The Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers will fund a first Helmholtz Graduate School and a Helmholtz Research School at KIT. The KIT-GRACE Helmholtz Graduate School will focus on climate and environmental research and provide structured high-level advanced training for Ph. D. students. Catalytic processes in the energy sector will be covered by the Helmholtz Research School on Energy-Related Catalysis.
The KIT Graduate School for Climate and the Environment, briefly KIT-GRACE, is an institution of the KIT Climate and Environment Center and the Technical University of Darmstadt. This Graduate School will be funded by the Helmholtz Association with a total of EUR 2.7 million for a duration of six years. “This advanced training is aimed at conveying to the Ph. D. students analysis and problem solution competencies for complex climate and environmental topics”, explains the spokesman of KIT-GRACE, Professor Stefan Hinz. In addition, the Ph. D. students are supposed to acquire key qualifications, such as conflict management skills and entrepreneurial awareness, both of which are considered major skills for a later career in science, industry, or authorities. KIT-GRACE is also dedicated to conveying to the Ph. D. students the capability of international networking. For this purpose, stays abroad for a period of three months or interactions with international experts for the Ph. D. thesis or training modules will be offered.
The Helmholtz Graduate School is characterized by a clearly structured qualification concept with various modules and extensive support. The scientific framework and infrastructure facilities for KIT-GRACE are provided by the KIT Climate and Environment Center. To ensure short distances, all events will take place in Karlsruhe. KIT-GRACE is supposed to start work in early 2011 at the latest.
At the Helmholtz Research School on Energy-Related Catalysis, Ph. D. students will focus on solving energy and resources problems of the 21st century with the help of catalytic processes. Several KIT institutes and groups in various disciplines are involved in this Helmholtz Research School. A cooperation partner is the University of Heidelberg. The Research School is funded by the Helmholtz Association with a total of EUR 1.8 million for a duration of six years. “With its interdisciplinary approach at the interface of energy and catalysis, this institution is unique in Germany”, explains the spokesman of the Research School, Professor Olaf Deutschmann.
Catalysis assumes a key role in the sustainable conversion and use of chemical energy carriers. Research and development activities bring together physics, chemistry, biology, process technology, energy technology, and materials sciences. The Research School on Energy-Related Catalysis links fundamental research with application-oriented development. Apart from scientific qualifications, the Ph. D. students are conveyed teamworking and staff management competencies. For this purpose, they are directly involved in teaching work. The Ph. D. students are recruited on an international level. The Helmholtz Research School on Energy-Related Catalysis will also start in 2011 at the latest. Both institutions will make KIT gain attractiveness in the competition for the best young scientists.
Presently, the Helmholtz Association is funding a total of eight Graduate Schools and eleven Helmholtz Research Schools.
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.