Details zur Publikation |
Kategorie | Textpublikation |
Referenztyp | Zeitschriften |
DOI | 10.1186/2190-4715-23-24 |
Titel (primär) | Financial research support for ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry in Germany - results of an online survey |
Autor | Hollert, H.; Filser, J.; Häußling, R.; Hein, M.; Matthies, M.; Oehlmann, J.; Ratte, H.T.; Roß-Nickoll, M.; Schäfer, A.; Scheringer, M.; Schiwy, A. |
Journal / Serie | Environmental Sciences Europe |
Erscheinungsjahr | 2011 |
Department | BIOTOX |
Band/Volume | 23 |
Seite von | art. 24 |
Sprache | englisch |
Keywords | Ecotoxicology; Environmental Chemistry; Online Survey; Research funding |
Abstract | In recent years several initiatives addressed the inadequate
financial support of pollutant-related environmental research
in the Federal Republic of Germany. For an objective analysis about
the research funding in ecotoxicology and environmental
chemistry in Germany, an anonymous online survey was prepared. With
support of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry (SETAC) - German Language Branch and the German Chemical
Society (GDCh) - Division of Environmental Chemistry and
Ecotoxicology an invitation to participate in the survey was sent to
all members of these two major associations for ecotoxicology
and environmental chemistry in Germany (D), Switzerland (CH) and
Austria (A). Only senior staff from the areas academics,
government and industry was invited. The present article introduces
the results of the survey. It is segmented in a section
on socio-economic characterization of the participants, a section on
support of research by the DFG and a section on funding
by other funding organizations. A total of 71 male and female
scientists in senior positions from various areas participated
in the survey. The results revealed that the participants are to be
classified as having excellent records. 48.5% of the respondents
had submitted at least one research proposal to the DFG in the past,
but one third actually received financial support by
the DFG. 64% are not satisfied with the DFG support of
pollutant-related research, only 7% are satisfied. It turned out that
the research proposals are generally very heterogeneous and thus
distributed to various units of the DFG with geosciences,
water research and chemistry ranking highest, followed by biology and
ecology. 91.2% of the respondents indicated that they
have submitted proposals for research funding to other funding
institutions (except the DFG), and 83.6% already have received
appropriate external funding. 62.3% of the scientists believe that
overall support for chemicals-related research in recent
years has significantly deteriorated or is deteriorating. The vast
majority of respondents (60.9%) is dissatisfied with the
funding situation, only 10.9% are satisfied. When asked "Is the total
research funding in other European countries superior
to that in Germany?" 30% answered "yes", 9% answered "no" and 61% "do
not know". In summary the survey shows that the funding
situation for research in ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry
in Germany is improvable, and with respect to the DFG
it is considered problematic. The noticeable under-representation of
the DFG in comparison to other funding institutions shows
that the most important funding body in Germany does not take into
account the requirements of pollutant-related environmental
sciences. In particular the answers to the open questions regarding
improvement of research funding should be used as a basis
for an open dialogue of chemicals-related environmental research
institutes with the funding institutions DFG, BMBF and DBU
and corresponding institutions in CH and A. |
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=11429 |
Hollert, H., Filser, J., Häußling, R., Hein, M., Matthies, M., Oehlmann, J., Ratte, H.T., Roß-Nickoll, M., Schäfer, A., Scheringer, M., Schiwy, A. (2011): Financial research support for ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry in Germany - results of an online survey Environ. Sci. Eur. 23 , art. 24 |