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ePaper created 2014-12-22, 09:34:33 | version 1.34.00
07 PRESIDENT’S REPORT Selected highlights from the reporting period 2013 14 Jan 2013 The Helmholtz Association establishes 100th virtual institute 15 Jan 2013 Helmholtz launches new programme to fund Helmholtz International Research Groups 28 Jan 2013 The EU funds Human Brain Project as flagship venture at the Helmholtz Association 11 March 2013 Opening in Berlin of the travelling exhibi- tion “Ideas 2020 – A Tour of Tomorrow’s World” 7 Feb 2013 Start of the third round of research programme reviews by 200 international experts 6 June 2013 Decision to establish the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen- Nürnberg for Renewable Energy Production 18 June 2013 Opening of the Berlin Institute of Health, operated by the MDC and the Charité “CHANGE IS A CONSTANT INCENTIVE FOR US AND AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR MISSION.” Jürgen Mlynek search funds to strategically oriented research programmes that span disciplines and member centres. The strategic guidelines required for this process, defined in research policy requirements, are formulated by the funding bodies and representatives of government working together with the Helmholtz Association. In spring 2013, the third round of POF reviews began for programmes in three of the association’s six research fields: Earth and Environment, Health, and Aeronautics, Space and Transport. In October 2013, the Helmholtz Senate decided to provide these research fields with funding of 6.16 billion euros for the period from 2014 to 2018. Reviews of the three remaining fields – Energy, Key Technologies and the Structure of Matter – followed in spring 2014. The evaluations targeted many of the large- scale facilities operated by the Helmholtz Association, including synchrotrons, particle accelerators and fusion reactors. For these research fields the Helmholtz Senate has now approved funding of 6.63 billion euros for the period from 2015 to 2019. In both rounds of reviews, experts confirmed the outstanding quality of Helmholtz research and its great strategic relevance for the scientific community, industry and society. After ten years of implementation and three rounds of reviews, the instrument of programme-oriented funding itself is being evaluated. A working group established by the German Council of Science and Humanities launched the process in spring 2014 with the aim of securing the The rapid digitisation of nearly all areas of our lives over the past 20 years shows just how quickly society, the economy and science can change – and how important it is to contribute to this transformation process as a scien- tific research organisation. The Helmholtz Association is synonymous with research into the major topics that will shape the future. While we cannot predict the future, we should regularly ask ourselves whether we are researching the right topics, those that will be crucial for our society in the next 20 years and beyond. We are always focused on the important goal of conducting research that points the way forward. Strategic research under review We should constantly check whether our research infra- structure, especially our large-scale devices, is well suited to meet the most pressing social and economic challenges of the day. How does our research rate in international comparison? Are we recruiting the right staff and how successful are we in retaining them? In 2013 and 2014, a total of 419 internationally recognised, independent experts – including 318 from abroad – helped us to answer these questions. They took part in a process held at five-year intervals to evaluate the Helmholtz Association’s research activities. We call this process programme-oriented funding (POF). It combines the strategic question of the proper research theme with the question of research quality. In 2004, the Helmholtz Association began allocating its re-