Cohort 2026 application period open
With InnoSuper, supervisors learn how to help young researchers seize opportunities, strengthen the visibility of their work and create broader impact – creating the kind of research environment ambitious researchers want to be part of.
Research supervision has changed. Researchers today are expected to navigate collaboration, visibility, innovation and opportunities beyond academia.
Most supervisors were never trained for that part of the job. InnoSuper helps close that gap.
Unlike most innovation programs designed for PhDs or senior leadership, InnoSuper helps supervisors build research environments where innovation becomes part of daily practice. Whether you lead a group, supervise individual researchers or prepare for future supervisory responsibilities.
Equip yourself and empower others.
Help researchers navigate opportunities beyond their immediate research projects. Identify innovation and transfer potential earlier and more systematically within your team's ongoing research.
Create an environment where researchers take initiative and pursue ideas proactively.
Make it easier for researchers to communicate the relevance of their work and build a better understanding of how innovation contributes to stronger proposals.
Integrate innovation into existing supervision practices without creating additional workstreams.
This program is designed for active day-to-day supervisors of early-career researchers who want to create environments where opportunities are recognised and pursued.
Not intended for: Administrative leadership roles, pure project managers without active supervisor responsibilities, or isolated module selection.
Want to build research environments that attract ambitious researchers and create new opportunities.
Want to prepare researchers for the realities of modern research careers.
Want to integrate innovation naturally into everyday supervision.
Prefer actionable, practical approaches over abstract theory.
Want to develop more proactive researchers.
The customized online module teaches the fundamental terminology of innovation, laying down a strong groundwork. Understand how innovation and transfer strengthen research environments and team competitiveness. It only takes one to two hours.
Learn practical ways to help researchers recognize opportunities, take initiative and develop ideas beyond their immediate projects. Through hands-on exercises and peer exchange, you will develop approaches to recognize opportunities earlier, motivate initiative and strengthen innovation awareness within your team.
Workshop 1 takes place over two consecutive half days. Workshop 2 follows in a 1.5-day format, allowing you to test new approaches in your own research environment and return with real experiences and challenges for further discussion.
One-on-one professional session mapping workshop lessons directly onto your specific research team, resolving structural hurdles individually. Adapt the approaches to your own research environment and reality.
Early-career researchers address transfer and innovation opportunities autonomously.
Conversations about opportunities become part of everyday supervision.
The group gains a sharper reputation inside and outside scientific communities for high-impact application.
Innovation and transfer segments in future funding applications become robust, organic, and more convincing.
Opportunity awareness no longer depends on individual enthusiasts, but becomes part of everyday supervision—creating a research environment where ambitious researchers can thrive.
Practical tools for guiding researchers help you go beyond scientific excellence alone.
InnoSuper is strictly limited to 25 participants per cohort to enable intensive practical exchange, individual feedback, and direct application to your active research environments.
InnoSuper is designed for supervisors at Forschungszentrum Jülich who support researchers in their day-to-day work. It is open to all research fields and career stages. It does not matter whether your role involves disciplinary or lateral supervision.
The program is equally relevant for researchers who already supervise others and those preparing for future supervisory responsibilities.
Yes. InnoSuper is not tied to a specific discipline or application area. The program helps supervisors recognize opportunities, strengthen innovation awareness and support researchers in creating broader impact from their work — including in fundamental research.
No. InnoSuper is specifically designed for supervisors with little or no prior experience in innovation and transfer. The program provides the concepts, tools and practical approaches needed to integrate innovation into everyday research supervision.
The program includes 1–2 hours of self-paced e-learning, two in-person workshops and one individual coaching session. All program elements are mandatory.
Participation is free of charge for both you and your institute.
Join the next InnoSuper cohort and strengthen your ability to support researchers, develop stronger teams and create new opportunities from excellent research.
Application deadline: August 23.
Developed as a Helmholtz Transfer Academy & continued as an initiative at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
