Getting Things Done: Time Management and Productivity for Scientists (304)

17 and 18 June 2026

Dr Djahane Banoo Salehabadi

The researcher's work environment demands a high degree of self-direction, focus, and agility. PhD students often manage long-term, complex projects without the externally imposed structures, milestones, and accountability mechanisms common in many professional settings. They must plan their own work, manage competing demands, and sustain progress on challenging intellectual tasks over extended periods of time.

This workshop focuses specifically on the productivity challenges of academic research and writing. Rather than offering generic productivity advice, it helps participants analyze their own research workflow and identify the points where progress tends to stall. Participants will examine their personal goals, the obstacles that slow their progress, and the structure of their current writing and research process.

Building on this self-analysis, the workshop introduces concrete tools and strategies for managing complex research work. Participants will learn methods to clarify priorities, protect focused work time, break large research tasks into manageable units, and create reliable systems for tracking progress.

Participants will also analyze how they currently spend their time in order to distinguish between value-adding work (e.g., analysis, writing, thinking) and necessary support activities. This process helps reveal hidden distractions, fragmented work habits, and other patterns that undermine sustained progress. Through structured exercises, participants will learn how to redesign their work routines to increase focus, reduce non-value-adding activities, and establish a sustainable cadence of progress on their research projects.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clearer understanding of their own research workflow and a set of practical tools to manage their writing process more effectively.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Define clear personal goals related to their research productivity and writing progress
• Analyze their individual research and writing processes to identify bottlenecks and obstacles
• Distinguish between value-adding research work and non-value-adding activities in their daily routines
• Apply prioritization frameworks to focus on the most important tasks within complex research projects
• Break large writing or research tasks into manageable, clearly defined steps
• Establish structures and habits—including regular planning routines and a cadence of accountability—that support steady research progress
• Create a work structure that protects time for focused intellectual work.

Format:

The workshop consists of two intensive sessions held on consecutive days.

Day 1 focuses on building self-awareness about individual work processes, while Day 2 introduces practical tools and systems for improving research productivity.

Session 1 – Understanding Your Research Workflow

The first session focuses on developing a deeper understanding of how participants currently approach their research and writing work.

Participants will clarify their personal productivity goals and reflect on the obstacles that slow their progress. Through structured exercises, they will analyze their current writing process, how they allocate their time, and where their workflow tends to break down. Particular attention will be paid to identifying non-value-adding activities, hidden distractions, and inefficient work patterns that reduce focus.

By the end of the session, participants will have developed a detailed understanding of their own research workflow, including key strengths, constraints, and bottlenecks.

Session 2 – Tools and Systems for Research Productivity

Building on the insights developed in the first session, the second session introduces practical tools and systems that help researchers manage complex intellectual work and maintain momentum.

Participants will learn methods for prioritizing tasks, structuring large research projects, and protecting time for focused work. We will introduce and practice concepts such as deep work, task capture systems, weekly planning routines, and a cadence of accountability.

Participants will apply these tools directly to their own research projects, developing a concrete structure for organizing their writing and research tasks. By the end of the session, they will have a practical system they can use to maintain consistent progress on their PhD work.
 

ONLINE!

Date: Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th June 2026

Schedule: 9 am to 1 pm

Place: Online !

Trainer:

As both an academic and a professional coach, Dr. Djahane Banoo Salehabadi has a profound grasp of the many dimensions that make up the academic experience. She has developed her coaching style and workshops based on years of experience working at universities and coaching students, postdocs, researchers, and professors. In addition to her work as an academic coach and trainer, she is the Managing Director of the Graduate School for Environment, Society and Global Change at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where she supports over 200 Ph.D. students and postdocs on their academic journey.

She received her B.A. from Dartmouth College, Magna Cum Laude, and Phi Beta Kappa and received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University in Development Sociology and Science and Technology Studies.

Dr. Banoo has lectured, run workshops, and coached at some of the world's top universities, including ETH Zurich, University of St. Gallen's Executive School, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Freie Universität Berlin, University of Regensburg, Hochschule Luzern, University of Freiburg, and E.P.F.L. Her research has been supported by a number of prestigious research grants, including funds from the U.S. National Science Foundation (N.S.F.), the Swiss National Science Foundation (S.N.S.F.), the German Academic Exchange (DAAD), as well as a number of other competitive grants and awards.

As a coach and trainer, Dr. Banoo never strays far from her academic roots. By training and by choice, she always stays abreast of the latest research on productivity, habit formation, work-life balance, organizational development, and leadership.

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