The Einstein Foundation Berlin is a foundation based in Berlin, Germany "that aims to promote science and research of top international caliber in Berlin and to establish the city as a centre of scientific excellence."[1] It does this through various objectives, including the cross-institutional promotion of Berlin research projects, the appointment of outstanding scientists to Berlin, targeted support for young researchers, and better cooperation between university, non-university, and private sector institutions.
| Formation | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Type | Foundation |
| Purpose | Promote science research in Berlin |
| Headquarters | Jägerstraße 22/23 Berlin, Germany |
Managing Director | Dr. Thorsten Wilhelmy |
| Website | www |
The foundation supports research in many fields beyond science, including linguistics, archeology, and political science. It gives out annual awards and sponsors various projects, including the "Einstein Center of Catalysis".
The Einstein Foundation Berlin is separate from the short-lived Albert Einstein Foundation for Higher Learning, Inc., founded in 1946.[2]
History
editThe Einstein Foundation was established by the city and state of Berlin in 2009.
Activities
editScience communication
editIn addition to the direct funding of research projects and scientists, one of the foundation's key tasks is science communication. The Foundation's science podcast, #AskDifferent, has been on air since 2020, making people and fields of work that are particularly associated with the foundation known to a broad public. The journal ALBERT, published since 2015, also focuses on research areas that reflect the diversity and complexity of Berlin's scientific landscape.
As part of science communication, the Einstein Foundation Berlin also acts as an organizer. It organizes the public event series "Meeting Einstein" and "Einstein in the Dome" in cooperation with the Planetarium Berlin.[3]
Financial support
editEinstein Foundation Berlin provides institutional support to the Free University of Berlin, the Humboldt University of Berlin, the Technische Universität Berlin, and the Berlin University of the Arts, as well as Charité—– Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Publicly funded research institutions in Berlin can be supported as cooperation partners of the eligible institutions, including institutes of the Fraunhofer Society, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association, and the Max Planck Society. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is also considered a cooperation partner because it preserves the legacy of Albert Einstein and participates in committees.
The Foundation offers funding programs for various career levels, including professorships, visiting fellows, and so-called starting researchers. Furthermore, in 2023 the Einstein Foundation Berlin supported 19 foreign scientists as part of the program to promote academic freedom for those experiencing restrictions on their academic freedom in their home countries or are otherwise at risk.
Cooperation with the Berlin University Alliance
editThe cooperation between the Einstein Foundation Berlin and the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) has resulted in programs such as the Einstein BUA/Oxford Visiting Fellow program. This enables visiting researchers from the University of Oxford to get involved in Berlin research networks. In addition, the Einstein BUA profile professorship strengthens the BUA's competencies in the defined Grand Challenges by appointing professors. The Einstein Foundation's funding of Einstein Research Units also supports the work on scientifically and socially relevant topics within the Grand Challenges.
Einstein Foundation Award
editIn 2021, the Einstein Foundation launched the Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research. Since then, the foundation has annually honored contributions that fundamentally increase the validity of research and science and thereby significantly promote their social benefit. Enabling free access to research worldwide (Open science), establishing equal international cooperation ("Big Team Science"), or commitment to high ethical standards in research are just a few facets of award-worthy activities.
The prize, worth a total of 500,000 euros, is awarded by the Einstein Foundation Berlin together with the QUEST Center for Responsible Research at the Berlin Institute of Health in the Charité (BIH) in three categories: The "Individual Award" honors researchers or small research groups with 200,000 euros each, and the "Institutional Award" honors organizations and scientific institutions. The "Early Career Award" honors innovative ideas from scientists at the beginning of their careers with 100,000 euros.
The Einstein Foundation Award is financed by the Damp Foundation over a period of ten years and is additionally supported by the State of Berlin. The publishers Nature Portfolio and Public Library of Science (PLOS), as well as the Max Planck Foundation and the Berlin University Alliance, support the Einstein Foundation Berlin in the international establishment and implementation of the award.
Einstein Foundation Award winners
edit- 2021:
- Individual Award — Paul Ginsparg[4]
- Institutional Award — Center for Open Science[5]
- Early Career Award — ManyBabies 5
- 2022:
- Individual Award — Gordon Guyatt[6][7]
- Institutional Award — Psychological Science Accelerator
- Early Career Award — Ape Research Index
- 2023:
- Individual Award — Yves Moreau
- Institutional Award — Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences
- Early Career Award — Responsible Research Assessment/Anne Gärtner
Funding
editEinstein Foundation Berlin is funded by state monies and private support: the Damp Foundation and the Wübben Science Foundation have pledged to support the Foundation with a total of €31 million until 2031.[8] In addition, the Foundation receives matching funds from the state of Berlin in the amount of 50 cents for every privately generated Euro.
Board members
editThe Foundation is headed by a board of directors:
- Edelgard Bulmahn, advisory board
- Martin Grötschel, executive board (chair 2011–2015)
- Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, board of trustees
- Amélie Mummendey, chair of the board of trustees
- Stefan Rinke, advisory board
- Johanna Wanka, advisory board[9]
- Günter M. Ziegler, foundation council
Notable grant and other support recipients
editIndividuals/research fellows
edit- Cecilia Clementi — chemist[10][11]
- Channing Der — microbiologist[12]
- Eduard Feireisl — mathematician[13]
- Katharina Galor — art historian and archeologist
- Adele Goldberg — linguist (2010–2014)
- David H. Gutmann — neurologist (2017-2022)[14]
- Stefan Hecht — chemist
- Brian Kobilka – chemist (winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
- Yannís G. Kevrekidis — chemist (2016–2018)
- Edvard Moser – neuroscientist (winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
- Juri Rappsilber — chemist[15]
- Stefan Rinke — historian (2013–2015)
- Richard J. Samuels — political scientist[16]
- Surjo R. Soekadar — physician, neuroscientist, and development aid worker (2018)[17]
- Thomas C. Südhof – biochemist (winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
- Viola Vogel — biophysicist[18]
Programs and institutions
edit- Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies
- BIG-NSE (Berlin International Graduate School of Natural Sciences and Engineering)
- PathoGraphics Research Group, Free University of Berlin, 2016–2019[19]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Einstein Foundation Berlin – Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin". www.ecn-berlin.de. Retrieved 2017-09-28.
- ^ "New Jewish Unit Plans University". The New York Times. August 20, 1946. p. 10. ProQuest 107605957.
- ^ "A unique international platform for leaders from the worlds of science, business, politics, the arts and society". Falling Walls. Retrieved Jul 22, 2024.
- ^ Glaser, Linda B. (November 29, 2021). "arXiv founder Ginsparg wins Einstein Foundation Berlin Award". Cornell Chronicle.
- ^ "Einstein Foundation Award Recipients and Finalists: Center for Open Science". Einstein Foundation Berlin. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- ^ IRELAND, NICOLE (Dec 1, 2022). "Canadian 'father of evidence-based medicine' wins global Einstein Foundation award". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press.
- ^ "Canadian physician Gordon Guyatt and the Psychological Science Accelerator honored as this year's recipients of the €500,000 prize for enhancing quality in research" (Press release). Einstein Foundation Berlin. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ Warnecke, Tilmann (Mar 7, 2014). "Einstein-Stiftung Berlin: Die Millionen-Spende kommt von der Ostsee". Der Tagesspiegel (in German).
- ^ BSR-Chefin Otto und ehemalige Forschungsministerin Wanka neu im Beirat der Einstein Stiftung Einstein Foundation, press release of 6 October 2020.
- ^ "Cecilia Clementi Einstein Foundation Berlin". www.einsteinfoundation.de. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ "Multiscale Modeling of Biophysical Systems". www.mi.fu-berlin.de. 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ "Channing Der–Einstein Foundation Berlin". www.einsteinfoundation.de. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
- ^ "Eduard Feireisl". Einstein Foundation Berlin.
- ^ "David Gutmann–Einstein Foundation Berlin". www.einsteinfoundation.de. Archived from the original on 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
- ^ "Einstein Professors: Juri Rappsilber". Einstein Foundation Berlin. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
- ^ Einstein Visiting Fellow Richard J. Samuels. YouTube. Einstein Foundation Berlin. Mar 14, 2016.
- ^ "First professorship in clinical neurotechnology: Charité secures Einstein professorship and ERC starting grant". EurekAlert (Press release). CHARITÉ - UNIVERSITÄTSMEDIZIN BERLIN. 20 Nov 2018.
- ^ Health, Berlin Institute of. "Viola Vogel". Einstein Foundation Berlin. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
- ^ "First funding period (2016-2021)". PATHOGRAPHICS (2016 - 2021). Free University of Berlin. 18 November 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2023.