Solidarity with war-torn country must be expressed through funding and action, says German exchange service

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has called for ”long-term solidarity with Ukraine”, including financial support for Ukrainian higher education institutions and assistance to refugee researchers and students in Germany.

In a statement released to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the DAAD’s leader, Joybrato Mukherjee, noted that universities had been attacked and destroyed. He urged Germany to make more resources available to students and researchers remaining in the country, who were attempting to pursue their studies and research under the threat of shelling.

“The war is still continuing a year after Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, and the people there are affected by death, extensive suffering and deprivation,” he said. “The DAAD, its member institutions and student bodies have stood firmly by the people in Ukraine since the war began.”

Multi-year support

Mukherjee said that German universities had demonstrated considerable commitment to welcoming and supporting refugee researchers and students, as well as joint projects with Ukrainian partner universities. But he warned that a better funding commitment from the government was needed to continue the work done in these projects.

“Here in Germany, we need a broad and multi-year support initiative, which must include assistance for Ukrainian refugees, activities to maintain German-Ukrainian higher education partnerships and long-term funding for the rebuilding of universities after the end of the war,” he said.

The diverse support projects implemented by German universities should receive reliable and long-term funding from the federal government, the DAAD said. A close and lasting link between Ukrainian and German academic institutions and research institutions would increase security for all of Europe, the body added.

“We in Germany need to have an action plan until 2030 that ensures the rapid and successful rapprochement of Ukraine with the EU and a comprehensive reconstruction of the Ukrainian higher education system,” Mukherjee wrote.

Closer alignment

One step to achieve this would be to more closely align Ukraine with EU initiatives, such as the European Research Area and the European Higher Education Area, the DAAD proposed.

In its statement, the DAAD said that financial support from the German foreign office and the education and development ministries had enabled it to mobilise about €21 million for projects to maintain higher education links within Ukraine, and providing assistance and scholarships for refugee Ukrainian academics and students in Germany. The DAAD also funded around 170 projects involving German and Ukrainian universities, especially around the provision of digitisation tools to assist teaching and administration at Ukrainian universities.

About 10,000 Ukrainian academics, university staff and students have been supported by the DAAD and the Erasmus programme to date, the statement said.

“It’s inconceivable to imagine the rebuilding of Ukraine after the war without a renewed and reformed Ukrainian education system,” said Serhiy Kvit, president of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. “The revitalisation of Ukraine after victory in the war will be partly dependent on the role played by Ukrainian universities in further social development within our country. Ongoing German-Ukrainian cooperation will undoubtedly result in more rapid adaptation of Ukrainian higher education institutions to the European academic environment.”

Brain drain

In a separate statement, the Humboldt Foundation, a government-sponsored charity supporting international collaboration, said that in addition to protecting researchers, it was also important to create long-term prospects for them in their home country.

“There should be no permanent brain drain,” the foundation said. “As soon as possible, reintegration in Ukraine should be promoted and cooperation between the Ukrainian higher education sector and the international research community strengthened.”

The foundation hosts the Philipp Schwartz Initiative for scientists at risk. Since spring 2022, 96 researchers from Ukraine have been supported through the initiative at 60 research institutions in Germany.

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Catholic leader spoke with Max Planck Society president about tackling global challenges

Pope Francis has asked the president of the Max Planck Society to protect science from political and economic influence.

During an audience in the Pope’s private library, Martin Stratmann debated the role of science in addressing global challenges with the head of the Catholic church.

Stratmann said that both scientific and religious leaders had a role to play in ensuring that science and its results are applied responsibly and without prejudice.

‘Research should serve humanity’

“Responsible science is only conceivable within an ethically responsible framework,” Stratmann said. 

“Research should serve the good of humanity, and here quite specifically in the topics of health, climate or world nutrition.”

The leader of the Max Planck Society, which operates several independent fundamental research institutes in Germany, asked the Pope to encourage openness to science among adherents to all faiths. 

“Science and religion can and must contribute together to bringing man and nature back into harmony, in order to be able to meet the challenges of an earth age shaped by the growing influence of man,” Stratmann said.

In return, Pope Francis asked the Max Planck Society to maintain the highest standards of scientific integrity and protect them from political or economic influences. 

“I believe that in our time, support for basic research must be defended and, if possible, strengthened,” the Pope said.

‘Responsibility, not just accountability’

In his speech, which he delivered in writing to audience members, owing to a cold, the Pope stressed that basic research is a public good whose achievements must be put at the service of the common good. 

Using the example of transhumanism, the Pope pointed out ethical limits of what is scientifically possible.

“We need to put responsibility back at the centre of our culture today as care for the other and not just accountability for what you have done,” he said. 

“Because you are not only responsible for what you do, but also and above all for what you do not do, although you could do it.”

The Max Planck delegation included Wolfgang Herrmann, president emeritus of the Technical University of Munich, Anton Losinger, auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Augsburg, and three Max Planck Society Nobel laureates.

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This week: a social innovations programme, fungal research, and efforts to reduce animal experiments

In depth: The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has called for ”long-term solidarity with Ukraine”, including financial support for Ukrainian higher education institutions and assistance to refugee researchers and students in Germany.

Full story: DAAD calls for long-term support of Ukrainian academics

Also this week from Research Professional News

Pope asks Max Planck Society to support responsible research—Catholic leader spoke with Max Planck Society president about tackling global challenges

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Science ministry announces social innovations programme

Germany’s science ministry has started an €11 million programme to fund projects on social innovations. The programme, dubbed Society of Innovations, will support universities and their knowledge transfer and startup centres in promoting social innovations and social entrepreneurship among students and doctoral candidates. “There are masses of good ideas from students and researchers at our universities,” said science minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger. “It is precisely these ideas that we want to help break through.”

Infection institute urges more research on funghi

More money needs to be spent on researching fungal infections, according to the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, after the World Health Organization published a list of the most important fungal pathogens. The list highlights the need for a better understanding of the causes and spread of fungal infections, the institute said. “What we need, based on the very good analysis of the WHO, is much greater financial support, also from the public sector,” said director Axel Brakhage. “Too little money is invested in research on life-threatening fungal infections, much less than in viral or bacterial infections.”

Charité support animal-testing alternatives

The Charité university hospital in Berlin is providing funding for 10 projects aimed at lessening the need for animal experiments. A total of €1.3 million will be spent on the initiative, the organisation said. Among the funded projects is one that aims to use human tissue to develop alternative models and another set on reducing the number of laboratory animals used per experiment. “We will need very broad-based support initiatives and great staying power to develop new research methods that lead to better treatments for humans, while at the same time potentially reducing animal testing,” said Stefan Hippenstiel, animal welfare spokesperson for Charité.

The post Germany news roundup: 22-28 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

Red tape and silo thinking stymieing German scientific research, warns expert commission report

An expert commission has urged Germany’s government to facilitate a “turnaround” in research policy, as a lack of coordination and collaboration between ministries is stalling scientific progress.

The Expert Commission on Research and Innovation (EFI), a government advisory panel, called for reform to ensure all the societal challenges facing Germany were given adequate attention. In its annual report, which it handed over to chancellor Olaf Scholz on 15 February, EFI said the war in Ukraine was dominating government strategic thinking, and other important topics such as decarbonisation and digitalisation were falling by the wayside.

“The German government has made surprisingly little progress in this area to date,” EFI said in a statement.

The report found little interlinking or joint coordination between the various ministries’ existing innovation and transformation-related policies and strategies.

Silo thinking

“Instead of cooperation between the federal ministries, the old silo thinking still seems to dominate,” the commission said. “In order to finally make progress here, there is an urgent need for a new, agile policy style.”

EFI chairman Uwe Cantner said: “A turnaround is also necessary in innovation policy. Germany cannot afford to continue as before in terms of policy coordination.”

The commission has proposed the creation of a permanent Future Committee, anchored in the chancellor’s office, to coordinate innovation and transformation-related topics. Cantner said such tasks could not be adequately performed in cabinet meetings or through departmental coordination alone.

Ministers of the departments most heavily involved with innovation and transformation-related issues should sit on the committee as permanent members, with other ministers called in as needed, EFI said.

Painful exit

In January, BioNTech, the German pharmaceutical company that developed one of the Covid-19 vaccines, announced plans to move its cancer research activities to the UK and give up its German location. EFI said this was a “clear indication of the urgency of its recommendations”.

Cantner said: “The BioNTech case painfully exposes existing deficits in our country. If Germany wants to play in the top league as a location for future-oriented key technologies, it must make fundamental improvements here quickly.”

Cantner pointed out that the problem was not a lack of funding, but deficiencies with digitalisation and Germany’s “sluggish” administrative procedures. This, combined with a string of regulatory requirements, formed a barrier to health research and innovation, he warned.

One example cited in the EFI report is that clinical trials in Germany are associated with a significantly higher administrative burden than in other European countries. In addition, the collection and use of data, which is important for research, is hindered by a lack of digitalisation and complex data protection regulations.

Simpler regulation

BioNTech itself has previously pointed to the much more research-friendly framework conditions in the UK, EFI said.

“I fear that BioNTech will not be the last company to prefer to expand its research activities abroad rather than in Germany,” Cantner said. “In order to adapt regulatory framework conditions quickly and precisely, we need to make much greater use of living labs than we have in the past.”

EFI recommended that clear and simple regulations be drawn up to enable comprehensive and innovation-friendly use of research data, adding that budget expansion alone cannot solve all of Germany’s problems in the science sector.

“For a long time, we in Germany allowed ourselves to sit out the need for reform in the innovation system by means of compensation payments and the creation of expensive parallel structures,” said EFI vice chair Irene Bertschek. “The era of constantly increasing budgets for research and innovation is probably over.”

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Academic staff representatives go head to head with government over employment reform

Germany’s General Faculty Association (AFT) has expressed its opposition to government plans to limit short-term contracts in German science.

The group weighed in on discussions about reforming the fixed contract law in academia (WissZeitVG), which allows universities to hire postdocs and junior lecturers on short-term contracts. Such contracts have been found to contribute to job insecurity among early-career academics—and the government has promised to severely curtail their number.

However, AFT warned such reform would only lead to more job insecurity if no alternative contracting options were available to universities. “It is still completely unclear which academic positions could replace fixed-term postdoc positions and junior professorships for the first years after the doctorate,” the association said.

Fierce competition

AFT said the existing time limit for fixed-term employment in academia should be increased only after a proposed new type of permanent position for this career phase had been proven to work. In addition, the association said, the government’s expectation that limiting short-term contracts would improve access to tenure-track positions was a fallacy, as competition for such positions would remain “fierce” for the foreseeable future.

Expecting early-career scientists to reach tenure track was “not a complete solution” for job insecurity in the first few postdoc years, AFT said. 

It spoke out in favour of existing regulation on postdoctoral contracts, saying that short-term contracts gave early-career researchers time to develop their own research programme.

“Some of them succeed in recommending themselves for professorships through outstanding research results,” the association pointed out, adding that permanent positions in mid-level academia offered much less freedom. While “valuable scientific work is done there”, they are “the end of the line for academic careers”, it said.

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This week: inflation handout delays, more student startups and a looming nuclear threat

In depth: An expert commission has urged Germany’s government to facilitate a “turnaround” in research policy, as a lack of coordination and collaboration between ministries is stalling scientific progress.

Full story: Commission urges government ‘turnaround’ in research policy

Also this week from Research Professional News

Faculty association backs short-term contracts—Academic staff representatives go head to head with government over employment reform

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Student union criticises aid delays

The DSW student union has come down hard on the government for delaying a promised €200 payment to all German students to ameliorate energy price hikes and high inflation. “Too much time has passed since the announcement of this direct aid,” said union chair Matthias Anbuhl. “The patience of the students has been severely tried.” Anbuhl said the government should be moving more quickly on creating an online access tool for the payment, considering the experience gained from administering three years’ worth of Covid-19 financial support.

Survey tracks startup support for students

Students in Munich, Augsburg and Leipzig receive the best startup support at German universities, according to the Stifterverband, an association of science funders. Overall, student business ideas at German universities are receiving better support now than in the previous survey, which was held before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Stifterverband counted a total of 2,779 student-created startups for 2021, up from 2,176 in 2019. The frontrunners in providing startup support among large universities are the Munich University of Applied Sciences, Saarland University and the University of Potsdam.

Physicists told to speak out against nuclear threat

The global danger of nuclear weapons has been rising significantly, the German Physical Society has warned. “Physicists must do even more to warn of the incalculable dangers of a nuclear confrontation and join forces worldwide to develop proposals for drastically reducing nuclear risks,” said society president Joachim Ullrich. Even a “regional” nuclear war would lead to millions of deaths, according to mathematical simulations, and would also have a massive impact on the global climate system and food production, the society said.

The post Germany news roundup: 15-21 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

European Investment Bank and member states commit €3.75 billion for ‘fund of funds’

The EU’s investment bank and five of its member states have launched a new venture capital fund of funds, with initial commitments totalling €3.75 billion, to help European “technology champions” grow.

Launched on 13 February, the European Tech Champions Initiative is designed to “help plug financing gaps and thus reinforce Europe’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness”, the European Investment Bank said.

The EIB has put up €500 million for the fund of funds, which will invest in venture capital funds that in turn will invest in companies. It said it would “channel much-needed late-stage growth capital to promising European innovators” seeking to raise over €50m. The national backers are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

“Europe’s tech startups often do not have sufficient capital to compete on a global scale and are pushed to relocate overseas,” the EIB said. “Closing this scale-up gap could create a large number of highly skilled jobs and boost growth.”

According to the EIB, the fund is expected to grow with “further commitments”.

France’s industry minister Bruno Le Maire (pictured at the launch) said the initiative was “a striking example of what we can achieve collectively to strengthen the EU’s economic and industrial sovereignty”.

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Policy-setting paper reveals national research focus on alternative energy sources, space travel and social resilience

Germany aims to become a “hydrogen republic”, with future government spending to focus on creating technological leadership in this alternative energy source, according to a government strategy paper.

The paper, released on 8 February, sets out ways to channel research funding and innovation activities towards becoming a frontrunner in hydrogen energy. Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells and combustion engines as an alternative to petrol, and is considered a zero-emission energy source.

The strategy is part of the coalition agreement of Germany’s ruling parties, the social-democratic SPD, the Green party and the liberal FDP.

“We want to make Germany a hydrogen republic and a global technology leader in the field of hydrogen,” the document states. Another goal is to make Germany a centre for research, production and recycling of battery cells.

Six missions

With a view to the challenges facing society, the paper defined “six central missions”. These are:

• Enabling a resource-efficient and competitive industry
• Advancing climate protection
• Improving health for all
• Securing Germany’s and Europe’s technological sovereignty
• Strengthening space travel
• Strengthening social resilience

In these areas, research and innovation policy is to be better linked with other policy fields and the activities of all ministries are to be more effectively focused, the German research ministry said.

“We want to maintain and expand our technological leadership in certain fields and gain it in others,” the document said, adding that Germany and the EU must be in a position to understand and develop key technology, such as hydrogen fuel.

The strategy paper will act as an “interdepartmental foundation” for Germany’s future research policy, said science minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger.

“It helps to further develop research and innovation policy, to protect the natural foundations of life, to secure Germany’s international competitiveness, to strengthen the resilience of society and to ensure our own economic strength,” Stark-Watzinger said. “We want to create opportunities where there are none yet and seize opportunities where others hesitate.”

Progress and indicators

One goal of the strategy is to promote knowledge transfer. “After all, the innovative solutions that emerge in science should reach people’s lives,” the paper states. Another goal is to strengthen technological openness in all areas of society.

The government has developed 17 indicators that will be used to measure the strategy’s roll-out and monitor its success. These indicators include intensifying international collaboration, increasing the number of specialised professionals in Germany, and encouraging society to play a more central role in the research and innovation process.

A first progress report on these indicators is expected to be published in 2025, the research ministry confirmed.

“The important thing is that we are open to new technologies,” said Stark-Watzinger. “New ideas are more crucial than ever, and all good ideas should be considered.”

The further development of the innovation system should be systemic and sustainable, the ministry said. In addition to basic research, “practice-relevant” applied research will also be promoted through the strategy.

The research ministry used the announcement of the strategy to speak out in favour of a strong EU, saying that global challenges required strong cooperation and decision-making at the international level.

A version of this article appeared in Research Europe

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Germany’s universities and students must be protected from cost of living crisis, urges GEW

Germany’s Education and Science Union (GEW) has called on the federal government to “finally take effective measures” and pay out financial support to struggling universities and students.

Such support is necessary against a back drop of an ongoing energy crisis and spiking inflation, the union said.

“Universities are threatened with cuts in studying and teaching because of the exploding costs,” said deputy GEW chair Andreas Keller. “Many students are up to their necks in debt—they no longer know how to pay their rent and make a living.”

Energy allowance

The union called on the federal government to issue a financial support package for science to protect universities and research institutions from price increases. An aid package to lower gas and electricity bills in Germany is already in place, but Keller said this was not enough.

An energy allowance for students, worth €200 per month, was promised by the government in autumn, Keller said, and this must finally be paid out. He also called for general student aid and bursaries to be adjusted for inflation.

The GEW warned that some universities in Germany had announced hiring freezes in order to save money to pay their gas and electricity bills.

“These freezes particularly affect academics employed on a fixed-term basis,” Keller said. “Instead of putting the future chances of an entire generation at risk, the federal government must launch an initiative for a relief package for universities.”

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This week: a study on chatbots, clusters of excellence and honours for Ukraine support group

In depth: Germany aims to become a “hydrogen republic”, with future government spending to focus on creating technological leadership in this alternative energy source, according to a government strategy paper.

Full story: German innovation strategy to create ‘hydrogen republic’

Also this week from Research Professional News

Union demands financial relief packages—Germany’s universities and students must be protected from cost of living crisis, urges GEW

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Parliament to assess impact of ChatGPT

The German Bundestag, the parliament, has commissioned a study on the impact of the artificial intelligence chat bot ChatGPT on education and research. Over the next few weeks, the parliament’s Office of Technology Assessment will examine technological development trends, possible application scenarios and the effects of the use of ChatGPT and related systems in science and education. The assessment will form the basis for possible policies to deal with this new technology, the parliament said.

DFG sees huge interest for clusters of excellence

German universities and research centres have sent 145 “letters of intent”, stating their plan to submit draft proposals for new clusters of excellence within the government’s Excellence Strategy. The letters were received by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany’s largest public research funder, which administers the programme. The interest in joint applied clusters has increased markedly compared with the first round of calls for proposals in 2016, the DFG said. The declarations showed that universities continue to be highly interested in the strategy, said DFG president Katja Becker.

Founders of refugee support group honoured

Seven students in Hanover, Berlin and Hamburg will be honoured by the German University Association (DHV) and the German Student Union (DSW) as Students of the Year 2023. They received the title for their work on founding and running a support group of refugees from Ukraine. The prize is awarded for the eighth time and honours students who show “outstanding commitment” that goes beyond academic achievements, the two bodies said.

The post Germany news roundup: 8-14 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

Top scientists clarify how knowledge should inform policies in series of Vienna Theses

Science should act as an honest broker and inform—but not legitimise—politics, according to a joint paper by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

The paper, dubbed the Vienna Theses on science-based policy advice, was presented for discussion by the two academies in early February. In it, the academies state that tensions between science, politics and the public prompted them to clarify how knowledge and information should be used to inform politics.

Scientific scepticism has almost taken on the character of a social movement, the paper states, following protests against political measures and initiatives such as the worldwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Science has been attacked by anti-vaccination protesters and commentators as being part of the establishment, with prominent experts becoming targets of anger and hatred. 

Different strokes

The Vienna Theses seek to clarify that science and politics are autonomous systems with different functions. Science focuses on producing new knowledge that meets strict methodological standards, while politics organises collectively binding decisions.

Achieving efficient cooperation between science and politics within a democracy requires that competences and responsibilities are clearly distributed and that no role conflicts arise, the two academies warn. “Crossing borders is rightly criticised as politicisation of expertise or ‘expertocracy,’” the paper says.

Both partners say that science should see itself in the role of an honest broker, showing policymakers various decision pathways and choices—and their potential outcomes—based on scientific evidence. Presenting different options is always preferred, the academies say, as science is “disciplinarily-diverse” and rarely speaks with one voice with regard to society’s problems.

Uncertainties

The academies urge scientists contributing to political debate to clearly state uncertainties, scenarios and forecasts. They should also be aware that, even if there is a broad scientific consensus among relevant experts, most political disputes will ultimately not be decided by facts and figures, but by weighing competing values and interests.

Therefore, the Vienna Theses state, the aim of science cannot be to dispute the decision-making and actions of politicians. Science-based advice should not serve to relieve policymakers of the burden of justification and the need to make decisions, they say.

To preserve the impact of scientific contributions to political debate, any reference to scientific consensus to ensure political legitimacy for any decision should be reserved for acute crises, according to the paper. Science should inform politics as comprehensively as necessary, but legitimise it as little as possible, the academies say.

In addition, the two partners said that presenting broad political consensus on a scientific topic is not an end in itself for science. They encourage scientists to confront politicians with well-founded scientific dissent and debate.

Substantive but evidence-based disagreement among scientists would underline to politicians the fact that, ultimately, they must decide the course of political action and be responsible for its outcome, the Vienna Theses state.

Transparency and self-reflection

Apart from honing in on political impact, the document also urges scientific advisers to be more transparent about their role, underlining that evidence and expertise are “two different forms of knowledge”. The academies urge scientists to help the public understand how evidence is translated into recommendations—especially if the original evidence is developed independently from the political problem being addressed.

In this context, scientific academies should act as agencies that bring together leading experts and provide credible information. But, according to the academies, they should also act as places for critical self-reflection for scientists.

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German exit from nuclear power must not lead to loss of knowledge, academy warns

German universities must not lose their expertise on nuclear-waste management and should reinstate research programmes in the field, according to a strategy paper by the German Academy of Science and Engineering, Acatech.

Despite plans to wean the nation off nuclear power in the immediate future, issues around nuclear waste disposal and deep geological repositories will continue to pose a challenge, the academy said. Acatech warned that there would be a long-term need for experts, requiring interdisciplinary research opportunities, attractive employment and good research prospects.

Germany had originally planned to switch off all nuclear power stations by December 2022. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting increase in gas prices has forced the government to run some power plants for longer, with three power stations expected to remain operational until 15 April this year.

Long process

Acatech said that finding a repository for the remaining nuclear waste held at these stations was a “long process”, as it might take more than 100 years until such a repository is filled and sealed.

“That is an extremely long time horizon by human planning standards,” said Acatech president Jan Wörner. “In the meantime, science will deliver new findings, new technologies will be developed, society and perhaps also the political landscape will change.”

The strategy paper’s lead author, Horst Geckeis, said the fact that German universities had lost most of their nuclear-waste-management research capacity in the past decades could be “problematic”.

“First and foremost, deep disposal requires a long-term strategy and governance,” he said, adding that this included the development of research concepts oriented towards the future and a research landscape that is flexible enough to react to developments that are unforeseeable today.

The post Engineers call for more nuclear-waste research appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: hydrogen research fellowships, Earth system science and a high-profile departure at Robert Koch

In depth: Science should act as an honest broker and inform—but not legitimise—politics, according to a joint paper by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Full story: German, Austrian academies define political role of science

Also this week from Research Professional News

Engineers call for more nuclear-waste research—German exit from nuclear power must not lead to loss of knowledge, academy warns

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Fellowships for hydrogen research

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is launching a funding programme for research on green hydrogen, including scholarships for international research stays, internships and funding for expert working groups to improve networking between science and industry. The science ministry is supporting the programme with €6 million until 2025. The programme will strengthen the international networks researching “this energy source of the future”, said DAAD president Joybrato Mukherjee.

Volkswagen Foundation starts Earth systems science programme

The Volkswagen Foundation, a philanthropic funder independent from the car maker, has announced a funding programme on Earth system science. Junior professorships with tenure track and funding of up to €1.5 million are being offered, the foundation said. The programme is meant to create an interdisciplinary, all-encompassing approach to the geosciences, it said. 

Robert Koch Institute president heads to digital health cluster

Lothar Wieler, the president of Germany’s infection control body the Robert Koch Institute, will become a spokesperson for the Digital Health Cluster at the Hasso Plattner Institute of the University of Potsdam, the institute has confirmed. Wielder has consistently championed data-driven science and digital transformation. In his role at the Robert Koch Institute, he advised Germany’s government on its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The post Germany news roundup: 1-7 February appeared first on Research Professional News.

Funder allocates 62 awards to German hosts, 45 to the UK and 41 to France

Germany has come out on top for the number of awards countries will host from the latest round of the European Research Council’s Consolidator Grants scheme.

Sixty-two of the 321 grants awarded are set to be hosted in Germany, the ERC announced on 31 January, followed by 45 in the UK and 41 in France.

As with all other ERC grants awarded to UK hosts under the 2021-27 EU R&D programme so far, as the situation stands the researchers will need to decide, before their grant agreement is signed, whether to move their grant to another country or accept substitute national funding. This is because the EU has prevented the UK from associating to the programme due to political disagreements on trade.

Consolidator Grants provide up to €3 million over five years to researchers with seven to 12 years of experience after obtaining their PhD. They are intended to help researchers build a team around themselves, and the ERC said the 321 grants awarded in the latest round will support just under 2,000 jobs.

There were 2,222 applicants, giving a success rate of 14.4 per cent. Supported projects will share a total of €657 million for work on topics ranging from personalised treatment for chronic pain to finding alternatives to plastics.

ERC president Maria Leptin said the grants “support researchers at a crucial time of their careers” and the backing “above all gives them a chance to pursue their scientific dreams”.

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Science council urges structural rethink to future-proof German research financing

Germany’s Science and Humanities Council, the Wissenschaftsrat, an independent body that advises the government on science policy, has issued a set of recommendations urging nationwide “structural changes in research funding”.

The Wissenschaftsrat said the changes were necessary because the previous steady increase in science funding could no longer be taken for granted in the future. However, universities were likely to be facing considerable cost increases, the council said.

Therefore, the available funds need to be used as efficiently as possible, said chair Dorothea Wagner. The proposed restructuring of research funding would help to ensure that “excellent research” can continue to be carried out at German universities, “even in difficult times”, Wagner said.

Rebalancing

In its recommendations, the council, which advises both state and federal governments, said that Germany’s current system of research funding, in which project funding from private and philanthropic funders had gained a similar weight as basic state funding, had reached its limits. In order for both basic and third-party funding to benefit research in the best possible way, the balance between generic state funding and specific project funding would have to be readjusted towards more stable basic funding, the council said.

At present, the council warned, a large share of what is meant to be basic funding for universities is used to implement insufficiently funded projects involving third parties, such as companies. This was threatening the security and stability of universities, it said.

The council demanded new regulations clarifying that project funding must cover all the resources needed to undertake a research project. If necessary, this would mean an increase of the budget for some research programmes.

Third parties involved in research at German universities should be made to carry more of the direct and follow-up costs of such projects, the council said. Budget setting for these overhead costs should take into account cost of living adjustments and wage increases, especially in long-term collaborations, it said.

Such changes would funnel more basic funding back to its original task—ensuring the day-to-day operations of universities were well supported. However, this would also require funding structures and framework conditions that were “research-friendly”, the council said, calling these factors just as essential as the amount of funding available.

Flexible finance

The council told the German governments that basic funding for research should be sufficient to conduct research free of programme and time constraints, while supporting the “strategic capability” of universities. By comparison, third-party funding should be used as additional options for researchers and for temporary tasks.

In its position paper, the science council pointed out that research funders would have to be part of these structural changes. They ought to review their portfolios, establish measurements for “reasonable” prospects of project success, and make strategic adjustments in line with these changes.

Lastly, the council urged Germany’s state and federal governments to reduce bureaucracy and lower the tax burden placed on researchers—especially those cooperating with companies. The council said the country’s VAT rules were associated with “high costs and administrative hurdles”, calling for more flexibility.

“It is more and more important to use the available funds in a way in which they serve research most efficiently and effectively,” Wagner said.

A version of this article appeared in Research Europe

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Young academics use data set to check government promise to create more long-term jobs

Two groups representing early career researchers have launched a project to count and visualise the amount of academic positions in Germany that will lead to a tenure track position.

The German Association of Junior Professors (DGJ) and the Young Academy are taking data from the federal government’s tenure-track programme, the Nachwuchspakt. On a dedicated website, the partners are tracking where positions are currently open, and which have been filled.

The goal of the project is to check whether the promises made in the Nachwuchspakt, which is intended to create more long-term positions at universities and improve career security for freshly minted academics.

Robust analysis

The analysis has shown about 300 filled jobs for professorships that have the potential to lead to a tenure-track position, thereby fulfilling the criteria for the Nachwuchspakt.

“We expect to learn a lot about scientific careers in Germany by following the careers of this well-defined cohort, to which some of the people involved in the project belong,” said Young Academy member Doris Segets.

DGJ chairman Ingo Siegert said that “a robust analysis of how tenure-track professorships improve the academic landscape can only be successful if there are corresponding data”.

As part of the Nachwuchspakt programme, the federal government is providing funding of €1 billion to increase the number of secure jobs in academia. Germany’s 16 federal states have guaranteed follow-up funding for the positions at universities that have won some of the initial funding.

In the first two selection rounds in 2017 and 2019, funds to create a total of 1,000 tenure-track professorships were awarded to 75 universities, the DGJ and the Young Academy said.

The post Tenure-track analysis launched appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: pension gaps, a quantum computing network and concerns over “helpless” teacher shortage response

In depth: Germany’s Science and Humanities Council, the Wissenschaftsrat, an independent body that advises the government on science policy, has issued a set of recommendations urging nationwide “structural changes in research funding”.

Full story: Advisory body slams over-reliance on project funding

Also this week from Research Professional News

Tenure-track analysis launched—Young academics use data set to check government promise to create more long-term jobs

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Association warns of ‘pension gaps’ for expat professors

The German University Association (DHV) has called on seven federal states to close pension gaps affecting civil servants, including academics who have left public employment, for example, because they moved abroad. In these states, professors who have worked at international institutions can find themselves with lower pension provisions when they retire, which could put them off collaboration, the DHV said. “Science thrives on dialogue and the free flow of ideas across borders and nations,” said DHV president Bernhard Kempen. He added that this depended on “a prudent policy” with regard to adequate pension regulations.

Quantum communication network launched

Germany’s science ministry has awarded funding to 36 institutions to form the Innovation Hub for Quantum Communication. The project brings together actors from research and industry, the National Metrology Institute (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) said in a statement. “The use of quantum-based key distribution to complement post-quantum cryptography can contribute significantly to Germany’s IT security and technological sovereignty,” said project coordinator Nicolas Spethmann.

Education union slams plans to combat teacher shortage

Germany’s Education and Science Union, the GEW, is opposing government plans to combat teacher shortages, which include increasing work hours and class sizes, while also recommending yoga and mindfulness. The union said these recommendations were “pure mockery”, stating that teachers had been overworked for years. GEW president Maike Finnern said Germany’s teacher shortage was evidence of systemic failure and the government’s response to it “an expression of helplessness”.

The post Germany news roundup: 25-31 January appeared first on Research Professional News.

Current legislation hinders research on climate-resilient plants and could damage European competitiveness, they warn

Two high-profile German science institutions have proposed an amendment to European genetic engineering law in order to loosen the bloc’s strict regulations on research into genetically modified organisms.

The proposal suggests that genome-edited organisms whose genome does not contain any foreign genetic information or a combination of genetic materials should be excluded from the law. This would include combinations of genetic material that could arise naturally or through conventional breeding techniques, according to a policy paper by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany’s largest public research funder.

The request refers to novel genome editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas, which have led to an ongoing review of European genetic engineering law.

Indistinguishable

The products of the new breeding techniques are indistinguishable from products of conventional breeding as long as they do not involve the permanent introduction of foreign genetic material and are limited to causing mutations, according to the DFG paper. Nevertheless, under genetic engineering law in Germany and the EU, they are regulated as strictly as classical genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

As a result, European genetic engineering law is no longer up to date, the DFG said, adding: “It is completely unsuitable for the new genome editing technologies and urgently needs to be amended.”

The DFG said the safety assessment of new plant species should not depend on the underlying technology but on their final properties. It criticised the European Commission’s recommendations on the issue for leaving untouched the question of how products derived from such plants should be labelled.

“Safeguarding consumers’ freedom of choice is an important concern,” the DFG said.

Sustainability

The funder issued a separate statement in conjunction with the Leopoldina, Germany’s national academy of sciences. The statement stressed that new breeding techniques utilising genome editing will be crucial in making agriculture more environmentally friendly and resilient to climate change.

The organisations appealed to politicians to make knowledge-based decisions when reforming the law and not to bow to public opinion on the technology.

“Sustainable agriculture requires the application of a broad spectrum of methods, especially in times of climate change,” said Leopoldina president Gerald Haug. He described genome editing as a “very precise” tool in plant breeding research.

Katja Becker, the president of the DFG, said that molecular breeding techniques allows “unprecedented precision and efficiency” in improving the resilience of crops. “This potential should be exploited to achieve the sustainability goals,” she added.

Repercussions

In their joint statement, both organisations warned that restrictive regulation of the genome editing process would create “massive obstacles” for Europe and Germany as leading research locations. These include the shifting of field experiments to non-European countries, where safety regulations may be lower, as well as a lack of access to the latest technologies by European companies.

“This has a strong deterrent effect on companies, but also on scientists in the early stages of their careers, some of whom move outside Europe or choose careers outside science,” the statement pointed out. “Moreover, such regulation delays the development of urgently needed new technologies to secure the world’s food supply.”

In 2019, the Leopoldina and the DFG spoke out in favour of genome editing, after the European Court of Justice ruled in 2018 that all organisms modified by genome editing processes fall under the legal regulations for “genetically modified organisms”.

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Chain contracts force Germany’s student employees into weeks of unpaid labour, study shows

Nearly 17 per cent of students in Germany have been forced to work without pay for some time between employment contracts, according to a study commissioned by two of Germany’s leading unions.

The study, published by the Education and Science Workers’ Union (GEW) and the Verdi trade union, found that the students, who are often doing assistance jobs in Germany in the later stages of their education, had worked an average of 4.9 unpaid weeks before or after their contracts began or ended. Unremunerated tasks included supporting academic staff, recording data for research projects, providing material for seminars and lectures, and even giving tutorials.

The study questioned 11,000 student employees at universities across Germany, and found that 90 per cent financed their education primarily through work. However, the average duration of employment contracts at universities was found to be less than six months.

Exploitation

Chain contracts (a succession of fixed-term contracts) are common, the study said, with students’ contracts constantly renewed but often including gaps during which the students are expected to continue supporting their teams. This leads to financial insecurity, stress and unpaid work, the unions warned.

“The working conditions of student employees border on exploitation,” said Sylvia Bühler, a member of Verdi’s management committee, adding that it is “untenable” for universities to let people work without pay.

“The employers must immediately stop these daily violations of the law,” Bühler said.

Security of employment

GEW deputy chairman Andreas Keller said that stable employment in academia would be best achieved by offering student employees work security.

“Student employees are being prepared for the rocky career paths in academia after graduation through chain employment contracts and wage dumping [excessively low wages],” Keller said. “In this way, many university graduates are deterred from a career in research and teaching.”

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This week: data theft in Duisburg, human remains in Berlin and opposition to qualification weakening

In depth: Two high-profile German science institutions have proposed an amendment to European genetic engineering law in order to loosen the bloc’s strict regulations on research into genetically modified organisms.

Full story: German funders lobby EU for better GMO laws

Also this week from Research Professional News

Unions demand end to doctorate ‘exploitation’—Chain contracts force Germany’s student employees into weeks of unpaid labour, study shows

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Rebuffed hackers post university data to darknet

The University of Duisburg-Essen has confirmed that a criminal group has published data stolen from its servers on the darknet, a section of the internet that does not show up in search engines. The data was obtained in a cyberattack in November, the university said, and a ransom demanded but not paid.  The university said it will inform affected institutions and individuals as soon as possible, and reaffirmed its decision not to bow to extortion.

Berlin university finds human remains in collection

The Freie Universität Berlin has admitted that the partial remains of two human beings discovered in its zoological collection are likely the result of “colonial injustice”. Provenance research has shown that the remains arrived as part of the Luschan Collection, a collection of African and Pacific artifacts once used to spread dehumanising racial ideology, the university said. The remains have been transferred to the Berlin Museum of Prehistory and Early History for closer identification.

Professional groups oppose lower entry standards

The German Philologists’ Association (DPhV) and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) have warned against a proposed lowering of the qualifications needed to enter the education profession from another career. “We do not need downward competition when it comes to school quality,” said Susanne Lin-Klitzing, the DphV’s chair. Several German federal states are preparing draft laws under which a bachelor’s degree would be the minimum academic qualification for teachers, instead of the currently required master’s.

The post Germany news roundup: 18-24 January appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: anti-harassment protests in Cologne, a health czar resignation and scholarships for Afghan students

In depth: Scientists from across Germany have strongly condemned ongoing attempts to evict climate protesters from the village of Lützerath in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is set to be demolished to build a coalmine.

Full story: Scientists slam evictions at coalmine climate protest

Also this week from Research Professional News

Report warns of ‘widespread’ work with Chinese military—Public funding was channelled to such projects, study shows, which could contravene guidelines

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Anti-harassment protests at University of Cologne

The student association at the University of Cologne organised a protest on 11 January to raise awareness of the challenges female students and academics face when reporting sexual harassment and discrimination. This comes after an alleged case of harassment and abuse of power by a professor at the university. The protesters called for the professor’s dismissal and demanded improvements to the university’s system of identifying, investigating and penalising cases of sexual abuse on campus. The university’s rector Axel Freimuth confirmed there was an ongoing investigation. He said that university management supported the students’ demands and acknowledged that investigations into harassment were “taking too long and could lack transparency”.

Robert Koch Institute president steps down

Lothar Wieler has announced that he will step down as the president of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s central infection control institution. Wieler will be resigning from office at his own request on 1 April, the institute confirmed, in order to devote himself to new tasks in research and teaching. The move was agreed with Germany’s health minister Karl Lauterbach. Wieler has headed the RKI since March 2015 and was a central figure in Germany’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Germany offers scholarships for female Afghan students

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is launching a scholarship programme for women who have fled Taliban repression in Afghanistan and are residing in neighbouring Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan or Pakistan. The programme is part of a project launched by the German development ministry to support about 5,000 Afghan women to study in one of these countries. The programme, which has a budget of €7 million, is primarily aimed at Afghan women affected by the Taliban’s December ban of women from universities.

The post Germany news roundup: 11-17 January appeared first on Research Professional News.

Forced removal of activists would undermine “credibility” of Germany’s climate policies, academics warn

Scientists from across Germany have strongly condemned ongoing attempts to evict climate protesters from the village of Lützerath in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is set to be demolished to build a coalmine.

The Scientists for Future group issued a statement in the face of the evictions, saying there were “substantial” doubts, from a scientific perspective, about the acute need for the mine’s construction. Members referred to reports that lignite, or brown coal, which the mine would extract, is not necessary for the security of energy supply or grid stability in Germany

Instead, the group said the decision to build the mine was political. “The extraction and conversion of this coal into electricity is contrary to an energy policy based on the Paris climate agreement and the European Climate Law,” the scientists said.

Protests

Lützerath, whose inhabitants were resettled in October 2022, is to be demolished and dredged to make way for the lignite mine, part of the Garzweiler surface-mining complex. Climate activists protesting the environmental impact of coalmining have been present in the village since 2020, but their presence intensified through December 2022, resulting in a protest on 14 January.

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist who started the Fridays for Future movement, joined the estimated 6,000 protesters and gave a speech.

Scientists for Future’s founding statement has around 28,000 signatories. The group issued an open letter on 11 January, saying it was their duty to highlight the consequences of using force to remove the activists.

“We raise the question about the social costs of forced eviction,” the group wrote. “What effect does the eviction have in terms of the credibility of German climate policy? Lützerath has become a symbol. It is a meaningful sign for the necessary departure from the fossil age.”

Moratorium

The scientists called for a moratorium on clearances to create an opportunity to discuss “sustainable paths of societal transformation” and review the evidence used in the government’s decision to allow the mine’s construction.

“The credibility of German climate policy would be significantly strengthened—internationally and especially among the younger generation,” the scientists said.

According to Germany’s Science Media Centre (SMC), which supports accurate scientific reporting, the North Rhine-Westphalia state government had drawn on “expert opinion” stating that mining the lignite coal layers under Lützerath was necessary for energy security. The SMC said that both sides in the debate were arguing on the basis of “seemingly contradictory evidence”.

Questionable argument

The decision to allow mining in Lützerath is part of the government of North Rhine-Westphalia’s promise—delivered in October 2022 in conjunction with the German economics ministry and energy provider RWE—to bring forward the state’s coal phase-out to 2030.

The state government and the North Rhine-Westphalian police have not issued any statements on the Lützerath situation. In its analysis of the case, the SMC pointed out that it was “questionable” whether coal-fired power generation in Germany would be economically viable by 2030, due to the tightening of European emissions trading.

“The mining of lignite under Lützerath is not absolutely necessary, and is not justified,” said Michael Sterner, a researcher of energy systems at Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule, in Regensburg.

But Wilfried Rickels, a climate researcher at Kiel University, pointed out that CO2 emissions in EU member states are limited by the European Emissions Trading Scheme. “Put simply: just as no CO2 emissions would be saved by continuing to operate nuclear power plants, there would be no additional CO2 emissions by converting lignite from Lützerath into electricity,” he told the SMC.

A version of this article also appeared in Research Europe

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“Alarmingly widespread” collaborations may have used public funding in contravention of guidelines, report warns

Collaboration between German researchers and Chinese institutes assessed as “high risk” in terms of national security are “alarmingly widespread”, according to a study by an American security research centre.

The report, compiled by the Center for Research Security & Integrity (CRSI), an American non-profit, analysed scientific articles published from 2016 to May 2022 by co-authors in Germany and China. It identified 835 articles on joint projects in collaboration with Chinese institutions linked to the People’s Liberation Army and other military institutes.

Of the total, 283 articles named co-authors affiliated with the China Academy of Engineering Physics, which is linked to China’s nuclear and advanced weapons R&D complex, the report said.

Among the group of highest-risk Chinese entities are the country’s six state-owned defence conglomerates and their subsidiary research institutes. The report identified 94 articles written with German collaborators that involved these institutions, including China’s missile production facilities.

Such research also received public funding, including by funders such as the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the European Commission, the European Research Council and the German science ministry, the report said.

Guidance

The report said it was commendable that many countries were trying to raise awareness about research security and integrity concerns regarding China. These included Germany, which has formal guidance on the topic.

“For instance, Australian, Dutch, German, UK, and US governments and academic institutions have issued guidelines on research and knowledge security and have called for the building of a greater knowledge base on entities from authoritarian nations that can pose risks to collaboration,” the report stated.

In May last year, the German government ordered “close monitoring” for the country’s Confucius Institutes, a group of research institutes in the country that facilitate work with Chinese institutions. The decision was made after it came to light that Confucius Institutes are obliged to report to Chinese government authorities about the research they do. The Chinese government also influences the choice of academics selected to work at the institutes, and the teaching materials they are allowed to distribute.

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Stifterverband report highlights room for improvement in German universities’ strategies to become environmentally friendly

Germany is seeing a lack of overarching initiative and too much heterogeneity in universities’ approach to sustainability, according to a progress report.

The report, issued by the Stifterverband, an association of science funders, said that just 25 per cent of German universities had a sustainability strategy in place. Another 64 per cent are planning one, it found.

The report acknowledged that universities had recognised the importance of acting sustainably and are making efforts to incorporate the issue into their processes. However, approaches across the board are too similar, with little tailoring to institutions’ individual needs, the report said.

There is also an absence in national and regional guidance, the Stifterverband found.

Action plan

Germany’s research and education ministry launched a National Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development in 2017. The report said this was an important starting point, adding that, in 2021, sustainability was also addressed as a central topic in the coalition agreement of the SPD-led government.

Sustainability issues became more pressing in 2022 due to the Ukraine war and the associated energy crisis, the Stifterverband said, drawing additional attention to the widespread drought in Europe and flooding in Pakistan.

The funders said that sustainability had to be promoted across all features of a university, including activities such as research and knowledge transfer, teaching, governance and operation. In the report, the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde and Leuphana University Lüneburg were given as examples for institutions that had managed to roll out such all-encompassing approaches.

One success factor identified at both institutions, according to the report, is the involvement of management and other central groups of actors in the university, including as researchers, teachers, students, administrative staff and cooperation partners in business and society.

Sustainability goals

The report found that many higher education institutions in Germany now refer to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations when planning their sustainability strategies. However, these goals were not always suitable as a basis for operational changes and other concrete measures, it warned.

In interviews with those responsible for the topic of sustainability, the study found that institutions are at very different points in the development of strategies and sustainability actions. The Stifterverband noted one positive development: more and more higher education institutions in Germany are creating budgets for sustainability and appointing sustainability officers.

When it comes to research, universities can further sustainability by strengthening the topic as a research subject. Strengthening knowledge transfer is also indispensable, the report found.

According to the Stifterverband, sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in the governance of German universities, especially in their strategies and mission statements, and development of organisational culture.

However, despite a growth in initiatives and networks to support sustainability, there has been a lack of overarching coordination and exchange opportunities, the paper concluded. The Stifterverband urged universities to move away from the idea of “quick wins” and towards the realisation that becoming sustainable institutions will require fundamental change management and organisational change at many universities.

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The rising cost of everything—including living, tuition and equipment—dominates German academia

The energy crisis and related inflation have been at the heart of German research policy discussions in recent months—and they are likely to remain the driving force behind any spending decisions in 2023. This is partly due to the efforts of universities, which are increasingly raising their voices to call out this many-layered threat.

The latest call to action came from the University of Tübingen, one of the nation’s leading research universities, which issued a statement in December calling for state subsidies to ameliorate “the sharp rise in energy costs” which “threatens to become a danger for research and teaching”.

The economic management of the university is based on stern economic principles—the Swabian region, surrounding Tübingen, is stereotypically known for its frugality. Yet the university is facing an energy price increase of around 80 per cent in the next two years, an expense that “cannot be offset by reducing consumption alone”, said the chairman of the university’s council, Bernhard Sibold.

Without governmental aid, cuts in personnel would be unavoidable, Sibold said. In the statement, he admitted that the university would have to cut 20 professorships and their associated staff, which would have a “direct and massive impact on research and teaching”.

Hiring freeze

Tübingen is not the only university in dire straits. At the end of November, Ruhr-University Bochum, which is based in North Rhine-Westphalia, announced a hiring freeze concerning around 250 positions in non-academic departments due to the “massive increase in energy costs”.

The announcement served as a warning to the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (Deutscher Hochschulverband, or DHV), which wrote to the government, stating that hiring freezes could soon be imposed in the scientific area as well. It urged federal and state authorities to provide relief packages to struggling academic institutions.

The outcry proved effective. North Rhine-Westphalia recently announced an additional €24 million for its universities. As a result, Ruhr-University Bochum said it will partly re-evaluate its cuts.

But on the national level, the situation continues to be precarious. DHV has flagged a number of federal states with projected budget shortages. With the duration and extent of the energy price hikes difficult to predict, German universities must brace themselves for a frugal 2023.

The post Inflation nation appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: record international student numbers, the Excellence Strategy and funds for threatened scientists

In depth: Germany is seeing a lack of overarching initiative and too much “heterogeneity” in universities’ approach to sustainability, according to a progress report.

Full story: Funders bemoan piecemeal approach to sustainability

Also this week from Research Professional News

Inflation nation—The rising costs of everything—including living, tuition and equipment—dominates German academia

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

International student numbers hit record high

The number of international students at German universities has continued to rise in the winter semester, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has announced. Around 370,000 students from abroad are currently enrolled in Germany, a new record. After a decrease during the pandemic, the number of international first-semester students in particular has been strong, reaching 85,000, the DAAD said.

Government launches next phase of Excellence Strategy

The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat) have launched the second phase of the Excellence Strategy, a funding programme paid for by the federal government. The strategy finances clusters of excellent research, which receive funding for up to two periods of seven years. The clusters programme is implemented by the DFG. The Universities of Excellence funding line, managed by the Wissenschaftsrat, finances research projects at the most competitive universities.

Einstein Foundation supports 19 threatened scientists

The Einstein Foundation Berlin has announced funding for 19 international scientists whose work is threatened or restricted in their home countries. For the first time, researchers from Ukraine and Russia, as well as Hong Kong, will receive funding totalling €4 million to continue their research at Berlin universities from January 2023, the foundation said.

The post Germany news roundup: 14 December to 10 January appeared first on Research Professional News.

German funder asks authors to make part of grant reports available in open-access repositories

Germany’s national research funder has taken a “step in the right direction” with its request for authors to make part of their project report available in open-access repositories, according to commentators.

Recipients of grants from the German Research Foundation (DFG) are required to complete reports on their project accounting for their use of public funds and setting out their research results—including negative results, which are often not reported in research papers published in journals.

The DFG announced on 2 January that it will now ask its grant recipients to make the scientific results section of these reports openly available in online repositories.

Its move was welcomed by a representative of Coalition S, the group of funders requiring immediate open access to papers reporting research they have supported. The DFG has not joined Coalition S but said it supports the group’s Plan S initiative.

Johan Rooryck, executive director of Coalition S, said the DFG’s decision was “an important step on the road to culture change in scientific research that will now also allow negative results to be made visible”.

Building the scientific record

The DFG said it took the decision to make project reports more accessible to contribute to the “scientific gain of knowledge” and improve the replicability of research results.

The funder said it will also provide a non-binding list identifying at least one possible publication venue for the report extracts in each field of research.

Roland Imhoff, a psychology professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany who engaged with the announcement on social media, also said the new policy is a “step in the right direction”.

“I believe it will ultimately seem silly in hindsight that we as a field have treated data collected with public funds [as] our private property,” he told Research Professional News.

“Having all data openly available will make it possible not only to evaluate researchers’ decisions to publish some but not publish other studies (for which there can be perfectly legitimate reasons), but it will also provide knowledge to the field on which methods or approaches do not work. So, I think it is a good step.”

The post DFG takes ‘step in right direction’ with new open-access policy appeared first on Research Professional News.

Trust in science remains high and increases with education, Science Barometer shows

Germans believe that climate and energy issues are now more important research topics than health, according to a nationwide survey released this month.

The Science Barometer 2022, an annual survey, reported that 51 per cent of respondents said that climate and energy should be researched “most intensively” from a list of topics. This figure is up from 35 per cent in 2016.

Climate and energy concerns have now overtaken health and nutrition as the most popular research topic in the survey. In 2016, around 42 per cent of respondents said that health was the most important research concern, but this figure has now fallen to 28 per cent.

Strong trust

The Science Barometer is compiled by Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD), a science outreach group, and supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Fraunhofer Society.

The barometer found that trust in science remains high among Germans, with 62 per cent of respondents saying they trust scientific research either somewhat or completely. This figure has risen by one percentage point every year since 2020.

More than half of those surveyed—54 per cent—said they were generally interested in science and research results, a number that has remained stable, WiD said.

Education-dependent

Responses differed according to education levels, with trust and interest increasing in line with the educational achievements of respondents. Around 70 per cent of Germans with a university degree said they were interested in science, and 76 per cent said they had confidence in its results.

WiD reported a sharp drop of interest among respondents who had finished their A-levels but not gone into further education. Among this group, only 47 per cent were interested in science, although 68 per cent said they fully or somewhat trusted its results.

Among respondents whose highest educational attainment was completing lower secondary school, just 42 per cent were interested in science and less than half—44 per cent—said science could be trusted most of the time. WiD said this corresponded to findings from previous surveys.

In expertise we trust

The Science Barometer asked respondents for reasons that would make science more trustworthy. The highest approval rating was given to the perceived expertise of researchers, WiD said 67 per cent of respondents agreed that scientists can be trusted because they are experts in their field.

Around 60 per cent of respondents agreed that scientists could be trusted because they work according to certain rules and standards, while nearly half said they could be trusted because they work for the public interest.

Suspicious of donors

However, around 56 per cent of respondents said that one reason not to trust scientists was their strong dependence on donors, a figure that has grown over the past years, WiD said.

Respondents were also asked about their attitudes to aspects of the relationship between science and politics. A large number—79 per cent—agreed that scientists should speak out publicly when political decisions do not take research findings into account.

Another 69 per cent said they believed political decisions should be based on scientific evidence. But around half of the respondents said that scientists would be going beyond their remit if they tried to interfere in politics—up from 43 per cent in 2021.

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Ruling slams group head and co-author for failure to spot manipulated data before article publication

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany’s largest public research funder, has condemned a research team over data manipulation and problems with project supervision.

The funder said it had been alerted to a case in which a university had independently found data manipulation in a research paper published by a group based there and funded by the DFG. A separate DFG investigation found that, while the data manipulation was the fault of the main authors, the corresponding author, who was also head of the group in which the research took place, was guilty of “a gross violation of their supervisory duties”.

For this reason, the corresponding author bore a share of responsibility, the funder said.

According to the DFG’s research misconduct committee, as head of the research group, the corresponding author should have carefully checked the data before publication. For this reason, the committee issued a written reprimand and barred the researcher in question from submitting proposals to the DFG or acting as a reviewer for two years.

Objections ignored

In a separate case, the misconduct committee found that a researcher had named a colleague from the same institution as co-author and first author of a DFG-funded publication, even though the colleague had not agreed to this. Instead, the committee said, the named co-author had “expressly and repeatedly” objected to being associated with the paper.

However, these pleas were ignored by the actual author, who submitted the paper for publication regardless.

The DFG said it had reprimanded the researcher in writing and had barred them for one year from submitting proposals or acting as a reviewer. It had also asked them to withdraw the article from all publications.

None of the researchers involved in the cases, or their institutions, were identified by the DFG.

The post DFG reprimands researcher over lack of supervision appeared first on Research Professional News.

This week: research quality prize, a campus occupation in Frankfurt and education spending

In depth: Germans believe that climate and energy issues are now more important research topics than health, according to a nationwide survey released this month.

Full story: Climate replaces health as Germany’s top research concern

Also this week from Research Professional News

DFG reprimands researcher over lack of supervision—Ruling slams group head and co-author for failure to spot manipulated data before article publication

Here is the rest of the German news this week…

Einstein announces quality winners  

The Einstein Foundation Berlin has named the recipients of this year’s €500,000 Award for Promoting Quality in Research. Canadian physician Gordon Guyatt won the individual award for his promotion of evidence-based medicine. The Psychological Science Accelerator, a network aiming to improve the quality of psychological research, won the institutional award. The winner of the €100,000 early career award is Elisa Bandini for her work on the Ape Research Index, a project aiming to document experience-dependent cognitive flexibility among chimpanzees.

Police break up Frankfurt campus occupation

Following a complaint by Frankfurt’s Goethe University, police officers entered a lecture hall occupied by climate activists from the group End Fossil: Occupy. The university confirmed that police had cleared the lecture hall at 8pm on 6 December after the group refused an offer from the university’s chancellor to move to a smaller lecture hall. On its website, the group said it aimed to occupy 20 school and university buildings in Germany to demand more action on climate change. 

Education spend up but outstripped by GDP growth

The German government spent €169.3 billion on education in 2021, €5.3bn more than in the previous year, according to Destatis, the federal statistics office. In its Education Finance Report 2022, the office said that €33.9bn—20 per cent of the total public expenditure—had gone to universities. However, public sector education’s share of German GDP was just 4.7 per cent in 2021, down from 4.9 per cent in 2020. This can be explained by the shift in public spending areas during the Covid-19 pandemic, Destatis said.

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