The new Leibniz research network will develop advisory services for German policymakers and support scientific cooperation with a particular focus on research security.
By Angela Köckritz
Research policy in Germany is of central importance for the sustainable promotion of research and teaching as well as for securing the country's international competitiveness. It forms the foundation for scientific progress and technological innovation, which in turn are decisive factors for Germany's economic strength and social development. Targeted measures and funding programmes strengthen the areas of research and teaching in order to be able to respond appropriately to global challenges such as digitalization, climate change and health crises. Read all the news on research policy from the Table.Briefings editorial team here. Promotion of research and teaching German research policy aims to promote both basic research and application-oriented research and teaching. Research and teaching in times of digitalization The advancing digitalization represents one of the greatest challenges for research and teaching. However, digitalization also offers enormous opportunities that need to be exploited. In order to promote research and teaching in the long term, it is necessary to continuously expand the digital infrastructure and at the same time adapt the legal and ethical framework conditions. Climate research and sustainable development in research and teaching Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges facing German research policy. Research and teaching play a decisive role in finding solutions for sustainable development. The promotion of climate research and sustainable technologies is therefore at the top of the political agenda. Health research: Lessons from the pandemic for research and teaching Overcoming the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic has impressively demonstrated the importance of effective research and teaching in the health sector. However, the pandemic has also shown that research policy must be continuously developed in order to be able to react flexibly to unforeseeable challenges. Research and teaching must go hand in hand in order to strengthen society's resilience to future crises. Research and teaching in the social debate Another key aspect of research policy is the dialog between science and society. Research and teaching are not isolated, but embedded in a social environment. This environment requires trust in scientific findings and innovations. Research policy must therefore aim to promote science communication and intensify the exchange between researchers and the public. Initiatives such as citizen science or open access publications help to make scientific findings accessible to a broad public and promote dialog between science and society. This is particularly important in order to increase the acceptance of research results and to make the importance of research and teaching for social development more comprehensible. The future of research and teaching The future of research and teaching in Germany depends largely on how successfully research policy masters current and future challenges. Targeted funding for digitalization, sustainability and health research will enable Germany to maintain and further expand its position as a leading science location. Close dialog between science, politics and society will be crucial in order to fully exploit the potential of research and teaching and to strengthen the country's innovative power.
