Starting next year, Goethe University and the
Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) will intensify and expand joint
research projects and the exchange of scientific knowledge. A new cooperation
agreement has laid the legal foundations for this. The contract was signed
yesterday, on November 11th.
FRANKFURT. Interdisciplinary
basic research in the natural sciences, life sciences, neurosciences, and
computer sciences - in these areas Goethe University and FIAS have been
collaborating since the research institutes foundation in 2003. The new
contract will allow for easier coordination of existing projects and the start
of new projects.
"The contract will give us the
freedom to conduct even more interdisciplinary research and to design our
projects complementary to the questions of the two partners," University
President Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff said at the signing of the contract
yesterday evening. "However, it is important for us that FIAS is now
closely linked with the university's natural science departments. For example,
a project at FIAS can now also be applied for through the university."
"Even though FIAS acts autonomously
and independently, there have of course always been close ties between the two
institutions. We are looking forward to strengthening and structurally
anchoring this cooperation now," said Prof. Dr. Volker Lindenstruth,
Chairman of the Board of FIAS. He signed the cooperation agreement together
with his board colleague Dr. Rolf Bernhardt.
For example, it is planned to jointly
develop technical and content-related topics of high-performance computing in
the natural and life sciences within the framework of the Center for Scientific
Computing (CSC); only recently, Goethe University was accepted into the
national network for high-performance computing. Another goal is to intensify
cooperation in the life sciences: for example, researchers are already
cooperating on the LOEWE focus on multi-scale modeling (CMMS), which aims to
quantify complex biological systems, and the cluster project ENABLE, which is
investigating the internal balance of cells (homeostasis), to help develop
novel drugs for inflammation and infection diseases. Thus, FIAS will be
involved in preparing the future Excellence Initiative of the Federal Government.
In addition to funding ongoing projects,
Goethe University has also developed a fellowship program to support its
researchers in starting new projects with FIAS. In this way, researchers get
the opportunity to devote themselves to new creative and interdisciplinary
approaches to their research at FIAS during a sabbatical.
About 80 scientists work at FIAS, and
several fellows also conduct research and teaching at Goethe University. The
two institutions also work together to promote young researchers; at the
Frankfurt Graduate School for Science (FIGSS) at FIAS and the program to
support doctoral students at the GRADE Center iQbio at Goethe University.
Goethe University established FIAS in 2003
as a foundation under civil law. Since then, FIAS has been promoting science in
interdisciplinary, theoretical basic research in the natural and life sciences.
In doing so, it operates as an ambitious, independent scientific institution.
At the same time, FIAS is a hub for research activities at Goethe University
and at various surrounding research institutions and thus will be essential for
the preparation of the next Excellence Initiative.
Images
to download: https://fias.institute/media/2021_11_11_kooperationsvertrag_presse.jpeg
Caption: Goethe
University and Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies agree on closer
collaboration in new cooperation agreement: Goethe University President Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff (2. from
the left) and the chairmen of the board of FIAS, Prof. Dr. Volker Lindenstruth
(left) and Dr. Rolf Bernhardt, after signing the contract (Picture: Sälzer/FIAS)
Further information
Prof.
Dr. Volker Lindenstruth
Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies
Faculty
of Computer Science and Mathematics
Goethe-University
069 798 47688
info@fias.uni-frankfurt.de
https://fias.institute