The German academies of sciences and humanities are scholarly
societies as
well as non-university research institutions. As their work is based on
continuity,
independence and excellence, they are able to tackle research projects
requiring sustained efforts over long periods of time, such as
compiling scientific
dictionaries, encyclopaedias or critical editions of the complete works
of
great thinkers or composers, or carrying out long-term studies in the
natural
sciences. Thus, the academies establish storehouses of knowledge and
information.
In making their dictionaries, encyclopaedias, editions and series of
measurements available to other scientists as well as to the general
public, the
academies provide a welcome source of information to be used in
individual research,
in scientific discussions or in dealing with problems relating to
specific
professions.
The Academies' Programme
Financed
jointly by the federal government and the federal states (Länder) since
1979/80, the Academies’ Programme is a programme for funding long-term
research projects in the humanities and the natural sciences. Run by
the German academies of sciences and humanities, it is one of the
Federal Republic of Germany’s most comprehensive research programmes in
the humanities. The Academies’ Programme is coordinated by the Union of
the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities. It comprises (as of
2012) a total of 152 projects with 204 working groups. The projects
consist of 22 dictionaries, 118 editions, 10 long-term studies in the
natural sciences and two basic research projects in social science and
cultural studies. Their staff amounts to a total of more than 600
employees. Furthermore, more than a hundred university teachers work on
a voluntary basis as heads of projects. Since
2006, the Academies’ Programme has been put out to public tender. In
order to be eligible for funding by the Academies’ Programme, projects
must
meet the following criteria: they must be of national significance and
high academic
relevance, must have a term of 12 to 25 years, and must be budgeted
at a minimum of 120,000 euros per year. A special Committee on
“Research
Promotion”, on which the Federation and the Länder are represented,
manages the budget of the Academies’ Programme and decides on the
admission of new and the continuation of running projects, based on the
financial and programme planning drawn up by the Union of the German
Academies of Sciences and Humanities.
Other Research Projects of the Academies
Individual academies also carry out research projects of their
own, which are
funded directly by the “Bundesland” in which the respective academy has
its
seat, or by third-party grants.
Prizes and Awards, Support of Juniors Researchers
In order to promote the emergence of new talent in science and the humanities,
or to honour outstanding research or lifetime achievements in science,
the German academies award numerous prizes, medals and scholarships.
Irrespective of the prize money, these academic awards are very special marks
of honour. Award presentations are formal ceremonies, which usually take
place at the public anniversary celebrations of the academies. For most
awards, candidates cannot apply but have to be proposed. Furthermore, the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities joint in the
Union increasingly support certain forms of promoting junior researchers. For
example, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and
the Leopoldina initiated a “Junge Akademie”, the Academy of Sciences and
Humanities at Heidelberg started the “WIN-Kolleg” and the North Rhine-Westphalian
Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts founded the “Junges Kolleg”
for the support of junior researchers.
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