January
+++ IWAK +++
+++ Visual Communication +++
The “Visual Communication” (ViCom) project is launched as part of a new German Research Foundation priority programme. Prof. Cornelia Ebert (Goethe University Frankfurt) and Prof. Markus Steinbach (University of Göttingen), both Linguistics, applied for the joint project, in which Goethe University acts as the main spokesperson. The program focuses on communicative possibilities for conveying information outside of the spoken language, also and including in relation to other channels.
+++ LOEWE professorship +++
Virologist Prof. Sandra Ciesek takes up the LOEWE top professorship she was awarded by the state of Hesse and which is endowed with €1.4 million.
*LOEWE is the research promotion program that has been used by the federal state of Hesse since 2008 to set research policy trends, the objective being to give a sustainable boost to Hesse’s research landscape. LOEWE stands for “Landes-Offensive zur Entwicklung wissenschaftlich-ökonomischer Exzellenz” (state program for the development of scientific and economic excellence).
Sandra Ciesek: Goethe-Universität erhält LOEWE-Spitzen-Professur
+++ Liver research +++
Starting in 2022, scientists from the LOEWE research initiative “ACLF-I” will receive funding to conduct research into a severe form of liver failure (acute-on-chronic liver failure). The overarching goal is to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF). The initiative’s spokesperson is Dr. Christoph Welsch from Goethe University Frankfurt.
Pathogenetic mechanisms of acute-on-chronic liver failure and therapeutic approaches
+++ Time for research +++
Specialist doctors at Frankfurt University Hospital can now dedicate part of their working hours to research into infectious diseases. Making this possible is the INITIALISE – Innovations in Infection Medicine program, with which the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding both Frankfurt University Hospital and Goethe University Frankfurt.
Millionenförderung schafft Freiraum für Forschung zu Infektionskrankheiten
+++ Subject-related language education +++
2022 marked the start of the “Multi-professional cooperation and professionalization for subject-related language education in all-day schooling” (KoPaS) project at the Faculty of Educational Sciences. Its aim is to promote the subject-related and linguistic learning development of third and fourth grade primary school children – working together with competent teachers and taking individual multilingualism into account. Headed by Goethe University Frankfurt, the project is being implemented at three locations (Frankfurt, Bamberg, Berlin).
Multiprofessionelle Kooperation und Professionalisierung zur fachbezogenen Sprachbildung im schulischen Ganztag (KoPaS)
+++ Mobility transition +++
Launch of the “Shaping the energy and mobility transition as a socio-ecological transformation in the FrankfurtRhineMain region (transform-R)” project, which seeks to develop a mission statement for the region’s mobility transition. All relevant stakeholders are to be involved and better coordinated within transform-R. The project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), will also test innovative measures for the region in four real-world laboratories, operated for three years.
transform-R
+++ Structural Biology +++
At the beginning of the year, Prof. Harald Schwalbe became the new director of Instruct-ERIC, the European network of research infrastructure in structural biology. He succeeds Prof. Sir David Stuart from the University of Oxford.
Harald Schwalbe appointed as new Instruct-Eric director
+++ Household Finance +++
Andreas Hackethal, head of the Household Finance research department at the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE and professor in the Faculty of Economics and Business, is working with his team to develop a new “household barometer” that provides detailed real-time insights into the economic situation of private households. The research is part of a sub-project headed by Hackethal within the international EuroDaT consortium, which is based on the Gaia-X initiative and sets out to create a European data infrastructure. EuroDat is being funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection for a period of two years.
SAFE launches new household barometer on household financial data
+++ Campus Art +++
The bronze sculpture “The Invincible” by Frankfurt sculptor Wanda Pratschke is unveiled on Westend Campus. The sculpture was donated by the Association of Friends and Sponsors of Goethe University Frankfurt.
Die „Unbesiegbare“, prominent platziert
+++ COVID-19 +++
A new study by scientists from Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Kent shows that the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant is less effective at blocking cellular defense mechanisms (“the interferon response”) against viruses than the delta variant.
Researchers of the University of Kent and Goethe University Frankfurt find explanation why the Omicron variant causes less severe disease
+++ Award-winning +++
PD Dr. Laura Hinze from Hannover Medical School receives the 2022 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Early Career Award in Frankfurt's Paulskirche, honoring her significant contribution to the understanding of signal transmission in cancer cells.
Outstanding research on cancer resistance: Laura Hinze receives Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for Young Researchers
+++ Holocaust Memorial Day +++
On Holocaust Memorial Day, the Fritz Bauer Institut and Goethe University Frankfurt’s Executive Board jointly open Götz Aly and Margit Berner’s presentation on the traveling exhibition “Der kalte Blick. Letzte Bilder jüdischer Familien aus dem Ghetto von Tarnów” [The cold look. Last pictures of Jewish Families from the Tarnów Ghetto]. The exhibition shows 565 portraits of people from Tarnów, Poland, shortly before their deportation. The pictures were commissioned by anthropologists Dora Kahlich-Körner and Elfriede Fliethmann.
„Der kalte Blick: Letzte Bilder jüdischer Familien aus dem Ghetto von Tarnów“
February
+++ Groundbreaking +++
Goethe University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff honors a groundbreaking discovery for quantum physics: On the night of February 7-8, 1922, physicists Prof. Otto Stern and Prof. Walter Gerlach conducted a successful experiment at Goethe University that was to be decisive for Otto Stern being awarded the Nobel Prize in 1943.
Nobelpreis-Experiment: 100 Jahre Stern-Gerlach-Versuch an der Goethe-Universität
+++ Mortality +++
Liver cirrhosis has the highest mortality rate of all chronic diseases: This is the result of a study of 250 million hospital admissions led by Prof. Jonel Trebicka from Frankfurt University Hospital, which spanned an observation period of 14 years.
Hospital admission with liver cirrhosis: Highest mortality rate of all chronic diseases
+++ Sustainably bioeconomic +++
It is already possible during the development stage of new organic products to assess whether there are risks for the subsequent release of toxic substances, a new proof-of-concept study led by Goethe University Frankfurt and RWTH Aachen University has shown. In addition to examining the toxicity of sustainable biosurfactants, used in organic shampoos for example, the study also focuses on a new technology for the economical use of pesticides.
+++ Filtered +++
Researchers at the Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Goethe University Frankfurt have discovered how South American Seba’s short-tailed bats filter out important signals from the wide diversity of ambient sound. The most recent finding: the brain stem, which to date had been regarded as being solely responsible for very basic tasks, already processes the probabilities of acoustic signals.
+++ Snapshot +++
At the European XFEL X-ray laser, an international team of scientists and researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt takes the first snapshot of a cyclic molecule using a novel imaging method. The world's largest X-ray laser was used to explode the molecule iodopyridine in order to construct an image of the intact molecule from the resulting fragments.
+++ Polled +++
Although many young people remain afraid of their future, they are still shaping their youth during the pandemic – as shown by the third survey of around 6,000 adolescents and young adults in the Corona period (JuCo III), conducted by Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Hildesheim.
Mehr Sorgen, dennoch gestalten junge Menschen ihre Jugend in der Pandemie
+++ Magnetic +++
Computer chips and storage elements are expected to function as quickly as possible and be energy-saving at the same time. A team of scientists involving Goethe University Frankfurt and the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin has now found promising, quickly adjustable magnetic properties with crystals grown from rare-earth atoms, which offer hope on the long path towards usage as spintronic components.
Spintronics: Innovative crystals for future computer electronics
March
+++ LOEWE professorship +++
Having accepted a professorship at Goethe University Frankfurt’s Institute of Computer Science as of February 1, 2022, cybersecurity specialist Dr. Haya Shulman, who conducts research at Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT) in Darmstadt, took up a LOEWE top professorship on March 1, 2022.
LOEWE-Spitzen-Professur in Frankfurt für Cyber-Expertin Dr. Haya Shulman
+++ Exhibited +++
To mark its reopening and technical renovation, Museum Giersch at Goethe University is showing a comprehensive retrospective of Frankfurt photographers Nini (1884-1943) and Carry Hess (1889-1957). The sisters had a decisive influence on popular photography in the 1920s.
Nach Sanierung: Wiedereröffnung des MGGU mit Werken der Fotografinnen Nini und Carry Hess
+++ Olympic champion +++
Deborah Levi, Olympic bobsleigh champion and student of primary school teaching at Goethe University Frankfurt, is welcomed by the Executive Board. She is the first Olympic gold medal winner to study at Goethe University.
Mit 150 Sachen durch den Eiskanal: Goldmedaillengewinnerin Deborah Levi im Interview
+++ Funding for Ukraine +++
Goethe University Frankfurt’s POLY history research group offers scholarships for academics who have to leave Ukraine.
+++ Remote NMR +++
Over the next few years, a network of 26 partners from Europe’s most important research infrastructures for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR spectroscopy) will develop standardized procedures with which NMR devices can be controlled and used remotely. Prof. Harald Schwalbe from Goethe University’s Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Center is in charge of the project, which is funded with €1.5 million.
+++ Resolution on the war in Ukraine +++
Goethe University Frankfurt’s Executive Board and Senate jointly adopt a resolution on the war in Ukraine in which they strongly condemn the Russian aggression and the war against a free and sovereign Ukraine in violation of international law.
Resolution des Präsidiums und Senats der Goethe-Universität zum Krieg in der Ukraine
+++ Chief Information Officer +++
Following his election by the Extended Senate, Ulrich Schielein becomes Goethe University Frankfurt’s first Chief Information Officer (CIO). In this capacity, the digital transformation expert also becomes a full-time vice president.
+++ Model UN +++
The International Institutions and Peace Processes working group enables students to participate in international UN simulations, including the annual preparation of a delegation for the National Model United Nations (NMUN) in New York and support for the student team. Supervised by Professor Lisbeth Zimmermann, the students also organize such a conference (MainMUN) in Frankfurt every winter.
+++ Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize +++
The Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter laureates of 2021 and 2022 are honored in Frankfurt’s St. Paul's Church. The 2021 award goes to Bonnie Bassler and Michael Silverman, whose discovery of how bacteria communicate with each other paves the way for a new class of antibiotics. The 2022 award is shared by Katalin Karikó, Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci, whose research into messenger RNA (mRNA) culminated in the spectacularly rapid development of a highly effective vaccine against Covid-19 and also offers promising prospects in the fight against cancer.
+++ Help for refugees +++
Goethe University is leading a nationwide project to provide psychological support for refugees, offering psychotherapy places for people who have fled war and violence and cannot simply leave their experiences behind them.
+++ Dental aid +++
A new dentistry project at Goethe University Frankfurt, funded by the German Research Foundation, investigates how to remove a root while keeping the nerve alive.
+++ Black Power +++
A new research group at Goethe University Frankfurt, led by American Studies Professor Simon Wendt, is studying the Black Power movement and the struggle for US democracy.
+++ Transportation policy +++
The “QuartierMobil 2” research project continues the cooperation between scientists at Goethe University Frankfurt and the cities of Frankfurt and Darmstadt to improve transport policy. The project focuses on designing mobility in such a way that cities become more climate-neutral and offer better quality of life.
+++ Research into trauma +++
The research group “Translational Polytrauma Research to Provide Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tools for Improving Outcomes” (FOR 5417) under Frankfurt's leadership is one of nine new research groups funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The research alliance between five major trauma centers in Germany (Universities of Frankfurt, Ulm, Aachen, Magdeburg, and Erlangen) aims to contribute to better explaining and predicting the clinical course after trauma. The funding amount for the first funding period of four years is about €3.5 million.
+++ Excellent teaching +++
PhD student Julia Sammet from Goethe University Frankfurt’s Institute of Theoretical Physics receives the 2022 Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Excellent University Teaching in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences. The prize is awarded by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.
+++ Regional joint research +++
Five Hessian research institutes are cooperating in a new joint interdisciplinary project “Regional Research Center – Transformations of Political Violence (TraCe)”, on the causes, dynamics and effects of political violence. In addition to Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University, the partners are Justus Liebig University Giessen, Philipps University Marburg and TU Darmstadt. The joint project, which also strengthens the activities of the strategic Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) alliance, will receive around €5.2 million in funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
+++ Institute for Advanced Studies +++
The future work of the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaft Institute for Advanced Studies in Bad Homburg is secured: Goethe University Frankfurt, the Werner Reimers Foundation, the city of Bad Homburg and the Hochtaunus district have put their cooperation on a new contractual basis.
Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften kann seine Arbeit in Bad Homburg fortsetzen
April
+++ Extended +++
Funding for the Research Training Group “Resolution of inflammation” (GRK 2336) at Goethe University Frankfurt will be continued for another four and a half years. GRK 2336 deals with the relatively recent discovery that the resolution of inflammation is also actively controlled by the body and aims to investigate how this process takes place on a cellular and molecular level – and what goes wrong when chronic inflammation occurs, for example.
GRK 2336: Resolution of inflammation – Mediators, signaling and therapeutic options
+++ Key enzyme +++
A team of scientists from DFG Research Unit 2251, led by Goethe University Frankfurt, is elucidating the structure of an important enzyme in the metabolism of the hospital germ Acinetobacter baumannii. This provides a possible starting point for antibacterial agents.
Research team from Goethe University discovers Achilles’ heel of dangerous hospital pathogen
+++ Otto Warburg Medal +++
Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler, Director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration at the Center for Molecular Medicine, has been awarded the Otto Warburg Medal for her pioneering work in the field of cardiovascular diseases. The prize of €25,000 is awarded by the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) and Elsevier/BBA.
+++ Underrepresented +++
Women are still underrepresented in many academic professions, especially in senior positions and at particularly research-intensive universities. A study by economist Prof. Guido Friebel from Goethe University Frankfurt and his team in cooperation with the Toulouse School of Economics shows that this is also the case in economics.
Frauen in Wirtschaftswissenschaften weltweit unterrepräsentiert
+++ In person +++
The 2022 summer semester will start largely in presence, with university management asking students to continue wearing masks indoors.
+++ Exclusive samples +++
Prof. Frank Brenker will be a member of the preliminary investigation team for NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. The geoscientist from Goethe University Frankfurt will be able to examine rock samples from asteroid Bennu from 2023. The samples promise new insights into the early history of the solar system and the formation of the Earth.
+++ Creative teaching +++
Susanne Gerhardt-Szép receives the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for excellent teaching in university medicine. The Frankfurt private lecturer shares this year's prize, awarded by the Stifterverband and the Medical Faculty Association (MFT), and endowed with €30,000, with Dr. Gunther Hempel (Leipzig).
+++ Return +++
Semester start for the University of the 3rd Age: After two years of digital study programs, students at the University of the 3rd Age (U3L) are now returning to the lecture halls and seminar rooms.
+++ Guest Professorship +++
The public lecture series of the Deutsche Bank Endowed Guest Professorship on “Christians in East Africa and West Asia” begins.
+++ Science Award +++
Physics educationalist Prof. Thomas Wilhelm receives the 2021 Frankfurt Physics Science Prize, endowed with €5,000, for his research.
+++ Quite a stir +++
Contrary to a concept propagated for almost 30 years, specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators, which our body forms from polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, evidently do not actively stop inflammation. This is corroborated by a review undertaken by an international research team led by Professor Dieter Steinhilber from Goethe University Frankfurt. The starting point for this work, which has caused quite a stir in the academic community, was experimental findings by the Research Training Group “Resolution of inflammation – Mediators, signalling and therapeutic options" at Goethe University.
Active resolution of inflammation: No evidence that specialized lipid messengers are involved
+++ ERC Grants +++
Five top Goethe University researchers have been awarded three ERC Advanced Grants and two ERC Starting Grants for their visionary research projects, and will receive more than €10 million in funding from the European Research Council over the next five years. With an ERC Advanced Grant, Prof. Ivan Đikić is researching the membrane microstructure of cells, while Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler is investigating ageing processes in the heart, and Prof. Andreas Zeiher is looking into the genetics of heart valve diseases. An ERC Starting Grant will be awarded to Prof. Mirco Göpfert for his research on the relationship between humor and politics and to Prof. Lisbeth Zimmermann for her work on the transnational New Right. This is the third time Stefanie Dimmeler and Ivan Đikić have been successful in acquiring an ERC grant.
Fünf Europäische ERC-Förderungen für Spitzenforschung an der Goethe-Universität
+++ Start-ups +++
Supported by Santander Universities, Goethe-Unibator/Innovectis awards prizes to startups whose services and products contribute to sustainable development. At the award ceremony of the Goethe SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Contest, five teams with forward-looking and sustainable start-up ideas were honored. First place went to the NUNOS team, second place to Cybery and third place to SURAP.
Grünes Düngemittel, nachhaltige Lieferketten und ökologische Softwarelösungen
May
+++ FIAS relaunched +++
Prof. Eckhard Elsen is the new scientific director of the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), which has undergone a process to make its structures even more efficient.
Neue Struktur für FIAS-Forschungsinstitut: CERN-Forscher Eckhard Elsen wird hauptamtlicher Direktor
+++ Poetics +++
Once again, the traditional Frankfurt Poetry Lectures take place in person: More than 300 participants attend Judith Hermann's poetry lecture “Wir hätten uns alles gesagt – vom Schweigen und Verschweigen im Schreiben” [We would have told each other everything – of silence and concealement in writing] at Westend Campus’ lecture hall center.
Am eigenen Leben entlang schreiben: Judith Hermanns erste Frankfurter Poetikvorlesung
+++ Baker McKenzie Prize +++
The 2021 Baker McKenzie Prize goes to Dr. Lara Maria Panosch's doctoral thesis in international law, which examines questions related to the human right to water. The law firm Baker McKenzie has been recognizing outstanding legal work since 1988.
+++ Among Germany’s top ten in economics and business +++
Goethe University Frankfurt’s Faculty of Economics and Business is once again ranked among the top ten German universities in the WirtschaftsWoche (WiWo) ranking: In the field of Business Administration, the University took place 6, in Economics 3rd place.
+++ Astronomy +++
Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole. The image was produced by a global research team called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration, using observations from a worldwide network of radio telescopes. Theoretical physicists from Goethe University Frankfurt were instrumental in interpreting the data.
Astronomers reveal first image of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy
+++ Franco-German exchange +++
The deutsch-französische Hochschule DFH (Franco-German University) provides funding for the international exchange of young academics: a Franco-German doctoral program at Goethe University Frankfurt and Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris) is dedicated not only to the future of ethnological collections and museums, but also the status of collections, particularly those with holdings dating back to colonial contexts.
+++ Visiting professorship +++
Prof. David Bartel, one of the world's most cited molecular biologists and geneticists, delivers a lecture as part of the Rolf Sammet Foundation Visiting Professorship 2022. His micro-RNA research is relevant to medicine and evolutionary theory.
Gastprofessur an der Goethe-Universität: Kleine Moleküle mit großer Wirkung
+++ Prize for Medicine +++
Prof. Ingrid Fleming receives the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine 2022 for her research into the molecular causes of vascular diseases in connection with diabetes as well as circulatory diseases. She shares the prize with Heidelberg-based virologist Prof. Ralf Bartenschlager.
Diabetes research: Ingrid Fleming receives the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine 2022
+++ Sociological review +++
A sociological study at Goethe University Frankfurt is investigating how immigrants arriving in Europe feel towards the police. The study shows how the relationship to state power develops among different immigrant groups.
+++ Memorandum of Understanding +++
Goethe University and the Central Council of Jews in Germany sign a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Jewish Academy in Frankfurt.
Goethe-Uni und Jüdische Akademie wollen bei Forschung und Lehre zusammenarbeiten
+++ Atmospheric +++
Atmospheric researchers from the international CLOUD consortium have discovered a mechanism that allows nuclei for ice clouds to form and rapidly grow in the upper troposphere. The discovery, which was published in Nature, is based on cloud chamber experiments to which a team from Goethe University contributed highly specialized measurements.
How ice clouds develop – Asian monsoon influences large parts of the Northern Hemisphere
+++ Digital planning games +++
Further strengthening the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) alliance in teacher training, Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre [Innovation in University Teaching Foundation] is funding the “DiPlan – Digitales Planspielkolloquium” [Digital Planning Game Colloquium] project at TU Darmstadt and Goethe University Frankfurt. The framework supports experimental innovative projects in university teaching, from conception to implementation and reflection.
+++ "Stolperseiten" +++
The exhibition “Stolperseiten – NS-Raubgut in der Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main” [“Stumbling Pages” – Nazi Looted Property in the University Library Frankfurt] at Frankfurt University Library showcases the interim results of this Goethe University project funded by the German Lost Art Foundation and Frankfurt municipality. The project and exhibition set out to raise public awareness of the connections between looted books in the University Library and Frankfurt’s municipal institutions during the Nazi era.
Stolperseiten – NS-Raubgut in der Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
+++ Spring festival +++
Some 1,500 visitors flocked to Goethe University Frankfurt’s spring festival, held at the Riedberg natural sciences campus.
Campus Riedberg: So schön war das Frühlingsfest der Goethe-Universität
+++ Controlled storage +++
A team of microbiologists from Goethe University Frankfurt has succeeded in using bacteria for the controlled storage and release of hydrogen. This is an important step in the search for carbon-neutral energy sources in the interest of climate protection. The corresponding paper was published in the renowned scientific journal “Joule”.
Researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt develop new biobattery for hydrogen storage
+++ New Collaborative Research Centers +++
Two new Collaborative Research Centers at Goethe University Frankfurt will receive €28 million in funding for the next four years: CRC 1531 deals with the body's own repair mechanisms of tissue injuries to the heart or brain that occur as a result of infarcts, for example. CRC 1507 focuses on a basic principle of life: biochemical reactions and subcellular architectures on membranes. The scientists are investigating protein complexes in the cell membrane – from protein assemblies to cellular machines and supercomplexes. Both CRCs are joint projects within the strategic Rhine-Main Universities alliance.
June
+++ Interreligious Dynamics +++
The letter of intent for the first German-Israeli research institute was signed in December 2021 – now the researchers officially celebrated the foundation of the Center for the Scientific Study of Religious and Interreligious Dynamics, jointly run by Tel Aviv University and Goethe University Frankfurt, at a festive event.
+++ Awarded +++
The 2022 Barbara and Piergiuseppe Scardigli Prize for the Promotion of the Humanities goes to Dr. Martina Wernli for her postdoctoral thesis “Federn lesen. Eine Literaturgeschichte des Gänsekiels von den Anfängen bis ins 19. Jahrhundert” [Reading Feathers. A literary history of the quill from its beginnings to the 19th century]. Dr. Maximilian Wick receives a further prize for his dissertation “Kosmogenetisch erzählen: Poetische Mikrokosmen in philosophischer und höfischer Epik des Hochmittelalters” [Cosmogenetic storytelling: Poetic microcosms in philosophical and courtly epic poetry of the High Middle Ages”].
+++ Resistance therapy +++
A German-American research team deciphers the evolution of pathogenic Acinetobacter strains: In the search for new therapeutic approaches against resistance to the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, an international team led by bioinformaticians from Goethe University Frankfurt compared thousands of genomes of pathogenic and harmless Acinetobacter strains.
+++ New Horizon Award +++
The first winner of Goethe University Frankfurt’s new “New Horizon – President's Award” is Dr. Christin Siegfried, a business education specialist, who will receive €5,000.
Wirtschaftspädagogin erhält ersten „New Horizons – Preis des Präsidenten“ der Goethe-Universität
+++ New management +++
Prof. Rainer Klump becomes new head of the House of Finance (HoF) at Goethe University Frankfurt. After 14 years at HoF’s helm, Prof. Wolfgang König is handing over the position of managing director to his successor Rainer Klump.
+++ Research into reading +++
An international team of researchers from the University of Vienna and Goethe University Frankfurt has conducted a series of experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that make it possible to predict brain processes during reading. The team discovered that, much like a filtering process, the differentiation between known words and unknown strings of characters is a good model for the brain activation patterns observed in reading studies. This filter is located in an area of the brain that is important for visual word recognition. The results appear in the journal PLOS Computational Biology.
+++ Transfer +++
A strong consortium is getting the CARMA FUND off the ground. The €47 million fund is a new instrument to support the transfer of early life science projects into application, and is backed by initiators Ascenion, a technology transfer company of the LifeScience Foundation specializing in life sciences, and Goethe University Frankfurt with its transfer company Innovectis, as well as the European Investment Fund (EIF), life science company Evotec and other investors.
+++ Early career support +++
Following the Senate’s approval, the University’s Executive Board adopts the concept for “Support for Researchers in the Early Career Phase at Goethe University Frankfurt” (ECR concept). The new ECR concept further strengthens the support available for the R1-R3 career stages, following the EU system. The three stages comprise the doctoral phase (R1 First Stage Researcher), the postdoc phase (R2 Recognized Researcher) and the qualification phase for a professorship (R3 Established Researcher and R4 Leading Researcher).
+++ Night of Science +++
The first post-pandemic Night of Science (NoS) takes place on Riedberg Campus: Pupils, students and interested parties have the chance to listen in on more than 70 different lectures, which will present new findings in the natural sciences, medicine, mathematics and computer science until the early hours of the morning. The first NoS was held in 2005, and has since been organized regularly by Goethe University students.
+++ Ideas competition +++
Creating a better habitat for many animal and plant species in the city – that is the aim of the joint ideas competition organized by Goethe University Frankfurt, the Palmengarten botanical gardens Frankfurt, Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, Frankfurt municipality’s environmental department and Frankfurter Sparkasse. The competition is part of Frankfurter Sparkasse's 200th anniversary celebrations. Prizes will be awarded to concepts from Frankfurt citizens that preserve and increase biodiversity in the Main metropolis.
+++ RMU Initiative Funding for Research +++
The RMU Initiative Funding for Research will support five new networks with more than €160,000. The money will initially go to five new projects. The RMU Initiative Funding for Research is designed in particular to develop and deepen RMU networks and was launched for the second time in 2021.
+++ „Goethe Start International“ +++
A new digital self-study program supports international students in their language preparation for their studies. “Goethe Start International” was developed by the university’s Key Competencies Center, the Career Service and the Student Success and Integration Group.
„Goethe Start International“ unterstützt einen erfolgreichen Studienstart
+++ Virology +++
Ten years of funding from the Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation and the LOEWE top professorship for Sandra Ciesek: The state of Hesse is providing €1.4 million for the first five years of the new “Willy Robert Pitzer Endowed Professorship for Molecular Virology of Human Pathogenic RNA Viruses” via its LOEWE top professorship funding line. The funding was awarded to Prof. Sandra Ciesek's Institute of Medical Virology in 2021. Once this funding expires, the foundation will support the new professorship for a further five years with €1.75 million.
+++ Bacterial adhesion +++
Researchers from Frankfurt University Hospital and Goethe University Frankfurt’s Riedberg Campus have unraveled how bacteria adhere to host cells and thus taken the first step towards developing a new class of antibiotics. The mechanism by which Bartonella bacteria use certain proteins is transferable to other bacterial species.
How bacteria adhere to cells: Basis for the development of a new class of antibiotics
+++ RMU +++
The RMU “Initiativfond Lehre” [Teaching Initiative Fund] is making available more than €150,000 to support four joint teaching projects at the Rhine-Main Universities, including for collaborations to develop a new degree program, for innovative and digital courses, as well as for joint projects to foster closer integration of research and teaching.
+++ Open Science +++
Goethe University Frankfurt’s first “Open Science Forum” offers all university members the opportunity to discuss open science in the context of their particular research. Open science comprises, among others, open data, open access, open methodology, open source and open educational resources.
July
+++ Mercator-Science-Policy +++
Nearly 200 discussions between researchers in the Rhine-Main region and executives from federal and state ministries, the media, the European Commission and the OECD were held in May and June 2022 – almost half of them at Goethe University Frankfurt – as part of the Mercator Science-Policy Fellowship-Programme of Goethe University, TU Darmstadt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Since the program’s start in 2016, more than 2,000 talks have been held.
+++ Digital comparisons +++
The interdisciplinary conference “Das vermessene Leben” [The presumptuous life] explores questions of how digitalization is changing the world of work and life, how it affects the relationship to the self, to the body and to others, and what social and psychological consequences digital comparisons have.
Das vermessene Leben. Transformationen der digitalen Gesellschaft
An interview with organizer Prof. Vera Kling is available at: Digitalisierung und Gesellschaft: Es braucht Verständigung
+++ New class of anti-cancer drugs +++
The team led by molecular biologist Prof. Ivan Đikić, Director of the Institute of Biochemistry II at Goethe University Frankfurt, is launching a project to develop a new class of anti-cancer drugs together with partners from the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. The project, which is being funded as part of the beLAB2122 BRIDGE collaboration between life science company Evotec and pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb, focuses on bifunctional molecules that mediate the degradation of disease-promoting proteins in cancer cells.
+++ Temporary locality change +++
The art collection of Deutsche Bundesbank is on loan at Museum Giersch until January 8, 2023: The exhibition is a cooperative project between Deutsche Bundesbank and Museum Giersch of Goethe University Frankfurt.
+++ Individual mentoring +++
The nationwide mentoring program “Balu und Du” [Balu and you] is celebrating its birthday at Goethe University Frankfurt. As part of “Balu und Du”, young people volunteer to individually mentor a child for at least one year. Students, children and families are celebrating the project’s 15th anniversary at Goethe University this year.
+++ Fellow +++
Astrophysicist Prof. Dr. Luciano Rezzolla is elected a Fellow of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.
International Gravitational society honours physicist Luciano Rezzolla from Goethe University
+++ Double award +++
Two professors from the Institute of Theoretical Physics receive a laureate professorship for their outstanding achievements in research and teaching. Prof. Luciano Rezzolla receives the Carl Wilhelm Fueck Laureate Professorship for his work in the field of theoretical astrophysics, while Prof. Roser Valenti is awarded the Stefan Lyson Laureate Professorship for her achievements in research in the field of theoretical solid state physics.
Frankfurter Physik feiert Laureatus-Professuren an der Goethe-Universität
+++ Rosenzweig +++
Historian and philosopher Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) is the focus of the international congress “The Star of Redemption – a Century Later: Franz Rosenzweig and History” as part of the commemorative year “1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany”.
+++ Festive +++
After a break of almost three years, Goethe University Frankfurt once again holds its summer party for students and staff.
+++ Awarded +++
Goethe University’s Prof. Harald Schwalbe, chemist and specialist in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, is awarded the Richard Ernst Prize for Magnetic Resonance at the international EUROMAR conference, held in Utrecht. The €15,000 prize honors his pioneering contributions to the development and application of novel methods in biomolecular NMR spectroscopy.
Harald Schwalbe erhält Richard-R.-Ernst-Preis für Magnetische Resonanz
+++ Potential storage +++
Microbiologists at Goethe University Frankfurt, together with researchers from Marburg and Basel, shed light on the structure of an enzyme that produces formic acid from molecular hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). The enzyme of the Thermoanaerobacter kivui bacterium was discovered a few years ago by microbiologists at Goethe University Frankfurt.
Research on bacteria: Electron highway for hydrogen and carbon dioxide storage discovered
+++ Strategic scientific advice +++
The second meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) with Goethe University Frankfurt’s Executive Board takes place on Westend Campus. Established at the beginning of the year, this external advisory body in the field of research is tasked with advising the Executive Board on strategic research issues.
+++ 10,000 pupils +++
After a pandemic-related break, the physics school laboratory is once again welcoming pupils from the greater Frankfurt area, including the 10,000th pupil, Fynn Wiesner from Georg Büchner School in Rodgau. The laboratory was founded in 2013 by physics didactics expert Prof. Thomas Wilhelm and is funded by the Giersch Foundation.
10.000ster Schüler im Physik-Schülerlabor der Goethe-Universität begrüßt
+++ Jewish Studies +++
The German Research Foundation is funding the Specialized Information Service (FID) for Jewish Studies for another three years with €1.6 million, thereby ensuring the expansion of a central specialized information infrastructure for research on Judaism and Israel in the past and present. Since 2016, the FID Jewish Studies is being systematically built up at Johann Christian Senckenberg University Library in cooperation with Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart.
+++ ARENA +++
Psychologists and computer scientists are investigating how abstract knowledge is stored in the brain in the new German Research Foundation “Abstract Representations in Neural Architectures (ARENA)” research group, headed by Prof. Christian Fiebach (Faculty of Psychology and Sports Sciences). Conversely, the findings should help make artificially intelligent (AI) systems more efficient and flexible. The interdisciplinary research group made up of experts from Goethe University, the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) and the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems in Saarbrücken will receive funding of about €3.7 million over the next four years.
Austausch zwischen Hirnforschung und Künstlicher Intelligenz
+++ British Academy +++
In recognition of his accomplishments in the humanities and social sciences, Mamadou Diawara has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy. Diawara is Professor for Social and Cultural Anthropology at the Institute of Ethnology and deputy director of the Frobenius Institute at Goethe University Frankfurt. He is also director of Point Sud, the Center for Research on Local Knowledge in Bamako, Mali.
August
+++ University entrance exams +++
Goethe University Frankfurt is one of six locations in Germany where Ukrainian refugees can take online university entrance exams. A total of up to 800 Ukrainian students take the tests in Frankfurt.
+++ Sustainable Development Goals +++
Environmental students from countries with lower prosperity indicators rate the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations as more important than environmental students from countries with higher prosperity indicators do. In addition, students from affluent countries usually only assign the goals to one pillar of sustainability, either the social, economic or ecological one. Students from Germany, for example, consider the ecological pillar to be particularly important, while students from Thailand rate all three pillars as being of roughly equal importance. This was the result of a study conducted by Goethe University Frankfurt based on an online survey in 41 countries.
+++ Natural antibiotic +++
A team at Goethe University Frankfurt has achieved an important “first" by successfully fluorinating a natural antibiotic via targeted bioengineering. With this method, an entire substance class of medically relevant natural products can be modified. The method has enormous potential for the manufacture of new antibiotics against resistant bacterial pathogens and for the (further) development of other drugs. The startup kez.biosolutions GmbH will bring these research results to the application stage.
A New Biosynthesis Method Has Been Developed to Produce Antibiotics from Natural Substances
+++ Feedback loop +++
Neuroscientists at Goethe University Frankfurt have discovered a feedback loop that modulates the receptivity of the auditory cortex to incoming acoustic signals when bats emit echolocation calls. In a study published in the journal “Nature Communications", the researchers show that information transfer in the neural circuits involved switched direction in the course of call production.
How bat brains listen out for incoming signals during echolocation
+++ Highly effective +++
A team from Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Kent has found combinations of various antiviral drugs with interferon that are highly effective in combating the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cell cultures.
Hoffnung für immunschwache COVID-Patientinnen und -Patienten
+++ AI startups +++
A project at the Faculty of Economics and Business focuses on the topic of how people with digital skills in Frankfurt, the Rhine-Main region and the state of Hesse can be motivated to found a company. The focus of the project, which is funded by the Hessian Ministry of Economics, is on startups in the field of artificial intelligence.
Eine Million Euro für digitale Talente: Wirtschaftsministerium fördert Forschung zu KI-Startups
+++ Road signs +++
A research group led by Prof. Robert Tampé has discovered how T killer cells recognize body cells that are infected by viruses. Matter foreign to the body is presented on the surface of these cells as antigens that act as a kind of road sign. A network of accessory proteins – the chaperones – ensure that this sign retains its stability over time. The researchers describe the interactions of these chaperons in the renowned journal “Nature Communications”.
+++ EMBO council member +++
Prof. Ivan Ðikić from the Institute of Biochemistry II is elected to the council of EMBO, one of the most important European organizations for cutting-edge molecular biology research. The organization supports the European research landscape with a fellowship program geared towards scientific excellence, by promoting global scientific exchange and in publishing a series of leading journals. EMBO is funded by 30 European and two non-European countries.
European Molecular Biology Organisation: Ivan Ðikić wird Mitglied im Leitungsgremium „EMBO Council“
+++ Tools of the immune system +++
With the help of cryo-electron microscopy, a team of scientists surrounding Dr. Lukas Sušac, Dr. Christoph Thomas and Prof. Robert Tampé from Goethe University Frankfurt’s Institute for Biochemistry, in collaboration the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, were able to visualize the whole T-cell receptor complex with bound antigen at atomic resolution for the first time.
Immune system: First image of antigen-bound T-cell receptor at atomic resolution
+++ Customized +++
Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD) has selected Goethe University Frankfurt and seven other universities for a customized digital strategy consultation.
Hochschulforum Digitalisierung wählt Goethe-Universität für digitale Strategieberatung aus
+++ Antiviral Medicine +++
Virologist Prof. Sandra Ciesek and her project partners will receive around €700,000 from the Volkswagen Foundation over the next three years: strengthening the innate immune response against viral infections is the aim of a joint project between Goethe University, Frankfurt University Hospital and the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP).
Nicht nur bei COVID-19: Neue Ideen für antivirale Medikamente
+++ Learning through research +++
The one-week German-Canadian summer school “EXPLORE” opens at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies on Riedberg Campus: 13 students from Frankfurt's twin city Toronto and 22 students from Goethe University will work together on real physical data and questions. The organizer of the summer school “EXPLORE: EXPeriential Learning Opportunity through Research and Exchange” is Prof. Laura Sagunski from the Institute of Theoretical Physics.
+++ Innovative teaching and learning +++
The Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts is funding virtual teaching and learning scenarios in the joint project “Future Learning Spaces” (FueLS), bringing together Goethe University Frankfurt, TU Darmstadt and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. The research project will be funded in 2022 with €603,000 from the “High quality in studying and teaching, good study conditions” (QuiS) funding program.
+++ Goethe Run +++
Around 450 employees from science, administration and technology take part in the after-work Goethe Run. The fastest male colleague completes the 5.8 kilometers in 19:56 minutes, the fastest female colleague in 23:31 minutes: They are welcomed by University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff together with Deborah Levi – a gold medalist in the 2-man bobsleigh and student studying to become a teacher at Goethe University.
September
+++ CLOUD Doctoral Network +++
Atmospheric researchers from the international CLOUD network raise European Union funding for a doctoral project: coordinated by Goethe University Frankfurt, the CLOUD Doctoral Network aims to establish a network of young scientists throughout Europe to investigate the role of aerosol nucleation. The project will receive around €2.7 million in funding. The areas under investigation are Arctic environments, the upper troposphere over the Asian monsoon region and over tropical rainforests, as well as the Southern Ocean.
+++ New management +++
Africanist Dr. Aïsha Othman has taken over the management of the new Departmental Library for Linguistics and Cultural Studies.
+++ COVID and heart study +++
The research team led by Dr. Valentina Puntmann and Prof. Eike Nagel from Frankfurt University Hospital and Goethe University followed up around 350 study participants without previously known heart problems who had recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection. They found that over half of them still reported heart symptoms almost a year later, such as exercise intolerance, tachycardia and chest pain. According to the study, these symptoms can be attributed to mild but persistent cardiac inflammation.
+++ Archived +++
The University Library is taking over the archive of Frankfurter Rundschau, which is also being digitized. The library is supported by the Karl-Gerold-Stiftung, Goethe University's sponsorship for higher education and Frankfurter Rundschau.
+++ Dual Master’s program +++
The University of Paris Dauphine-PSL and Goethe University Frankfurt are launching a dual Master's program in the field of economics and finance. As part of the program, which further expands the cooperation between the two universities, students can obtain the Master's degrees “Master Economie et Finance” (Paris Dauphine-PSL) and “Master of Science in Money and Finance” (Goethe University) from both universities in four semesters.
Goethe-Universität schlägt mit Doppelmasterprogramm eine weitere Brücke nach Paris
+++ Innovation Prize +++
For the first time, the Unibator Innovation Prize will be awarded to scientific projects with startup potential. At the award ceremony organized by Innovectis – the university's technology transfer company – the three winning teams receive prize money of €2,500, €1,250 and €750 respectively as well as the right to participate in the Goethe Startup School.
Unibator-Innovationspreis an drei wissenschaftliche Projekte vergeben
+++ Falling Walls Science +++
The Falling Walls Foundation has included Prof. Luciano Rezzolla in its shortlist for the “Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2022”. The computing infrastructure built by Rezzolla helped the Horizon Telescope confirm the first black holes.
+++ 2023 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize +++
Immunologists Frederick W. Alt of Harvard Medical School and David G. Schatz of Yale School of Medicine will receive the 2023 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize. The Scientific Council of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation announced that the two researchers are being acknowledged for their discovery of molecules and mechanisms that enable our immune system to perform the astounding feat of recognizing billions of different antigens on first contact. The prizes will be awarded on March 14, 2023.
Frederick W. Alt and David G. Schatz to be awarded the 2023 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
+++ Examining asteroids +++
+++ 23.09. Asteroide durchleuchtet +++
Geoscientist Prof. Frank Brenker and his team from Goethe University Frankfurt are among the first researchers in the world to be allowed to examine material samples from the beginnings of our solar system. The soil samples were collected by Japanese space probe Hayabusa 2 on the asteroid Ryugu. The scientists discovered areas with a high concentration of rare earths and unexpected structures. The report is published in the scientific journal Science.
Analyse von Partikeln des Asteroiden Ryugu liefert überraschende Ergebnisse
+++ Diamond analysis +++
The transition zone between the Earth's upper and lower mantle contains considerable quantities of water, according to an international study involving the Institute for Geosciences at Goethe University Frankfurt. The German-Italian-American research team analyzed a rare diamond formed 660 kilometers below the Earth's surface using techniques including Raman spectroscopy and FTIR spectrometry.
An ocean inside the Earth? Water hundreds of kilometers down
+++ Startup accelerator +++
A so-called accelerator for startups in the field of environmental technologies (green tech) will be built on the site of the FLUXUM green tech park in Gernsheim. An operating company is being founded for this purpose. The accelerator will support industrial green tech startups in their technical and business development.
Start-Up-Zentrum für „grüne“ Technologien mit Beteiligung der Goethe-Universität
+++ Moving in +++
A large building for the “small subjects”: Goethe University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff, Hessian Finance Minister Michael Boddenberg and Ayse Asar, State Secretary in the Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts, inaugurate the new building for Linguistics, Cultural Studies and the Arts on Goethe University’s Westend Campus during a festive ceremony. In addition to the humanities subjects that have so far remained on Bockenheim Campus, various service facilities are moving into the building.
Neubau für Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaften an der Goethe-Universität eingeweiht
+++ Top 10 startup university +++
Goethe University Frankfurt makes it into the top ten startup universities for the first time, taking tenth place together with Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
+++ Funding extended +++
The Academy for Islam in Research and Society (AIWG) at Goethe University Frankfurt will receive another €6.4 million in funding for the next five years from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
+++ DAAD Award +++
Vera Boitcova from Russia is the recipient of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) award for international students with outstanding academic achievements and social, societal and/or intercultural commitment. Boitcova is a student in the Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research (CDPR) double-degree master's program.
October
+++ RMU Initiative Funding for Early Career Researchers +++
The strategic Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) alliance has launched a new funding line of the RMU Initiative Funding for Early Career Researchers. It supports networking between post-doctoral researchers (in qualification phases R2 to R3) with up to €30,000 per project across all RMU locations.
+++ Kinder-Uni +++
The four-day 19th Kinder-Uni children's university is once again taking place in attendance in the Audimax auditorium, following a pandemic-related break. More than 7,000 schoolchildren take part. The program includes lectures on topics such as “How to make peace. On the difficulty of reaching out to one another,” “Into the monastery! On writing, playing and brewing beer in St. Gallen,” “Why does a computer need electricity? On energy-efficient supercomputers” and “What happens when you vaccinate.”
19. Frankfurter Kinder-Uni: Von Krieg und Frieden und dem Stromhunger elektronischer Geräte
+++ Prize for Medicine +++
Prof. Ralf Brandes, Director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, receives the 2020 Robert Pfleger Research Prize together with two other prizewinners for his contributions to the physiology and pathophysiology of blood vessels. The award’s presentation was delayed as a result of the coronavirus measures. The prizewinners will receive a total prize money of €60,000. The Robert Pfleger Research Prize, which was awarded retrospectively as a result of the coronavirus measures, is one of Germany’s highest endowed medical prizes.
Mediziner Prof. Dr. Ralf Brandes erhält Robert Pfleger-Forschungspreis
+++ Queer in Islam +++
The conference “Queer in Islam. Homosexuality and Transgender – Cultural Tradition or Religious Prohibition?” at Goethe University Frankfurt discusses the role of homosexuality and transgender in the Islamic world. It is organized by Susanne Schröter, Professor at the Institute of Ethnology.
+++ Social cohesion +++
A public conference held by the Forschungsinstitut Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt (FGZ) is dedicated to the dialog between science and practice in times of scientific skepticism and dwindling trust in democratic institutions. FGZ analyzes the possibilities and challenges of social cohesion in an interdisciplinary manner.
Bessere Verständigung zwischen Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft
+++ Updated +++
Goethe University Frankfurt and GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt are renewing and updating their framework agreement: accelerator physics, heavy ion physics and “green” IT technology are now defined as specific research areas in the contract for the first time.
+++ Heart research +++
A panel discussion on the latest developments in heart research will be held as part of the Friedrich Merz Endowed Professorship. The speaker is heart specialist Joseph C. Wu, a professor at Stanford University, USA, and president of the American Heart Association.
+++ Medical studies admission +++
Following intensive consultations and efforts involving Goethe University Frankfurt, Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung [the foundation for university admission], the state of Hesse and several German universities, a solution has been found in the process surrounding incorrect admissions for university places in the subjects of medicine and dentistry: All affected students will be offered places at Frankfurt or other universities. Due to an erroneous overbooking of available capacity, Goethe University had issued too many acceptances for study places in the subjects of medicine and dentistry for the 2022/23 winter semester and had to rescind them on August 26.
+++ Robotics +++
The economic and social impact of automation is the subject of the Conference on Robots and Automation (CORA), jointly organized by Goethe University Frankfurt and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) – the largest international association of robot manufacturers, national robotics associations and research institutions.
Was machen Robotik, Automatisierung und KI mit Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft?
+++ Semester start +++
Some 6,500 first-year students begin their studies begin at Goethe University Frankfurt: At the UNISTART fair, the “freshers” are welcomed by University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff, Frankfurt's city treasurer and head of human resources Dr. Bastian Bergerhoff, as well as AStA representatives, and given extensive information at the various booths.
+++ University of the Third Age +++
The University of the Third Age is celebrating its 40th anniversary semester with a wide array of events.
+++ University Sports +++
Goethe University Frankfurt is University of the Year 2022: The university’s athletes have been honored by the German University Sports Federation (adh) for their innovative and exemplary health and sports program.
+++ Exhibited +++
Walter Benjamin's children's book collection has recently been digitized and preserved. Johann Christian Senckenberg University Library and Goethe University’s Institute of Children’s and Young Adult Literature Research are taking this as an opportunity to present the approximately 200 historical volumes in an exhibition. The Institute had acquired the collection for Goethe University in 1985.
+++ Back pain +++
If a therapy for chronic back pain is tailored specifically to a patient's individual requirements, the chances of success are far greater than with standard forms of treatment. These are the findings of a meta-study by sports scientist Dr. Johannes Fleckenstein and his team. They analyzed the data of over 10,000 patients and found that when accompanied by a psychotherapeutic procedure in the shape of cognitive behavioral therapy, the pain can be alleviated even more effectively.
Treatment for back pain: 84 percent increase in success rate
+++ Infection research +++
Using bacteria of the Bartonella henselae species, researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt, Paul Ehrlich Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines in Langen, and University of Oslo demonstrated for the first time that antibodies can prevent certain surface proteins of bacterial pathogens from entering host cells. The findings are important for the development of new drugs against highly resistant infectious agents.
+++ Ulysses +++
To mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce's novel Ulysses (1922), the Consulate General of Ireland in Frankfurt has organized a traveling exhibition. “100 Years of Ulysses” is also making a stop at Goethe University Frankfurt.
+++ Research Data Day +++
The Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) hold this year's virtual research data day.
+++ Intra-Household Decisions +++
Singles, couples, single parents, families with one child or with several – private households can look very different. The new research unit “Macroeconomic Implications of Intra-Household Decisions”, headed by economist Prof. Alexander Ludwig, wants to find out how the individual behavior of households influences the overall economic situation and family policy – and vice versa. The German Research Foundation (DFG) will fund the research with €2.44 million for an initial period of four years.
+++ Emphasizing sustainability +++
Goethe University Frankfurt plans to make consistent strides in the direction of sustainability in the coming years, it was announced at a press conference by University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff, the head of the recently established Sustainability Office, Dr. Johannes Reidel, and the university's Head of Administration, Dr. Albrecht Fester. Sustainability constitutes one of the most important goals of the university's eleven strategic fields of action.
+++ RMU: A space full of opportunities +++
The fourth “Day of the Rhine-Main Universities” focuses on scientists in their early career phases as well as the academic mid-level faculty. Opening up more opportunities for them is one of the core concerns of the strategic Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) alliance.
+++ 100 Jahre IfS +++
The Institute for Social Research (IfS) is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Institute Director Stephan Lessenich talks about the tradition and future of critical social theory.
100 Jahre Institut für Sozialforschung / Interview mit Prof. Lessenich
+++ T cells +++
As part of an interdisciplinary project of the LOEWE Centre Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI), researchers from Georg-Speyer-Haus and Frankfurt University Hospital have succeeded in identifying a new approach for the therapy of colorectal cancer. In preclinical models and studies on human immune cells, they found that urolithin A, a metabolite product from pomegranate, sustainably improves the function of immune cells in their fight against cancer.
Metabolite product from pomegranate: Researchers identify way to boost tumour-fighting immune cells
+++ Disruptive Innovation +++
The team “RNA-DRUGS”, made up of scientists from Goethe University Frankfurt, Philipps-Universität Marburg and LMU Munich as well as industrial partners, will receive another year of funding from the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND). RNA-DRUGS will receive €1.4 million for its research on antiviral agents that target the structure of the viral genome.
Sprunginnovation: 1,4 Millionen Euro für Entwicklung von neuartigem COVID-19-Wirkstoff
+++ Psychosocial impact of war +++
The symposium “War and its Consequences from a Socio- and Psychoanalytic Perspective” will explore the psychosocial conditions and consequences of war. The event is jointly organized by Goethe University Frankfurt, Sigmund Freud Institute (SFI), International Psychoanalytic University Berlin and the Hans Kilian und Lotte Köhler-Centrum (KKC) at Ruhr University Bochum.
+++ Fritz Bauer Institute +++
In its evaluation, the German Science and Humanities Council testifies to Fritz Bauer Institute’s “impressive achievements” despite its “low staffing”. Another positive development, the Council says, is the closer cooperation with Goethe University Frankfurt, made possible by a cooperative professorship.
German Science and Humanities Council certifies Fritz Bauer Institute's “impressive achievements”
+++ “Hessian way” +++
The first 58 students of Goethe University Frankfurt, Justus Liebig University Giessen and Philipps-Universität Marburg who have chosen the “Hessian way” in their medical studies are officially welcomed during a ceremony in Giessen: Having all agreed to work for 10 years as general practitioners in an underserved region or in a public health department after completing their medical studies and specialist training in Hesse, they will receive a place at university without the usually required A-level qualification.
November
+++ Teaching clinic +++
The newly established psychotherapeutic outpatient teaching clinic of the Center for Psychotherapy offers adults qualified help with mental illnesses or with the psychological consequences of physical illnesses.
+++ Heart Center +++
Identifying particular risk factors for heart disease, providing individualized treatment, and caring for patients beyond the hospital gates: Prof. David Leistner, the new Director of Cardiology at Frankfurt University Hospital, plans to expand this type of individualized precision medicine at the hospital’s Heart Center in the coming years. In a series of lectures, the new team at the Heart Center Frankfurt will present various heart diseases and their modern therapies.
+++ Job Fair for Scientists +++
The 22nd Frankfurt Job Fair for Scientists takes place in person. It is organized by the Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy in cooperation with the Young Chemists Network (JCF) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the university team of Frankfurt’s Employment Agency.
+++ Mobile artisans +++
This year’s Frobenius Research Promotion Prize goes to Bayreuth: The Frobenius Institute for Research in Cultural Anthropology at Goethe University Frankfurt honors Valerie Nur for her outstanding dissertation on Tuareg artisans in Niger.
+++ Transatlantic Forum +++
The new John McCloy Transatlantic Forum is officially inaugurated before a full auditorium in the lecture hall of the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften Institute of Advanced Studies. The forum is named after John J. McCloy, who served as US High Commissioner in Frankfurt from 1949 to 1952. It serves to deepen transatlantic dialog in times when democratic forms of government and life are under threat.
+++ Forbes 30 Under 30 +++
Andreas Dengel, professor of computer science didactics at Goethe University Frankfurt, has been included in business magazine Forbes’ annual “30 under 30” list for the DACH region comprising Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Goethe University’s Andreas Dengel on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list
+++ Paul Bloomquist +++
Relatives of Paul Bloomquist visit the IG Farben Building on Goethe University Frankfurt’s Westend Campus for the first time – the place where their relative, a lieutenant colonel in the US Army, was killed by a bomb planted by the Red Army Faction on May 11, 1972. The IG Farben Building served as the headquarters of the US Fifth Army Corps from 1945 to 1995.
+++ Two new Research Training Groups +++
Goethe University has attracted two new DFG Research Training Groups. Based in Frankfurt, “Fixing Futures” deals with the anticipation of "futures" and how societies, organizations and individuals prepare for them. The second group was jointly applied for with TU Darmstadt and is dedicated to the question of how “standards of governance” change the possibility of collective self-determination.
+++ Understanding the digital age +++
A new endowed professorship in “Digital Transformation and Work” will enhance social science research at Goethe University Frankfurt and build on the tradition of critical social theory. The contract was signed on November 8, 2022, by the two donors ProLife Foundation and Frankfurt University of Labour as well as Goethe University. The new endowed professorship will research the social transformation of the working world caused by digitalization.
+++ Excellence in Teaching +++
The 1822 University Prize for Excellence in Teaching was presented at Goethe University Frankfurt for the 21st time. The award’s recipients are Dr. Marta Muñoz-Aunión (Romance studies), Prof. Paul Dierkes (biologist) and Friedrich Wolf (educationalist). The prize, awarded jointly by the Frankfurter Sparkasse Foundation and Goethe University, aims to draw attention to exemplary teaching and to highlight its importance. Students nominate the candidates.
Lecturers in Spanish, Bioscience and Educational Science awarded
Lecturers in Spanish, bioscience and educational science receive the 1822 University Prize
+++ Change at the top +++
Prof. Axel A. Weber will succeed Prof. Otmar Issing as chairman of the House of Finance’s (HoF) Board of Trustees. Prof. Issing headed the Board of Trustees since HoF’s foundation and after 14 years has passed responsibility on to Prof. Axel A. Weber, an economist and Board of Trustees member.
+++ Inclusion +++
The Research Training Group “Inclusion – Education – School”, which has been funded twice since 2015 and will come to an end at the end of 2022, is dedicating a conference to the question of whether the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has actually been implemented. The convention states that, in the context of an inclusive education, schools must change fundamentally for all students.
+++ Launch of the “Netzwerk Paulskirche” +++
The international cultural festival asks how exclusive or diverse the democracies in Brazil, India and Europe are, shedding light on the topic by means of contributions from film, literature and discussions. The festival – one of the kick-off events for the “Democracy as a Way of Life” program of the Netzwerk Paulskirche – is organized by Goethe University Frankfurt researchers.
+++ House of Silence +++
The interreligious “House of Silence” on Goethe University Frankfurt’s Westend Campus was inaugurated on October 5, 2010. Following a corona-related delay, the anniversary is celebrated during a festive event.
A unique place for deceleration: Goethe University’s “House of Silence”
+++ Women in Physics +++
The international conference "WOW Physics! – Women in the World of Physics!", initiated by theoretical physics professor Laura Sagunski, brings outstanding female physicists onto the virtual stage and inspires participants of all ages and from all continents with its diverse program. Close to 1,000 participants from all over the world join the event.
+++ Risky Research Project +++
Microbiologist Prof. Volker Müller has been awarded a Reinhart Koselleck Programme from the German Research Foundation (DFG), which funds particularly innovative and, in a positive sense, risky research projects. For many years now, Müller has been successfully researching how acetic acid-producing bacteria (acetogens) extract energy from CO2. Now he wants to crack the last puzzle of this energy production.
+++ Cosmic Chocolate Pralines +++
Through extensive model calculations, a team of physicists led by Prof. Luciano Rezzolla has reached general conclusions about the internal structure of neutron stars, where matter reaches enormous densities: depending on their mass, the stars can have a core that is either very stiff or very soft. The findings were published simultaneously in two articles.
Cosmic chocolate pralines: general neutron star structure revealed
+++ Most cited +++
Six of the nearly 7,000 most cited scientists in the world conduct research at Goethe University Frankfurt. They are Prof. Ivan Đikić, Institute for Biochemistry II, Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler, Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Prof. Petra Döll, Institute of Physical Geography, Prof. Dr. Stefan Knapp, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, apl. Prof. Dr. Sibylle Loibl, Faculty of Medicine, and Prof. Dr. Stefan Zeuzem, Medical Clinic I. The information is based on the current citation ranking of the “Web of Science”, published by Clarivate Analytics.
Ranking: Six Goethe University Researchers Among the Most Cited Scientists in the World
+++ Physics Awards +++
Two Goethe University Frankfurt physicists have been awarded high-ranking prizes by the German Physical Society. Dr. Sebastian Eckart from the Institute of Nuclear Physics has received the Gustav Hertz Prize, endowed with €7,500, for his contributions to fundamental questions of quantum mechanics. Prof. Thomas Wilhelm from the Department of Physics Education was bestowed with the Robert Wichard Pohl Award and a prize money of €5,000 for his outstanding contributions to the modernization of physics education.
German Physical Society honors Goethe University’s Sebastian Eckart and Thomas Wilhelm
+++ Environment and Sustainability Prize +++
The 2022 “Frankfurter Preis für Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit” [Frankfurt Prize for the Environment and Sustainability] goes to five young scientists who are being honored for their qualifying work in the field of environmental and social-ecological sustainability research. The prizewinners were selected by the Board of Trustees of Frankfurter Preis für Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit, chaired by Prof. Birgit Blättel-Mink.
+++ Student Survey +++
Goethe University Frankfurt’s third university-wide student survey takes place between mid-November and mid-January. The survey is designed to collect data for the university’s long-term development in the field of teaching and studies. Its results will be published in a university-wide report.
+++ Deutschlandstipendium +++
Turn one into two: Each year, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) doubles the amount raised by Goethe University Frankfurt for Deutschlandstipendium scholarship holders. 581 scholarships are awarded at the social get-together. This year, for the first time, part of the amount was even quadrupled as the result of a scholarship holder challenge.
+++ Funding extended +++
The German Research Foundation (DFG) has announced an extension of the “Regulation of DNA Repair and Genome Stability” Collaborative Research Center (CRC 1361) for a further four years. The Collaborative Research Center seeks to explore the mechanisms by which cells protect their genetic information. The consortium consisting of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, TU Darmstadt, Goethe University Frankfurt and LMU Munich includes 18 research projects, three technology platforms and an integrated graduate program.
+++ Housing for Students +++
Goethe University and the Studierendenwerk Frankfurt student union are appealing to city residents to offer affordable housing to students. This is the second time in a few weeks that they have addressed the public with this request. Even after the start of the winter semester, some 3,000 students are still looking for a room.
+++ Open Science +++
In hosting the “Perspektive offene Wissenschaft @ RMU 2022” event, the strategic alliance of Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) is dedicating itself to the topic of open science for the first time. In addition to making scientific knowledge processes and research results accessible, Open Science seeks to involve the public in research processes and to communicate research results in a way that is generally understandable.
December
+++ ERC Starting Grant +++
Physicist Dr. Sebastian Eckart is awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to further explore the quantum mechanical tunneling effect: In the world of quantum physics, electrons sometimes manage to overcome the binding forces of the atomic nucleus and leave the atom, even though they do not actually have enough energy to do so. Eckart and his team will use the funding of some €1.8 million over the next five years to analyze the quantum mechanical tunnel effect in three dimensions.
Tunneling particles in 3D: ERC Starting Grant for Goethe University’s Dr. Sebastian Eckart
+++ A plus for diversity +++
The strategic Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) alliance signs the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, thereby becoming a member of CoARA. The core aim of the reform is to recognize the diversity of research contributions and research careers and to evaluate research primarily in terms of its quality.
+++ Cybersecurity +++
At CyberSec4Europe’s Momentum! conference, international experts present their ideas for future European cybersecurity cooperation. Coordinated by Goethe University Frankfurt, the Horizon 2020 CyberSec4Europe pilot project is preparing the establishment of the European cybersecurity competence center in industry, technology and research and the network of national coordination centers decided upon by the EU.
Cybersicherheitskonferenz in Brüssel – Online-Teilnahme möglich
+++ International Partnership +++
The Canadian University of Saskatchewan becomes a partner university of Goethe University Frankfurt: The commitment to sustainability, biodiversity and planetary health brought individual researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and Goethe University together years ago. Now, the two universities have entered into a comprehensive international partnership. During the inaugural visit of a Canadian delegation made up of representatives from science and politics, the focus lay on plans for a sustainable cooperation.
From Frankfurt to Saskatchewan: Joint research for the health of our planet
+++ ATHENE +++
Goethe University Frankfurt joins Germany’s ATHENE National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity, which seeks to protect the cybersecurity of society, business and the state, and fend off threats.
+++ ALICE Experiment +++
The ALICE experiment at the CERN particle accelerator center in Geneva, Switzerland, investigates the state of matter shortly after the Big Bang, also known as the quark-gluon plasma. By causing lead ions to collide with each other, it is possible to create such a quark-gluon plasma for tiny fractions of a second. Researchers led by Prof. Harald Appelshäuser of Goethe University Frankfurt prepared the central ALICE detector for higher collision rates, setting the stage for the first test run to generate collision energies of 5.36 teraelectronvolts per nucleon-nucleon collision – the highest collision energy ever achieved worldwide.
+++ Cancer Funding Extended +++
Due to its prolific cancer research, the Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI) LOEWE center, founded in 2019, will receive an additional €18 million in state funding for another three years.
LOEWE-Zentrum „Frankfurt Cancer Institute“ für weitere drei Jahre gefördert
+++ 30 Years of Partnership +++
A large delegation from Paris is visiting Goethe University Frankfurt to mark the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the Université Paris Dauphine-PSL and the Faculty of Economics and Business. The partnership has resulted in two double-degree program allowing participants to study for a degree of both countries.
+++ Launched: RMU-Italy Forum +++
The strategic alliance of Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) launches its newly founded RMU-Italy Forum. The forum aims to network and raise the profile of Italy-related research at the respective universities. To this end, eight researchers from the Rhine-Main universities from the areas of humanities and social sciences have joined forces.
+++ Ukraine War +++
In view of the current influx of refugees from Ukraine, Goethe University Frankfurt’s Psychosocial Counselling Center for Refugees, headed by Professor Ulrich Stangier, is looking at the psychological consequences of migration and flight in the context of the Ukraine crisis. In this context, the counseling center is expanding its services and offering workshops on dealing with the psychological effects of war.
+++ Equal Pay +++
The Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs and Goethe University Frankfurt’s Institute for Economics, Labour and Culture (IWAK) present the Hessian Wage Atlas, created in cooperation with IWAK. As an incentive to close the wage gap between women and men, the Hessian Women's Prize for Equal Pay is awarded for the first time: the prize, endowed with €10,000, went to Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Hessischer Frauenbüros [the State Working Group of Hessian Women's Offices].
+++ University waives criminal charges against lecture hall occupiers +++
Goethe University’s Executive Board decides not to press criminal charges for trespassing against students who were involved in occupying one of the largest lecture halls on Westend Campus. After talks with the university’s head of administration, who had offered the students to move to another room, activists had refused to vacate the lecture hall, which was subsequently cleared by police.
+++ Center for Interreligious Studies +++
The Frankfurt-Tel Aviv Center for Interreligious Studies is officially launched at a two-day conference held in Israel. The highlight of the inauguration is the signing of the cooperation agreement by the presidents of Tel Aviv University and Goethe University Frankfurt. The letter of intent for the center’s establishment was signed a year ago.
Conference in Israel marks official start of new Frankfurt-Tel Aviv Center
+++ Excellence Strategy +++
In the current round of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments, Goethe University Frankfurt is applying for a continuation of the already running cluster Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI) and adding four new cluster initiatives ConTrust (Trust in Conflict – Political Life under Conditions of Uncertainty), EMTHERA (Emerging Therapeutic Strategies against Infections, Inflammation and Impaired Immune Mechanisms), ELEMENTS (Exploring the Universe from Microscopic to Macroscopic Scales) and SCALE (SubCellular Architecture of LifE).
+++ Non-Professorial Teaching Staff Careers +++
Following the University Senate’s approval, Goethe University Frankfurt’s Executive Board adopts the “Grundsätze zu Karrierewegen im akademischen Mittelbau” [Principles for Non-Professorial Teaching Staff Careers]. These describe an integrative career system that highlights various development paths and qualification opportunities for permanent positions beyond the professorship and makes an important contribution to transparent framework conditions and qualification structures.
+++ Biodiversity Frankfurt Ideas Competition +++
The jury of the Biodiversity Frankfurt Ideas Competition has selected ten initiatives that have a chance of winning the prize money totaling €30,000. The competition, which supports ideas from the urban community that preserve or promote urban biodiversity, was launched in the summer of 2022 by Goethe University Frankfurt, Palmengarten botanical gardens, Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research, the City of Frankfurt's Department for Climate, Environment and Women, and Frankfurter Sparkasse.