The Research School consits of
and is coordinated by the Chief Study Officer.
Through the QuantumFrontiers International Research School, we offer our early career researchers - doctoral students and postdocs - one of the largest structured doctoral programmes in Hannover. With innovative formats, such as the Lecture Week, we not only convey the core topics of our cluster, but also promote inter-institutional exchange between the research groups, including team building, with customised and interdisciplinary training for all Early Career Researchers (ECRs) involved in QuantumFrontiers. The aim is to cover both the experimental and theoretical aspects of all participating disciplines in quantum and nanometrology. In addition to learning about scientific methodology from the various research areas, young researchers are also given the opportunity to develop their individual skills in a targeted manner, for example in workshops on presentation training, time management, scientific writing or science communication. The Chief Study Officer (CSO) is responsible for the planning, organisation and implementation of the events, training courses and workshops on offer. The CSO is supported by the QFIRS Committee, which is made up of members from the various scientific sub-disciplines and institutions, in order to ensure that the curricular content is balanced and to evaluate the activities.
QFIRS provides education to Early Career Researchers both in experimental and theoretical aspects of all the fields of quantum metrology and nanometrology involved. We offer an interdisciplinary curriculum encompassing the entire topical breadth of QuantumFrontiers, with both introductory and advanced lectures in a stimulating research environment. The curriculum of the QFIRS combines specialised lectures offered regularly at LUH and TU Braunschweig, specialised courses by QuantumFrontiers scientists and guest scientists, and the so-called "QFIRS Lecture Weeks". Our tailored programme makes use of relevant courses that existing Research Training Groups and structural doctoral schools offer, creating added value for both Principal Investigators and Early Carrer Researchs by coordinating courses with a high standard.
QFIRS Lecture Weeks are three block lecture weeks held each year for QFIRS members. They take place at conference centers in the surroundings of Hannover and Braunschweig, and in other suitable locations. These lectures are given mainly by the QuantumFrontiers scientists but are supplemented by external experts in the fields of theoretical and experimental physics and engineering. This concept of lecture weeks has been refined over the last 12 years in IMPRS and further enriched by the geo-Q RTG in the last few years. An important goal of these weeks is to bring young researchers from the different research fields, both theoreticians and experimentalists, together in a stimulating environment that is not available in any other individual institution or network. At the end of the week we often visit laboratories of a collaborating institute.
We provide Early Career Researchers (ECRs) with transferable skills training and project management skills workshops. These workshops cover complementary skills important for a career development both in academia and outside the academic world. The experience with other schools shows that this dual career training nature provides to the ECRs an optimal preparation for their future careers.
It is of great importance that all Early Career Researchers as well as all researchers in QuantumFrontiers understand the basic rules and values in conducting their research. We provide various methods for our members to learn this topic each year.