Research Policy : Germany

Research and the promotion of research in Germany are governed by the freedom of teaching and research as anchored in the Basic Law, by the country’s federal structure which divides responsibility between the federal and state governments, and by the demands of industry. It is primarily the scientific institutions themselves who decide what research to undertake and assess the results, especially in the field of basic research.
In 1996 the Federal Government submitted the “1996 Report of the Federal Government on Research”, which informs the public and parliament about the aims and focuses of its research and development policy.

In a market economy, private companies are basically free to develop new technological and economical solutions for new products and procedures on their own. Government promotion of private-sector research and development is based on the principle of subsidiarity. Only when companies are unable to develop - or unable to bear the total burden of developing - certain technologies that are in the public interest does the government step in to provide incentives such as tax concessions or grants.In the years ahead, government research policy will focus on the so-called key technologies for the 21st century such as biotechnology, renewable energy sources, mobility and transport.

International Cooperation : Germany

The promotion of international cooperation in the field of research is a major aspect of government policy. In addition to the promotion of exchanges and direct cooperation between German and foreign scientists, for instance via the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) or the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, there are many other forms of cooperation. Germany has concluded bilateral agreements on scientific and technological cooperation with over 30 countries. It plays an active part in joint research and technology programs within the European Union. Cooperation also extends beyond the territory of the Union, as reflected in the COST program (cooperation with third countries on applied research), the EU’s participation in the EUREKA and ESA projects, and the more recent EU-EFTA cooperation under the European Economic Area agreement.

Some of this work at the EU level is carried out by institutions with large-scale facilities beyond the means of individual countries. They include the high energy accelerator of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, the very high flux reactor of the Max von Laue-Paul Langevin Institute (ILL) in Grenoble, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg.
The aim of all these programs is to coordinate national research, pool resources in joint projects and hence increase Europe’s competitiveness.

Sponsors Of Research : Germany

The higher education institutions are in many areas, especially basic scientific research and the humanities, the most important sponsors of research and often the prime source of innovation. Application-oriented basic research is taking on increasing importance. In fields of applied research and development, higher education institutions cooperate with other establishments and industrial laboratories, thus speeding up the practical application of their theoretical findings. The Fachhochschulen, too, play an important role in application-oriented research and are particularly useful contacts and intermediaries for small firms.

Closely linked with the higher education institutions are the six academies of science in Dusseldorf, Gottingen, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Mainz and Munich, as well as the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of the Arts founded in 1992. They are centers of scientific communication and mainly support long-term scholarly projects such as the publication oi encyclopedias, etc. Crucial support for research at higher education institutions comes from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFC), the largest sponsor after the federal and state governments. In 1996 alone it dealt with about 20,900 applications for research funds, a record number which reflects in an impressive manner the creativity and capacity for innovation of Germany’s universities. The DFG receives its funds from the federal and state governments (in 1995 approximately DM 1.9 billion).

Research Institutions : Germany

Research in Germany is conducted by the universities, by public and private non-university and non-industry institutes, and by industry itself.Research by university teachers has a long tradition in Germany. “The unity of research and teaching” has been a pillar of German academic life since Wilhelm von Humboldt reformed the Prussian universities in the early 19th century. The universities are the bedrock of German research. They are the only institutions whose research embraces all scientific disciplines. Most basic research is done there, and they produce successive generations of scientists and thus ensure continuity.

Non-university research is primarily an extension of the work done at the universities. For instance, major research projects, especially in the natural sciences, can only be managed by big teams using expensive technology and with heavy financial backing. Such large-scale research is best done in the government-funded centers for physics, new sources of energy (e.g. nuclear fusion), aerospace, medicine, molecular biology, and environmental and polar research.
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Scholarship And Research : Germany

In recent years, the Nobel Prize winners for chemistry, physics and medicine have included Germans. The 1988 prize for chemistry, for instance, was shared by Johann Deisenhofer, Robert Huber and Hartmut Michel. In 1989 the prize for physics was shared by Wolfgang Paul and two American colleagues, and in 1991 the prize for medicine was awarded to Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann for their work in the field of cellular biology. Nobel laureates from Germany in 1995 were the developmental biologist Christiane Nusslein-Volhard (medicine) and the Dutch chemist Paul J. Crutzen, who teaches in Mainz.

In earlier times, Germany’s universities led the world in many areas of scholarship. Up to the Second World War, ten out of 45 Nobel Prizes for physics and 16 out of 40 for chemistry went to Germans. But starting in 1933, the National Socialists drove many of the country’s best brains abroad. A good number of them went to the United States, where they were of inestimable value to that country’s scientific institutions. Germany had a hard task making up for this brain drain after 1945, and it was a long time before it caught up with the world’s leaders.

Wide Selection Of Courses : Germany

The trade unions also have a large continuing education program. The adult education centers and the German Trade Union Federation (DGB; Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund) are linked in a working group called “Arbeit und Leben” (Work and Life). This provides workers with courses in economic and social affairs, works constitution, insurance and labor law, and much more. Works council members and other labor representatives can take courses at special DGB academies.

The churches, too, are active in the field of adult education. The Protestant Church maintains 15 academies where it holds seminars on topical issues. In the foreground of Catholic continuing education work are family and marriage issues as well as theological and cultural subjects.
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Continuing Education And Further Vocational Training : Germany

There has been a remarkable increase in continuing education and further training courses. Last year a third of the country’s employees participated, and in the new states the proportion was over 40 percent. Industry spends more than DM 10 billion every year on further training for the labor force. There are 11 supraregional training institutes run by business and industry, and 30 continuing education institutes. Many large enterprises also run courses for their own employees.

There is a growing willingness to retrain for a different occupation, especially in the computer sector. Courses generally last two years in which full-time tuition alternates with practical training. Three out of four participants in further-training schemes report that they subsequently obtained better jobs. The public sector provided a net total of DM 4.7 billion for “other forms of education” in 1993. During a further-training course, trainees receive grants or loans.
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