Angry female scientists about funding backlog: »Careers are hurt, research questions are not dealt with«

Enlarge image

Woman in the library (symbolic image): "It wouldn't have worked without public pressure"

Photo: dotshock / IMAGO

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has now belatedly decided on the funding of projects in the social sciences and humanities, as the ministry confirmed on Tuesday.

Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) explained the "regrettable delays" with the difficult budgetary situation.

It took time to make it possible that "no current research projects had to be canceled and that as many projects as possible could be funded".

In the past few weeks, numerous scientists had pointed out in open letters, among other things, that they had not received any feedback on ongoing research projects regarding further funding.

The lack of communication from the ministry irritated many researchers.

One of those affected is the Cologne scientist Nicole Bögelein, whose project "Current and Historical Dynamics of Right-Wing Extremism and Racism" should have started on July 1st.

Two days earlier she had been informed by e-mail that the final commitment would be significantly delayed.

After a month of uncertainty, Bögelein now knows how to proceed with her research project: »Around 8:30 p.m. the mail came from the BMBF: We will start on January 1, 2023 and will receive 95 percent of the requested amount.«

"It wouldn't have worked without public pressure," she says, Bögelein is convinced.

She is very happy that the project can be carried out, but it leaves "a bad taste".

Your employee will be unemployed for a few months because of the later start, "trust remains scratched".

Jutta Allmendinger also sees a loss of trust.

The sociologist has also been waiting for funding commitments for weeks.

She is happy that there is finally clarity with only one but: "Careers are hurt, research questions are not dealt with," she writes on Twitter.

According to the BMBF, the current funding guideline on the "Social Effects of the Corona Pandemic", which is distributed among 32 projects, is only financed to the extent of 50 percent, so it only continues for 18 projects, and only until February 1, 2023. Correspondingly disappointed researchers commented on Twitter:

However, other areas may benefit from the shifts.

The ministry announced that the projects to research the GDR, which had been delayed due to the pandemic, would be extended and could be increased by a further four months if necessary.

An additional 1.3 million euros would be made available for this.