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Germany
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE GOVERNANCE OF SCIENCE IN GERMANY
Germany has a highly differentiated science and research system. The Federal Government («Bund») and the 16 Federal States («Lander») jointly provide research support and have shared responsi¬bilities. At the federal level, the main responsibility lies with the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research); it coordinates the federal research and development (R&D) policy. The responsibilities for some fields of research are divided among various other ministries, primarily the BMU (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation & Nuclear Safety) and the BMWI (Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology) which conducts a range of innovation-oriented programmes. Research funds provided by the German federal ministries are administered by dedicated project management agencies that operate on behalf of the ministries. Almost two-thirds of German research is funded from industrial and private sources.
Besides the research universities, publicly supported research is performed mainly by four science and research organisations: the Fraunhofer-Society (FhG), the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres (HGF), the Leibniz Association (WGL), the Max-Planck-Society (MPG). Altogether, there are around 750 state-funded research institutions in Germany.
In addition, numerous organisations and foundations support research and scientists. The best known are: the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation - DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH). Several private and public foundations also contribute to the promotion of science, by project funding and raising the qualification of young scientists.
SUMMARY REVIEW OF SCIENCE & RESEARCH COOPERATION WITH BELARUS
The Agreement on Wide-ranging Economical, Industrial and Scientific&Technical Cooperation, concluded by Germany and Belarus in 1993, constitutes the legal basis for S&T cooperation between two countries. Based on this Agreement, Agreements on scientific cooperation of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) with German Research Foundation - DFG (1997), with Alexander von Humboldt Foundation – AvH (1998) and with German Federation of Industrial Research Associations «Otto von Guericke» - AiF (2003) concluded. As annex to the Agreement the Protocol on currency-free equivalent scientists exchange was signed, that provides mutual scientific visits realization on terms of financing stay expenses by hosting Academy (the annual exchange quota is 50 man-day for each Academy).
A number of Agreements and Protocols on cooperation is signed on the level of scientific institutes and universities of two countries.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENCE & RESEARCH COOPERATION GERMANY - BELARUS
Today, the German Federal Government invests more in R&D than ever before. Total expenditure (public and private) for R&D was more than € 50 billion, or about 2.5% of GDP, in 2004.
An additional € 6 billion has been earmarked for R&D until 2009. BMBF coordinates this initiative and will primarily invest in excellent research and emerging cutting-edge technologies.
With the publication of its High-Tech Strategy in 2006, the German government provided a comprehensive national strategy to improve Germany's international ranking in tomorrow's most important markets. The strategy aims to streamline the R&D efforts of all political stakeholders and to focus them on clearly defined priority subjects, in particular by putting innovation policy at the centre of governmental activities.
By promoting top-class university research within the framework of the Initiative for Excellence, the Federal Government aims to establish internationally visible research beacons in Germany.
As regards Belarusian participation in publicly supported research projects, it is important to note that in general all opportunities for research funding are open for the participation of research teams and scientists from Belarus - German applicants have to include their Belarusian partners in their applica¬tions for national funding. Interested Belarusian scientists may select their potential German partners from amongst the entire German research community (universities, institutes, etc.). The four largest German research organisations are also a major source for finding new research partners.
Germany has one of the best higher education systems in the world, with 372 higher education institutions, including many centres of outstanding scientific research. The German Rectors' Conference (Hochschulrektorenkonferenz - HRK), a voluntary association of state and state-recognised universities and other higher education institutions in Germany, functions as an umbrella organisation. It is the political and public voice of higher education institutions in Germany.
The Helmholtz Association (HGF) consists of 15 national research centres and develops and operates large-scale research facilities and scientific infrastructure available to national and international research teams. For example, the German Electron Synchrotron (DESI), with its specialist focus on particle physics, and the Society for Heavy Ion Research (GSI) in Darmstadt offer excellent conditions for high-energy researchers. Helmholtz works in six research fields: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Key Technologies, Structure of Matter, and Transport and Space.
More than 4,000 scientists and scholars conduct projects at the approximately 80 research institutes of the Max-Planck-Society (MPG). They perform top-quality basic research at the frontiers of knowledge and provide competitive research conditions for excellent scientists from all over the world. The main research fields are Biosciences, Neurosciences, Cognitive Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Geosciences, Computer Sciences, Social and Cultural Sciences. Sixteen Max-Planck-Society researchers have been awarded a Nobel Prize since 1948.
The Fraunhofer-Society (FhG) consists of more than 80 research units, including 58 Fraunhofer Institutes. FhG carries out applied research of direct value to private and public enterprises and of wider benefit to society. Fraunhofer research ranges from next generation internet, augmented reality and virtual factories through to mechatronics and energy technologies. Around 90% of its research budget is acquired by contract research.
The 84 institutes of the Leibniz Association (WGL) carry out demand-oriented and interdisci-plinary research. Numerous cooperation agreements exist with industry and the public sector. The Leibniz Association also cooperates closely with universities. Research fields range from the Arts, Humanities and Education, Economic and Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, to Engineering and Environmental Research.
German ministerial project funding is characterised by the fact that the preparation of funding, the selection of projects and the monitoring of their implementation, as well as all consultation ser-vices for researchers, are provided by dedicated project management agencies (Projekttrager). These agencies advise German applicants and their Belarusian partners about the rales for participation of Belarusian scientists in German programmes (see «Where can I find more information?»).
One project management agencies of the BMWI is the Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschun-gsvereinigungew «Otto von Guericke» (German Federation of Industrial Research Associations «Otto von Guericke» - AiF). It promotes applied research and development for the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises. AiF is engaged in sector-specific research and R&D in individual companies, including collaboration with Russian partners.
In addition to the participation in publicly funded projects in Germany, many other opportunities exist for foreign research teams and scientists to become involved in the German work and re-search system. Many German organisations, in particular foundations, support foreign scientists by awarding scholarships, fellowships and prizes. The key funding organisations for science and research cooperation are the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation (AvH). Organisations such as the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (Konrad Adenauer Foundation), Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (Friedrich Ebert Foundation), Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Founda¬tion for German-Russian Youth Exchange, Volkswagen-Foundation and many others operate special programmes to support research cooperation between East and West.
The German Research Foundation (DFG), the central self-governing organisation for science and research, focuses on funding research projects carried out by scientists and academics in all areas of science and the humanities who work at higher education institutions and at publicly-funded research institutes. DFG substantially contributes towards the strengthening and integration of research and to international cooperation. In all its programmes, DFG actively promotes collabora¬tion between researchers in Germany and their colleagues abroad, including in Belarus. Since 2003, the DFG has been operating its Moscow office, that coordinates the development of DFG cooperation with CIS states.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is one of the world's largest and most respected intermediary organisations, mainly known for supporting cross-border academic exchanges of students, post-graduates and professors. DAAD promotes the international relations of Germany'shighereducationinstitutionsbyfundingtheexchangeofstudentsandscholarsandbyranning international programmes and projects. Its programmes are usually open to all disciplines and countries; both Germans and foreigners may benefit from them. Russia is one of the most important partner countries of the DAAD.
Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation (AvH) is a non-profit foundation established by the Federal Republic of Germany for the promotion of international research cooperation. It enables highly qualified foreign academics to spend extended research periods in Germany and promotes the resulting academic contacts. AvH maintains an active network of scholars world-wide. Since 1970, AvH has supported more than 830 scientists and scholars and 150 laureates from the former Soviet Union.
In addition to the research support at the federal level, the Governments of the German Federal States («Lander») are responsible for funding research and teaching at the public universities in their respective state and for contributing to the financing of institutes which are co-funded by the federal government. Numerous programmes and initiatives also exist at the Federal States' level in which Belarusian researchers and teams are able to participate.
© National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2011
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