Bridging AI, Academia, and Applied Research
In an exciting development for 2024, our colleague Dr. Birte Seffert embarks on a nationwide tour to meet with the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellows across Germany. The Keeping Up with the Boost Fellows series aims to shine a spotlight on the journeys, challenges, and achievements of our Fellows.
We wrap up the first season of Keeping up with the Boost Fellows with Christin Kreutz, a Computer Scientist and the first Klaus Tschira Boost Fellow at a University of Applied Sciences (HAW). But stay tuned – Season 2 will launch in 2026, bringing you more inspiring stories from the next generation of Boost Fellows.
While enjoying Christin´s homemade vegan chocolate cake, Birte learned how she shaped her academic career by listening to her needs, navigating the system, following her interests, and taking chances. We think Christin´s journey offers plenty of insights and tips for career planning!
Christin Katharina Kreutz
Her Boost Project: LLMs and argument recommendation
Christin explores the risks of using large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT for example, to personalize arguments in debates. Can AI-generated arguments be both persuasive and reliable? How do we avoid bias and misinformation? These are crucial questions in her research.
Why a postdoc at a HAW?
A HAW wasn’t exactly her plan, Christin says. After finishing her PhD in 2022, she got the advice to apply for junior professorships right away. But Christin felt she needed something else: Instead of jumping straight into leading a research group, she wanted to focus on independent research first. A postdoc position at TH Köln, in the group of Philipp Schaer, turned out to be the perfect fit. It was not just about the research—she was drawn to the group’s dynamic, collaborative spirit and Schaer’s leadership style: warm, professional, and inspiring.
Why apply for the Boost Fund?
Christin saw more in the Boost Fund than just research funding—for her, it was a strategic career move to:
- Gain international research experience: This is often listed as a selection criterion in academic job and funding opportunities. Candidates are expected to have spent six months or more abroad. Christin learned about this requirement by regularly looking at job postings. Realizing she lacked this, Christin made it a priority to fill this gap. The Boost Fund provided her with the perfect opportunity.
- Strengthen interdisciplinary research: With a passion for psychology alongside her computer science expertise, Christin sees interdisciplinarity as a key strength. She used the Boost Fund to build a collaboration with a psychology research group in Australia, gaining hands-on experience in methods and approaches to build her profile.
Christin’s advice for postdocs:
1. Reflecting on what you need in a position:
Dare to look beyond the institution—the team and its spirit, leadership style, and learning opportunities may also be important criteria.
2. Applying for grants:
Map out your CV early and identify gaps—then actively seek out funding to fill them.
3. Finding an international research stay:
Don’t limit yourself to existing networks. Literature reviews can lead you to new and fitting collaborations.
4. Considering a tandem professorship at a HAW?
Be ready for interdisciplinary work, different academic cultures, and a dynamic, non-routine job. Ideal for those who thrive on variety and enjoy breaking silos.
5. Best career advice Christin received?
Set up Google Alerts for job postings early—it helps you understand the landscape before you even apply!
Finding the right international partner
How to go about this? Christin´s strategy was to first scour the literature for psychologists working on argumentation and belief formation. That’s how she found Ullrich Ecker at the University of Western Australia. He had studied in Saarland, and she was born there — a shared connection she only brought up once she was in Australia, when she first reached out to him about a possible research visit. A lucky coincidence, and a chance she took!
Now: Tandem Professor in data science for the humanities
In 2024, two years into her Postdoc, Christin took the next step—becoming a Tandem Professor at TH Mittelhessen and the Herder Institute. This role allows her to gain industry-equivalent experience, a key requirement for HAW professorships, while already holding a W1-equivalent position, thus bridging academia and applied research.
With this, we wrap up the first season of Keeping up with the Boost Fellows! But stay tuned—Season 2 will launch in 2026, bringing you more inspiring stories from the next generation of Boost Fellows.
The KT Boost Fund is a joint program of GSO and the Klaus Tschira Foundation for postdoctoral researchers in the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science. It offers flexible funding for risky and interdisciplinary research on the way to academic independence. Funding can be used to hire staff, buy equipment, or build collaborations – tailored to the research project.
