Bremen pioneers freedom in fellowship projects
Research is the backbone of innovation, which in turn drives competitiveness, encourages a healthy economy and brings a better quality of life to citizens. The University of Bremen has conceived new ways of spurring research and giving more liberty to its fellows. With this in mind, the EU-funded BREMEN TRAC (COFUND fellowships for transnational academic careers) project encouraged incoming researchers to embrace independent research projects. Offering a dynamic research environment in a high-profile academic institution, the project is based on not restricting research topics and hosting institutions within the University. It is designed to attract first-class researchers from outside Germany, extending two-year fellowships backed by a salary and in some cases an allowance for early-stage postdoctorates. BREMEN TRAC is awarding 18 postdoctorates over three years (2013, 2014 and 2015). To ensure a high level of excellence, BREMEN TRAC employs university professors, independent peer reviews and video interviews to select candidates for the programme. The fellows are then assigned a host professor at the University to offer support, facilitate access to research infrastructure and encourage integration within interdisciplinary research circles. Importantly, projects with ethically sensitive issues are screened by the University's ethics committee. Already, a wide variety of university-funded research projects have been approved through this programme. Topics include optoelectronic technology, humanitarian action in the Middle East, environmental hazard assessment, rarefied gas dynamics and ocean productivity. One interesting research topic, for example, represents a comparative study on the work of independent Muslim feminist women filmmakers from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Another investigates the role of literature in encouraging the resistance of people suffering from the devastating effects of late capitalism. By not limiting topics and by opening the doors to researchers from around the globe, the University of Bremen is strengthening its reputation as a highly competitive university. It is advancing research and innovation in novel ways that can serve as a model for other European institutions. Finally, the 'unrestricted' research results are expected to benefit the knowledge economy and more than likely society as a whole.
Keywords
Research, innovation, fellowships, transnational, academic careers, postdoctorates
