WATER RESEARCH IN GERMANY Research Fields Centres Competences

Transcription

1 WATER RESEARCH IN GERMANY Research Fields Centres Competences Sustainable Water Management

2 The project Analysis of Water Research in Germany was carried out by

3 WATER RESEARCH IN GERMANY Research Fields Centres Competences Publisher: Authors & editors: Layout: Project funding: Support: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Permoserstr Leipzig Germany Elisabeth Krueger Dietrich Borchardt Roland Barthel perner&schmidt werbung und design gmbh Federal Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF) within the framework programme Research for a Sustainable Development (FONA), Funding priority: Sustainable Water Management (NaWaM) Project title Analysis of Water Research in Germany (FKZ: 033L039) Project management: Juelich/business area Environment (PtJ-UMW) Published: September 2012 (English version: November 2012)

4 Introduction 451 organisational units within 152 publicly funded research institutions. This is the astonishing result of the project Analysis of Water Research in Germany and refers to those organisations in Germany, which were registered within this study as publicly funded and, according to their own assessment, have a focus on water research. Water research was defi ned in a broad sense to include hydrology, hydrogeology, meteorology, limnology, water chemistry, pedology, engineering sciences, research on water rights, water politics, economy and many more. The list of research units in which water plays a major role shows clearly that this is a mega topic in environmental research. Knowledge on water issues, its properties and behaviour, its value and the optimal management of it, have always been a high priority in Germany. Universities and universities of applied sciences have developed a broad range of programmes and degrees (according to our survey 208 different study programmes with 33 different degrees), and as a result there are large numbers of students in the water sciences. The great majority study in the fi eld of engineering sciences. Traditionally and that was refl ected in our analysis water research in Germany is divided between issues concerning water quality (e.g. contamination), and those to do with water quantity (e.g. the causation of and protection from fl oods), as well as process-oriented investigations and technological advancement. Global change is challenging the water research community with problems evermore urgent and complex: population growth and increasing urbanisation, which lead to new problems of water supply and wastewater treatment and put pressures on our natural ecosystems, as well as climate change leading to additional uncertainties in water availability and increasing fl oods. Accelerated rates of change in land use for food production and (bio)energy lead to an increasing demand for water, which in turn increases the contamination of water and soils through pesticides and fertilisers. The coinciding of these processes and the combined problems of water quality and quantity, as well as the legal and societal issues demand a stronger interdisciplinary cooperation between the wide range of participants within the water research community, so that adequate solutions and adaption strategies can be found. Improved information about the research units and the existing competences within the water community are a prerequisite. In order to facilitate communication, information exchange and provide transparency, an Online Portal for Water Research has been created. This brochure provides an overview as well as background information on the contents of the portal. It can be found online at I hope you enjoy the brochure and participate in the online portal, Elisabeth Krueger (project leader) 2

5 Contents Page Introduction 2 Water Research in Germany: Point of Departure 4 Goal: The Interactive Online Portal for Water Research 4 Map of Water Research in Germany 5 Defi nition and Delimitation of Water Research 6 Participation in the Survey 7 Institutions with a Focus on Water Research in the Federal States 8 Research Fields and Key Topics 9 Regional Focus 10 Project Funding and Staffi ng 11 Networking and Cooperation National 12 Networking and Cooperation International 13 Promotion of Young Scientists: Teaching, Study Programmes and Graduate Schools 14 The Online Portal for Water Research 15 The Online Portal Internal Area 16 Further Results of the Project 17 Structural and Thematic Challenges 17 The Link between the Natural and the Social Sciences and its Relevance for the Implementation of Results 18 The Water Science Alliance Initiative 19 Using and Participating in the Online Portal 20 3

6 Water Research in Germany: Point of Departure In Germany, water issues take high priority in education and research due to the important practical implications from water supply, to shipping through to ecology. In nearly all German universities of applied sciences and universities, the subject of water is examined from many different perspectives in order to educate specialists for the various water-related tasks. Water research is also conducted by the national and state agencies, as well as non-university research centres. A considerable part of water research and technological development is contributed to by industry and the large public water companies. The segmented structure within the various disciplines of the natural and engineering sciences, as well as the social sciences, has led to great diversity within the fi eld of water research. This brochure gives an overview of the existing competences and focal points that are covered in the fi eld of water research by the publicly funded research institutions. It summarizes the results of the project Analysis of Water Research in Germany, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and it provides an overview of the information available on the Online Portal for Water Research at Goal: the Interactive Online Portal for Water Research Through the project Analysis of Water Research in Germany, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, was able to create an inventory of the existing competences and participants in water research in Germany. The project duration was from May 2010 to June The main result and product of this analysis is the Online Portal for Water Research that provides a comprehensive overview of the German water research institutions, their competences, their regional and thematic focus, the technical equipment and the cooperation networks. Furthermore, educational institutions, study programmes and graduate schools were recorded. This dynamic platform should, through the active participation of the individuals within the German water community, develop into a transparent, well structured and interactive information portal for researchers and research funders, which is continuously updated and developed on an on-going basis through its active use. 4

7 Map of Water Research in Germany Institutions Non-university research institutions Universities Universities of applied sciences Federal agencies State agencies Figure 1: Map of publicly funded water research institutions in Germany, colour-coded according to the type of institution 5

8 Defi nition and Delimitation of Water Research In this analysis, the water fi eld included all research and teaching areas that have a focus on water. This includes all physical, chemical and biological, as well as societal implications of water, whether it be above the surface of the earth, or on it, or below it (water cycle, aquatic ecology and chemistry, water technology, water management, model development, etc.). The analysis was confi ned to terrestrial water marine water research and atmospheric research were not included. Only the interfaces between these fi elds the coast, as well as the transitional zone between the land surface/vegetation and the lower atmosphere were part of the analysis. The delimitation of the term water research is not distinct, as water, by nature, plays a role in all environmental spheres and infl uences all areas of human life and activity. The institutions and organisational units participating in the survey were asked whether they would consider their research as part of the water fi eld. The focus of the analysis was on publicly funded institutions; privately funded research organisations were not included. Figure 1 shows the geographical locations of institutions conducting water research in Germany. When activated each dot on the online portal will display the name and other information of the institution. A selection of different criteria, e.g. the kind of institution, is also possible. Organisational Units in Water Research The comprehensive set of data on water research in Germany was compiled through an internet search followed by a survey using online forms, which were completed by the heads of units of the registered water research institutions. The information was gathered according to the organisational units which could be addressed as a whole (e.g. university institutes, departments, sections, etc.). As a result, a number of organisational units can be found under one research institution (university, research centre). Updates of the data on the online portal, as well as the registration of new organisational units are always possible.

9 Participation in the Survey 454 organisational units in 152 publicly funded institutions were identifi ed through the internet based search preceding the survey. 352 or 78 % of these organisational units had participated in the survey by completing detailed profi les by June 20, Table 1 shows the participation in the survey according to the type of institution. The concept of the survey and the online portal allow for institutions that have not yet participated to do so at any time. Type of Institution Level of Participation Contacted Participation Participation {Number} {Percentage} Total Institutions % Organisational Units % Universities Universities % Organisational Units % Universities of Institutions % applied sciences Organisational Units % Federal agencies Institutions % Organisational Units % State authorities Institutions % Organisational Units % Leibniz Institutions % Organisational Units % Helmholtz Institutions % Organisational Units % Fraunhofer Institutions % Organisational Units % Max Planck Institutions 1 0 0% Organisational Units 1 0 0% Other Institutions % Organisational Units % Table 1: Participation of water research institutions based on the type of institution

10 Institutions with a Focus on Water Research in the Federal States 25% 13% 37% 21% 4% Non-university research institutions Universities Universities of applied sciences Federal agencies State agencies 2 research institutions Figure 2: Percentage distribution of water research institutions based on different types of institutions in Germany and distribution in the federal states 23 research institutions 8

11 Research Fields and Key Topics The key topics indicated by the participants of the survey can be divided into four fi elds: 1) hydrology, hydraulic engineering and water administration, 2) water quality, ecology and land use, 3) a methodological fi eld including modelling, model and technology development, measurement techniques, and 4) manage ment and adaption to change processes (climate change, effi ciency in water and energy use). The registered data concerning thematic and regional foci (see below) are available on the online portal and can also be combined with other information on projects, regional foci etc. Figure 3 shows the frequency of research topics (key words) named by the participating units, structured into the four main thematic fi elds. Management and adaptation Research foci (multiple answers possible) Modelling/ technology development/ measurement techniques Hydrology Thematic foci (key words) Water quality/ ecology/ land use climate integration/interdisciplinarity energy management effi ciency socio-economics governance others modelling/model development measurement technology technology development others ground water fl oods drinking water supply others urban areas water treatment waste water pollutants/matter fl uxes water quality ecosystem biodiversity land use others Figure 3: Frequency of research fields and key topics indicated by the participating institutions 9

12 Regional Focus In addition to thematic foci, the regional research foci of the organisational units were registered in the survey (fi gure 4). Europe is leading the statistic, Asia is second, followed by Africa. More details about the geographical specifi cs, such as climatic regions or river basins, are available on the online portal. Regional foci Entries per continent/country (multiple entries possible) Germany China Top country per continent Other countries 50 Ethiopia Brazil 0 Europe Asia Africa Central/ South America North America Australia Figure 4: Number of organisational units conducting research in the different continents (the most frequently named country in each continent is depicted in light green) 10

13 Project Funding and Staffi ng Data on external funding and staffi ng of the organisational units was generated in the survey. This data is published only in aggregated form, i.e. as statistical graphs. The response rates to the questions concerning third party funding and staffi ng were signifi cantly lower than those concerning other aspects of the survey with 47 % and 74 %, respectively. Figure 5 shows the percentage contribution of the main third party funding institutions. According to the data on staff, an estimated 4300 individuals are engaged in water research in Germany. Figure 6 shows the distribution of staff to the various positions and institutions. Distribution of project funding sources 10% 14% 15% 11% 29% 21% Research Ministry (BMBF) DFG (NSF) EU Federal States Industry Other Figure 5: Sources of external funding (data based on 47 % of participating units) Staffing in the field of water research (total: approx. 4300) Numbers of staff Technicians PhD students Scientists (PostDoc/Senior) Professors Universities Universities of applied sciences Non-university research institutions National/state agencies Figure 6: Numbers of staff in water research in Germany (data based on 74 % of participating organisational units) 11

14 Networking and Cooperation National A total of 562 national and international strategic partnerships were identifi ed by 146 organisational units. The average was 5 partners per institution, the maximum 33. Individual visual rendering of data for a single institution is shown in fi gure 7, as an example. An in-depth analysis that combines cooperation with thematic links is possible through the online portal. Figure 7: National networks of research cooperation of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, as an example (left: institutions that identified the UFZ as a partner; right: partners named by the UFZ) 12

15 Networking and Cooperation International The international network of German water research institutions is illustrated in fi gure 8. Most cooperation exists with scientifi c partners in the USA, followed by Switzerland, England, the Netherlands and Austria. Cooperation: partner countries (top ten) Country Number of entries USA 43 Switzerland 24 England 20 Netherlands 19 Austria 15 China 14 Brazil 13 Canada/Spain 12 France 10 Italy/Australia 9 Figure 8: International cooperation The diameter of circles represents the number of entries (see table) 13

16 Promotion of Young Scientists: Teaching, Study Programmes and Graduate Schools Universities and universities of applied sciences in Germany offer a broad diversity of programmes in the water fi eld. Engineering sciences lead the sector with the most students. More specifi c programmes in hydrology and water management educate only a small number of water specialists. Figure 9 presents an overview of the study fi elds which encompass different study programmes. According to the survey, there are 208 individual programmes with a water focus, with nine different types of degrees (MSc, BSc, Diploma etc.), resulting in a total of 337 different degrees. Around 15,000 students per year were in programmes with a focus on water. As several organisational units have joint programmes this number has a certain degree of uncertainty. In addition to the numerous study programmes postgraduate schools too are offered by the universities in the water fi eld. Other research institutions, such as the Helmholtz Association, also offer postgraduate programmes. In the survey, a total of 30 post-graduate schools offered structured and accompanying programmes for doctoral studies. Study fields with a focus on water Number of students Bachelor Master Diploma Other engineering sciences geography geo-/environmental sciences env./resources management/ forestry bio sciences land-use planning/landscape architecture agricultural sciences hydrology chemistry water management others geology/geophysics/geo-technology ecology Figure 9: Fields of study comprising the 208 programmes registered in the survey 14

17 The Online Portal for Water Research Figure 10: The Online Portal for Water Research. It can be accessed at The Online Portal for Water Research is the central product of the BMBF funded project. All data obtained by the online survey is stored in a database that can be accessed via the online portal. In addition to the results presented in this brochure the online portal permits a more specifi c search for information through a search form (fi gure 10). It offers an interactive access to all data acquired in the survey where permission of the participants to share their data was given. Exempt is data concerning fi nancial resources and staff, which is presented in an aggregated way only (on a state level or as national amounts) on maps or in diagrams. New information or new profi les added to the online portal are automatically included into the data base and in the statistics. 15

18 The Online Portal Internal Area The portal offers freely accessible areas displaying a broad variety of data. After free registration more search options with more comprehensive information are available. For scientists, this might be the search for current research projects, or for potential project partners on specifi c topics or in specifi c regions. For students, the portal facilitates the search for study programmes or graduate schools. Finally, for research funding agencies, the portal provides information on topics, focal points and possible gaps of the current research landscape, thus permitting an evaluation of current research politics and funding schemes on the one hand, and existing research competences and fi elds for potential future research funding on the other. By means of registration, information is attained on the user groups interested in the data provided by the portal. For each search the user of the portal obtains a list of institutions and organisational units that correspond to the selected criteria. The list below gives some examples for possible searches: 1. Scientist or enterprise seeks cooperation partners (for a joint project proposal, for the common use of research infrastructure) with specifi c competences with specifi c equipment for a specifi c research region 2. Student/doctoral candidate seeks a study programme/graduate school with a particular thematic profi le in a specifi c region/city 3. Analysis of the coverage of certain research fields thematically: Which topics are in current research focus and which are not? spatially: Are there regions which are broadly or poorly covered by research? 4. An analysis of research networks Who is cooperating with whom? What networks exist on certain topics? 16

19 Further Results of the Project Structural and Thematic Challenges The participants of the online survey were asked to identify defi cits within the water research landscape in Germany. About 30 % provided feedback. One of the most frequently identifi ed challenges is the fragmentation of competences and the need for better structuring water research and educational programmes. The strengthening of cooperation between the natural, engineering and social sciences, as well as the interaction between disciplines were considered necessary. The links between basic and applied research, as well as the science to practice transfer also were seen to need improvement. Others missed coordination and cooperation between participants, which at present, prevents the development of synergies and of a critical mass, in order to improve Germany s international competitiveness. The need for cooperation was identifi ed between partners both within and outside Germany. A large number of participants saw an urgent need for communication between researchers across disciplinary borders, as well as more transparency in research activities and funding measures. At the same time, some participants see funding strategies tending to favour large projects and programmes. They emphasized the importance of original research activities in order to stimulate new and unconventional research results. Many participants argue for more transparency in the development of funding goals and strategies. Furthermore, improved coordination between the federal and state funding programmes is required to create synergies between existing competences and activities. This would lead to improved visibility of the German water research community making it an attractive research location on the international platform. Finally, one of the biggest challenges is to create the necessary, innovative, interdisciplinary education programmes within the water fi eld, where not only scientifi c know-how is taught, but also important management competences are incorporated. 17

20 Further Results of the Project The Link between the Natural and Social Sciences and its Relevance for the Implementation of Research Results One specifi c focus of the project Analysis of Water Research in Germany was on the links between natural and social science research, and the impact on the practical implementation of research results. A study sub-contracted to the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) for this purpose analysed a series of funding programmes by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The funding programmes were: Exemplary development of ecologically based concepts for the restoration of small streams, Ecology of the Elbe, Watershed management, Risk management for extreme fl oods RIMAX, Global change of the water cycle GLOWA and Integrated water resources management IWRM. In general, the study showed an increasing importance of socio-economic approaches in water research. Crucial for the practical implementation of research results is the inclusion of government agencies and other decision makers from the very start, i.e. in the project planning and conception phase. This is particularly true in those cases where socio-economic water research plays a role in the research concept. However, this usually only happens if agencies/practitioners function as project partners and also benefi t from project funding. As public agencies often generate important water related data, providing scientists with this data is crucial and the necessary capacities to make the data available need to be secured within the different agencies. And likewise, a lot of valuable data generated through scientifi c projects is also made available to the water administration. Despite the obvious importance of socio-economic research for the practical implementation of water related research results, only few projects have integrated socio-economic aspects with successful results. The majority of research projects still lack an effective approach for the transfer of research results into practice. 18

21 The Water Science Alliance Initiative The success and effi ciency of research, the practical implementation of its results, as well as its national and international visibility will to a great extent depend on the establishment of effective and transparent organisational structures and an effi cient knowledge transfer. The future challenge is an effective integration of the different water research fi elds, in order to solve important and urgent problems. Because of the existing resources and personnel, the competences and coverage of important topics, water research in Germany has the potential to become an important player in international water research. However, the fragmentation of topics and structures, as well as the lack of continuity and reliability of funding are important obstacles for the water research community in Germany and prevent it from attaining its goals. After recognising this, the UFZ received a mandate from the Senate of the Helmholtz Association in 2009, for the development of a concept which would strengthen and better position water research nationally and internationally. This led to the initiative of the Water Science Alliance, which set out to connect existing and thematically complementary competences within the complex landscape of water research institutions on the federal and the state levels. Six overarching priority research fi elds were identifi ed for the Water Science Alliance by a group of representatives from the water sector. At the fi rst Water Research Horizon Conference (Berlin 2010) these were discussed and further developed by the water research community. And they were fi nally presented in the so-called White Paper of the Water Science Alliance as some of the major challenges facing science and society within the water fi eld today. Based on this, the Senate Commission on Water Research (KOWA) of the German Research Foundation (DFG) plans to create the Water Science Alliance as a community-based platform for interdisciplinary water research. By integrating the existing infrastructure and expertise, the Water Science Alliance will facilitate the creation of a critical mass and effi cient structures in order to tackle interdisciplinary problems in the complex fi eld of water research. The Online Portal for Water Research will support this process of networking, the creation of synergies and therefore the success of the Water Science Alliance. It offers an open information platform, not only for scientists, but also for interested parties from government agencies, administrators and the private industry. 19

22 Using and Participating in the Online Portal The Online Portal for Water Research is designed as a dynamic system for mapping and presenting the German water research landscape. Despite the large amount of information already available, the online portal largely depends on the active participation of the water community. The addition of new profi les and the update of existing ones are possible at all times. Information on current events, calls for proposals, publications, etc. will also be part of the portal. A water blog will serve as a platform for the discussion and exchange on current topics in addition to those discussions at workshops and conferences. The online portal can be found at: An online registration form is available at this site for those water research institutions that have not yet been registered. For any questions and further information please contact: Elisabeth Krueger (project leader) phone: (+49) wafo@ufz.de 20

23 WATER RESEARCH IN GERMANY Research Fields Centres Competences Sustainable Water Management