Promotion of excellent young scientists is the goal of a cooperation agreement concluded by Karlsruhe Institute of Tech-nology (KIT) with the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the supplier of enterprise software, SAP AG. First, top young scientists in the field of informatics shall be given the possibility to make their PhDs at KIT and use the resources of SAP for their work. The projects will be funded by the DFG.
Cooperation will be based on a cooperation model of DFG and SAP for the joint implementation of research projects with universities. So far, KIT and the universities of Darmstadt and Dresden have signed a cooperation contract. For the individual projects, the scientists are granted funds by the DFG and can use resources of SAP in the same amount. For instance, development work can be performed at one of the locations of the company. “Committed cooperation with industry is one of the characteristics of KIT. The contract with DFG and SAP, from which PhD students of informatics will profit first, will considerably extend our offers for young scientists who are promoted extensively by KIT,” underlines Professor Detlef Löhe, KIT Vice President for Research and Infor-mation.
“The DFG and I personally are very much interested in intensifying the transfer of know-how from fundamental research to application,” said DFG President Professor Matthias Kleiner when signing the contract. “This exchange may stimulate research and is achieved best via persons. The cooperation contract of DFG and SAP to promote young scientists represents a reliable framework that equally accounts for the interests of science and industry. It is now filled with life by the first joint research projects of the participating universities and SAP,” said Kleiner. “This framework and joint funding of the projects by DFG and SAP are good signs for the strategic partnership of science and industry. Further cooperative ventures are welcome.”
“In economically challenging times in particular, it is of central importance to provide young people with a perspective and to enthuse them for information technology. The SAP research department wishes to ensure that the best young scientists work for us or with us at universities in order to be able to cope with the challenges of the future,” underlines Dr. Joachim Schaper, Vice President SAP Research EMEA.
The research projects will focus on close-to-application topics in the field of informatics, which are embedded in the boundary conditions of industry. “We do not distinguish between the training of young managers for enterprises and universities. The skills and capabilities characterizing responsible staff members in industry or at universities are the same,” explains Professor Ralf Reussner, Vice Dean of the KIT Department of Informatics, who considerably pushed the agreement. The PhD students selected will be integrated in KIT research groups.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.