Cross-Lab Initiative

Our mission: Supporting early career researchers by fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and networking across research groups at the Department of Psychology.

 The Cross-Lab Initiative promotes collaboration and knowledge exchange between different chairs at the Department of Psychology. The concept is based on the idea that doctoral students and postdocs from various research groups present their research in short talks at the lab meetings, brown bags, or team meetings of other chairs.

This initiative pursues two main objectives: First, presenters receive feedback from a different audience than usual, enabling new perspectives and insights. Second, potential collaborators working on related topics can be identified. Additionally, the initiative fosters networking among research staff within the department.

The Cross-Lab Initiative emerged as a bottom-up initiative from doctoral students, postdocs, and senior assistants, and is now supported by interested professorships at the department. It directly responds to recommendations from the 2024 external evaluation of the Department of Psychology, which emphasized the importance of promoting exchange and networking among early career researchers through a combination of bottom-up and top-down initiatives. 

 The initiative operates through a simple, unbureaucratic system:

1. Chairs offer time slots: Using the admin tool (see below), participating chairs make available time slots in their regular lab meetings or team sessions
2. Researchers book presentations: Doctoral students and postdocs can browse available slots across all participating chairs using the booking tool and book a time to present their research
3. Automated coordination: The system automatically notifies the relevant administrative staff and sends reminder emails to ensure smooth planning

Each chair decides independently whether to participate in the Cross-Lab Initiative. 

Use the booking tool to view available time slots at participating chairs and book a slot for your presentation. 

Access Booking Tool

For questions about the Cross-Lab Initiative, please contact:

For questions or feedback: crosslab@psychologie.uzh.ch (Prof. Dr. Veronika Brandstätter oder Dr. Matthias Forstmann)
For technical issues: webmaster@psychologie.uzh.ch