg alliance as main topic. A cross-enterprise
information sharing has been started and will be continued
and deepened in 2012.
5. Cooperation of the MPIA in networks:
The topic of networking is becoming increasingly important.
The MPIA cooperates in the following networks for
the implementation of solutions • Dual career network