Nationwide exchange
Research funding: Federal working group of EU advisors at German universities meets for the first time in Wuppertal
The Wuppertal EU research funding team Ingo Trempeck (right), Ulrike Hartig (left) and Melanie Schorsch (2nd from left) welcomed the Federal Working Group of EU Researchers and their team of spokespersons Christian Jäger, Linda Piálek, Friederieke Noack and Thomas Mirow to the University of Wuppertal for the first time // Photo Friederike von Heyden
The EU advisors at their universities ensure that their researchers are made aware of EU funding opportunities, facilitate access to and the implementation of EU projects from the Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation and help to raise the profile of the topic of Europeanisation of research among university management. At the University of Wuppertal, this includes Ulrike Hartig, who also represents North Rhine-Westphalia as a delegate in the nationwide working group of EU advisors. (For more background, see info box.)
In addition to EU colleagues from other universities, guests from various cooperation partners of the Federal Working Group came to Wuppertal for its 65th conference. After a welcome address by Prof Dr Stefan Kirsch, Vice-Rector for Research and Digital Affairs at the University of Wuppertal, the focus was on current developments in Brussels and in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and their impact on European research policy. Current initiatives to simplify project management in the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation "Horizon Europe" were also presented.
The online portal "Kooperation international", which is managed by the DLR Project Management Agency and the VDI Technology Centre and provides information on international research, innovation and cooperation as well as networking funding, research and educational organisations, was then presented.
Representatives of the North Rhine-Westphalian Office for the Protection of the Constitution gave an impressive report on the risks posed to science by espionage and sensitised the audience to typical procedures.
Finally, a current practical example was used to illustrate the challenges for universities in connection with funding from the European Defence Fund.
After the usual exchange with representatives of the German Rectors' Conference on the second day, the BAK discussed future activities and best practice in connection with the handling of EU research projects internally.
"Many participants reported back to us that the good working atmosphere at the University of Wuppertal was a key factor in the very successful exchange in terms of content. We are naturally delighted that we from Wuppertal were able to contribute to making the national working group a lively and supportive network," explains Ulrike Hartig, Head of EU Research Funding, on behalf of the entire EU Research Funding team at BUW.
Welcoming the guests from all over Germany: Prof Dr Stefan Kirsch, Vice-Rector for Research and Digital Affairs at the University of Wuppertal // Photo Friederike von Heyden
More background on the federal working group
The Federal Working Group of EU Advisors at Universities in Germany (BAK) was founded in 1995 with the aim of strengthening EU advisory structures and further professionalising the work of EU advisors.
The BAK is made up of two delegates from each of the regional working groups. It is currently led by a team of four spokespersons and works together with cooperation partners such as the EU Office of the BMBF, KoWi, National Contact Points, representatives of the HRK, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG and the European University Association.
In cooperation with the BMBF and its EU Office, the BAK organises the annual exchange of experience on the EU Research Framework Programme, participates in the annual KoWi Federal Conference on EU research funding, cooperates with the HRK at its annual EU Strategy Day and is involved in workshops on current EU research funding topics.
In the BAK working groups "Project Management" and "Law" , competencies are bundled nationwide in order to effectively meet the challenges of European funding programmes, to help shape relevant processes at EU and national level and to professionalise project management.
North Rhine-Westphalia is currently represented in the BAK once again by Ulrike Hartig, Research Funding and External Funding Service at the BUW, among others.
