Research Resources – List

Transversal and multidisciplinary research institute whose mission is to address the complex issues of Sustainability, Climate Change and the Energy Transition by adding and integrating the various perspectives offered by our five areas of research: Basic Science of Climate Change; Environmental and Climate Economics: Territorial Analysis; Governance, Environmental and Energy Transition Law, Environmental and Climate Justice; Health risks, Analysis of Human Behavior, Impacts of pollution on people and Ecosystems solutions; Technological solutions, Development of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis Systems.

“The Centre for Studies on Social Conflicts (CECOS) is a research centre of the URV, formed by an interdisciplinary research team that brings together political scientists, sociologists, historians, jurists, anthropologists, communication specialists…
Its general objective is to build a space for critical reflection that promotes a multidisciplinary dialogue on the main social conflicts of the contemporary world, through scientific research activities, teaching and training activities and other technical and professional services of the university.
The specific objectives of CECOS are:
To generate knowledge from a multifaceted and globalising perspective on the processes of conflict in Spain and Europe, understanding ‘social conflict’ as the struggle of opposing interests motivated by social, political, economic, gender, ethnic, religious or other factors.
Contribute to the design of innovative, inclusive and responsible solutions in a context of unprecedented change and transformation (European identity crisis, professional structure, social impact of migratory flows, new paradigms of participation, equality, government transparency, democratic deficits, exclusion and poverty…).”

Centre for the prevention of risky virtual communication (the Centre) focuses on prevention of hazardous behaviour associated with the use of information and communication technologies by children, especially cyber bullying, cyber grooming, cyber stalking, hoax and spam, sexting, sextortion, social engineering methods, the issue of sharing of personal information through social networks (sharenting), internet frauds, dangers connected with using of artificial intelligence and other dangerous communication techniques. It implements an educational, research, prevention and intervention activities. Our Centre also focusing on positive using of modern IT technologies by children and adults.

The Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE) coordinates and promotes the advancement of science in chemistry, physics, engineering, biology, and medicine with focus on:
• Catalysis
• Dynamic processes in solids
• Gas-phase synthesis of nanomaterials
• Magnetic materials
• Nanomaterials for health
• Functional materials for energy applications
CENIDE provides access to state-of-the-art infrastructure such as the unique research building NanoEnergieTechnikZentrum (NETZ) and the Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN).

The Essen College of Gender Research (EKfG) at the University of Duisburg-Essen studies gender relations and analyses differences and similarities from an intersectional perspective. It considers biological features and their medical consequences, everyday reality, opportunities for social participation, and access to material and immaterial resources. Norms, values and rights are likewise included in the analysis in order to arrive at concrete findings for social practice.

Käte Hamburger Kolleg / Centre for Global Cooperation Research is a central research institute of the University Duisburg-Essen. Our research is focused on four broad themes that we explore in two subsequent periods. During the period 2021–2024, we will focus on legitimation and delegitimation in global cooperation and global cooperation and diverse conceptions of world order. During the period 2018–2021, we focused on pathways and mechanisms of global cooperation and global cooperation and polycentric governance.

The Center for Molecular Biosciences (CMBI) at the University of Innsbruck (Forschungsschwerpunkt für Molekulare Biowissenschaften) is an integrative and multidisciplinary research and graduate teaching institution, whose mission it is, to advance knowledge on the structure, function, and interaction of biological macromolecules, and of simple compounds, relevant for cellular growth, metabolism, and development.

CBS Sustainability is a multi-disciplinary research centre devoted to the study of sustainable practices and developments in organizations, markets and society at large. The centre was established in 2002 and is today recognized as one of the leading research environments of its kind in Europe.

CBS Sustainability provides external stakeholders with easy access to relevant resources and activities at CBS, while also making it easier for CBS faculty to identify opportunities for collaboration with CBS colleagues and researchers from other universities.

Center for Financial Frictions (FRIC) is a Center of Excellence established by the Danish National Research Foundation. FRIC investigates the impact of financial frictions on the prices of financial assets, on economic development and on the design and regulation of financial markets. The FRIC Center carries out theoretical and empirical analyses of the impact of financial frictions on the prices of financial assets, on economic development and on the design and regulation of financial markets.
FRIC investigates financial frictions, which are costs or impediments to financial transactions. Financial frictions occur for instance as a result of the varying ease by which financial assets are traded (their liquidity), the transactions costs, borrowing constraints, credit risk, capital requirements for financial institutions, and asymmetric information among market participants.

Center for Corporate Governance (CCG) was founded in 2005 by a grant from Copenhagen Business School and currently has 20 staff members, among these 6 professors. Center for Corporate Governance is a virtual forum for the advancement of knowledge within corporate governance. It is an international, interdisciplinary center comprised of researchers in finance, economics, accounting, law, management and international business as well as business executives, auditors and government official.

The Copenhagen School of Energy Infrastructure (CSEI) conducts research in tomorrow’s energy infrastructure from a economic policy point-of-view to ensure a successful transition towards a new sustainable European Energy Infrastructure based on volatile and largely renewable energy sources. CSEI is established as a European research center at CBS’ Department of Economics and delivers expertise and new knowledge as well as education within energy infrastructure in close cooperation with stakeholders from the sector, the European Commission and society at large. CSEI is directly supported by the European Commission (DG Energy), and will qualify the discussions at the Commision’s annual Copenhagen Energy Infrastructure Forum. CSEI will analyze the consequences of digitalization of the energy sector and its impact on energy infrastructure, investigate efficient regional decision-making procedures, explore ways to promote public acceptance of energy infrastructure projects and examine the financial challenges to energy infrastructure projects.

“The POVI Centre
Public Organizations, Values and Innovation

The aim of the center is to understand how public organizations organize themselves in complex modern democracies and how contemporary governance models and innovation play an important role in solving contemporary policy challenges. These challenges are located in different policy areas such as health, security, public infrastructure, climate, anti-corruption, and equality. The overall ambition of POVI is to advance research in the area of public organizations, value and innovation in Denmark as well as internationally. Three themes will enhance our understanding of future ways within public organizing:

Reform and value processes in new governance models
Transformation of public organizations
Nordic Public innovation processes and models”

Seven research groups from the faculty of Movement and Behavioral Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam conduct experimental research involving humans and make use of advanced methods of research. One of the goals of the institute is to foster the exchange and development of advanced knowledge for neuro-imaging methods of research. The institute will work as a research incubator where researchers and students work together to push the limits of advanced methods of research.

LEARN! is an interdisciplinary research institute on learning in an institutional and societal context. We bring together colleagues from the behavioural, social, medical and educational sciences to understand: The Micro context of learning of children and adults; The Meso context: the classroom, school organisation, day-care centers, work-based settings or adult colleges; The Macro context: the coordination and governance of learning by school boards, local and national governance.

Philosophical research carried out in the department can be split up according to the three traditional domains: historical, theoretical, practical. The department houses specialists in freedom and responsibility, integrity, the epistemic role of universities, Enlightened thinking and German Idealism, market ethics, the philosophy of psychiatry, the nature of scientific explanations, epistemology of mathematics, and the history of ancient and medieval metaphysics and scientific philosophy.

The History education and research is distinguishing itself with an approach in which European history is not the obvious starting point, and which includes long-term perspectives. The department’s research is organised primarily in the VU’s Interfaculty Research Institute for Culture, Cognition, History and Heritage, CLUE+. Professors, academic staff and PhD students pursue interdisciplinary collaboration, embedded in the research programmes of the various chairs.

Research groups of Language, Literature and Communication have multiple focuses. One of them is developing new perspectives for adults and children with hearing difficulties. Another group looks at how people communicate issues of science and technology in their everyday lives, using Discursive Psychology and Conversation Analysis. There is also an investigation on language use and cognition from the perspective of multimodal communication.

CLUE+ brings together researchers from a wide variety of academic disciplines, to work on joint projects, reflect upon societal challenges and formulate strategies for addressing those challenges. Following the general VU profile themes, the focus is on challenges in the realm of connectedness, sustainability and governance. CLUE+ aims to provide an inspiring research climate for talented young academics as well as for senior and top researchers.

The Eep Talstra Centre for Bible and Computer (ETCBC) develops and maintains an advanced syntactic database of the Hebrew Bible. The methodology of the ETCBC prioritises syntactic analysis over semantic, literary, or rhetorical analysis. Formal indicators, rather than functional, comprise the framework of the database. Linguistic information is encoded hierarchically at the word, phrase, clause, and text levels.

The VU Amsterdam Center for Strategizing & Organizing Innovation is dedicated to groundbreaking research and advice on how companies and other organizations can structurally boost their innovation performance and become world-class innovators. Our mission is to provide businesses, their leaders, and the academic community with key insights how to make innovation into a structural success, instead of aiming for incidental hits.

The Center is one of the larger academic groups worldwide with a focus on consulting and professional service firms (PSF). In our teaching we prepare students for a role as junior consultants with a broad and open mind. In our research we focus on the roles and responsibility of professions in our society, and aim to better understand the challenges they and their clients face, be it digitalization, work pressures, diversity, or sustainable innovations.

The VU Center for Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations brings together academics, practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders to engage in research and find solutions to complex gender and diversity challenges facing organisations. Besides taking a stand, and doing what is right, research continues to show that inclusive organisations outperform organisations in which this topic is taken for granted.

The VU Center for Business & Society aspires to advance research on the role of business in society, driven by the broader question of how businesses are managed, led and organized in order to ensure social and ecological sustainability and contribute to the greater good. The Center is devoted to interdisciplinary, collaborative and impactful research and be recognized as a global thought leader in research on sustainable business practices in and around organizations, markets and society at large.

VU Center for Enterprise Family Research studies enterprises at the family level and aims to be a platform of expertise on how to best prepare the rising generation (siblings or cousins who inherit family assets) to be responsible enterprise owners and figure out for themselves which role they want to play in the oversight and management of the enterprise family. As a research platform, the Center offers opportunities for research and executive collaboration between scholars and practitioners.

The VU Center for Ecosystems is a center of expertise, which aims to be platform for research, education, and valorization. Propagating cross-disciplinary and multi-level research into the emergence, governance, and transformation of ecosystem organizing the center organizes research colloquia (e.g. mini-conferences) to advance a research community on ecosystems. Furthermore, the center will disseminate the results of its an annual ecosystem survey assessing state-of-the-art ecosystem practices.

The VU Center for Boards and Executive Leadership Development aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of factors influencing the decision-making of boards, including board members and CEO characteristics, behavioural patterns, governance structures and regulatory requirements. With a mission to create knowledge that can help top management teams to develop and to better lead contemporary organisations, we aim to explore the interplay of multiple factors that shape the performance of boards and top executives within the boards.

The VU Center for Feedback Culture is a center of expertise that aims to be a platform for research to examine how feedback culture can be cultivated in organizations in different fields and across different countries. The Center offers opportunities for research and executive education collaborations between scholars and practitioners who are interested in the topic. Specifically, the Center aims to bring researchers and practitioners together by organizing sessions where practices and insights can be shared.

The SERVUS originated from an active group of researchers and practitioners at amongst others the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Greenleaf Centre Europe, THTConsulting, VUMedical Centre and VU School of Business and Economics. At a meta level, we see the main reason for SERVUS’ existence: to meet the needs of future generations of leaders to be effective in diverse (business) environments, through the development of a robust new paradigm of servant- leadership in research and education.

ADRIBA is a platform for the scientific deepening, broadening and dissemination of behavioral analysis and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), the science of behavioral change in organisations. Performance, or performance, is central to ADRIBA. The starting point is a performance issue within an organization. We see improving performance best through the principle of shaping. In other words: a step better every time. Measurable.

Research in the Strategic Management group is diverse but united by a common desire to understand and explain organizational phenomena in the context of global competition. Our research ethos reflects an appreciation for multiple form of inquiry and we bring together expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, ranging from on-site field-work and in-depth participant observation to experimental studies in laboratory settings. We study organizations and their strategies applying a multifaceted toolkit of theories, such as contingency theory, the resource-based view, institutional theory, and identity theory.

The Organizational Theory group broadly addresses the processes in which individuals, and groups, and corporate structures interact and how these processes influence and are influenced by their contexts. In particular, we focus on organizational transformation from multiple perspectives and using a multi-disciplinary approach.

The purpose of the VU Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management (HRM) research group is to create knowledge that can enable organisations to understand and proactively manage the current realignments and shifts in employment practices, technology, demography, and organisational structures. Our research is organized in five core themes: careers and meaningful work, the future of work design, leadership and organisational change, talent management, and diversity management and inclusion.

VU activities in the field of entrepreneurship are bundled in the Center of Entrepreneurship at VU (CfE@VU). Nevertheless, the VU activities in the field of entrepreneurship are spread all over the university, even literally over the whole VU campus. Some examples are the famous courses in entrepreneurship for science students and for human movement students. The research activities are often joint efforts by international and Multidisciplinary teams.

The Ethics, Governance and Society (EGS) department is known for research and teaching on ethical dilemmas and implications of a broad range of global governance themes. EGS is a Multidisciplinary group of scholars focusing on governance and ethics issues related to decision making in organizations, institutions, markets and society. Drawing on insights from a variety of disciplines in the social sciences, Health and humanities, and a wide range of methods (including philosophical and formal logic and mathematical modelling), EGS develops theoretical and formal frameworks that provide insights into social dynamics and their ethical and governance aspects.

The KIN Center for Digital Innovation researches the development and use of digital innovations in organizations. Our interdisciplinary group of 35 researchers offers state-of-the-art expertise in the broad field of digital innovation; from the development of smart technologies in ecosystems to changing working methods under the influence of AI, from crowdsourcing via online platforms to the changing role of the IT organization. Typical to KIN is its ‘embedded research’: research in close collaboration with industry partners.

Research efforts are aimed at analyzing data-driven decision-making problems arising in industry and society, in particular related to Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Sustainability and Networks. By examining the mathematical structure and properties of these decision-making problems and by developing novel data analysis and optimization methods, the Department offers academic and practical insights on how to tackle contemporary challenges.

The Department of Spatial Economics offers insights and applications in urban, regional, transport and environmental challenges from a primarily economic perspective, often enriched through multi-disciplinary collaborations. The 60 staff members are involved in both fundamental research as well as in national and international commissioned research. With this research, the department has gained national and international recognition, as shown by the large number of international publications and citations.

The research is characterized by a strong emphasis on relevance for business and society, and is centred around social marketing (e.g., health, sustainability, public policy). These topics are investigated from different perspectives, often bridging the three sub disciplines, for instance by applying behavioural theories to strategic issues or by combining experimental data with modelling approaches. In recent years, the Department has invested highly in its research program.

The Finance department at VU Amsterdam is a solid and growing department within the School of Business and Economics. With more than 30 faculty members the department of finance conducts world-leading research in major fields of finance. Members of our department have received prestigious research and teaching awards and publish regularly in all major finance and economics journals, such as the American Economic Review, Journal of Finance and Journal of Financial Economics.

In recent decades, inequality in the world has been increasing. Governance for Society looks at the underlying causes of inequality and how they relate to differences between regions, between urban and rural areas, and between educational levels. For example, Professor of Policy Evaluation Bas van der Klaauw focuses his research on economic inequality. What makes someone successful? And to what extent does education play a role in this?

The Econometrics and Data Science department aims at pushing the academic frontier in methodology development for quantitative, statistical modeling of data, ranging from machine learning methods to more traditional statistical and econometric techniques.Our teaching mission is to empower students with the methodological skills and continuing curiosity to contribute to solving today’s challenges in business and economics using the most up-to-date statistical and econometric tools.

ARCA’s main objective is to facilitate and stimulate fundamental and applied research in the following areas: Financial Accounting and Financial Reporting, Management Accounting, Management Control, Accounting Information Systems, and Auditing. ARCA is also committed to bridge the gap between the academic community and practice by conducting commissioned research and by disseminating research outcomes among a wider audience.

The advancement of knowledge in all aspects of human reproduction and development through interdisciplinary team science aimed at improving health from preconception to adulthood of current and future generations. We are inspired by a future of continuous and sustainable improvement in health for all. We aspire a role at the forefront of fundamental, translational, and clinical science and public health research in human reproduction and development, creating a knowledge hub to guide science that serves the wider society.

The Amsterdam Public Health research institute (APH) is a network institute and forms an important link between intramural clinical care, scientific research, and the extramural care practice in the metropolitan area Amsterdam. Much research performed within APH has the potential to have a direct impact on the society and in practice. This is embedded within our mission: Public Health: health for all, powered by science.

Amsterdam Neuroscience is the research institute for neuroscience of Amsterdam UMC and the science faculties of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam. Researchers and clinicians from these three institutions join forces in the field of fundamental, translational and clinical brain research. This collaboration strengthens the scientific excellence in this area, making Amsterdam Neuroscience one of the largest neuroscience communities in Europe.

Amsterdam Movement Sciences focuses on human movement, a key issue for today’s society, and approaches this in a broad interdisciplinary composition, covering from fundamental to clinical and from cellular to population research. The institute aims at being world leading in the field of interdisciplinary translational research on human movement and physical performance, and to disseminate its results to end-users so that society benefits optimally from our research results.

The mission of the Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity (AII) is to develop knowledge and expertise to prevent, diagnose or treat infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer. The need to focus and combine research activities in the research programs inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases and cancer immunology is crucial in order to identify common and novel immune correlates and pathways to work towards innovative treatment regimens.

AGEM unites the research at the Amsterdam UMC involved at the intersection of nutrition, microbiology, digestion, endocrinology and metabolism and aims to make an important contribution to improve gastrointestinal, endocrine and metabolic health and reduce the burden of diseases such as colorectal cancer (CRC), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes mellitus (DM) and phenylketonuria (PKU).

The Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS) research institute aims to design novel treatment strategies to prevent and cure cardiovascular disease. We organized the cardiovascular research in Amsterdam in five Research Programs in which all aspects of translational research are embedded, covering research from the bench to the bedside and vice versa.

Cancer Center Amsterdam is an academic oncology center that aims to create groundbreaking new possibilities for patients with cancer. To achieve this, we integrate world-class research with healthcare and education to boldly push boundaries and discover new insights and opportunities. By making direct use of the knowledge obtained from our research, we can provide the best innovative and compassionate care for patients with cancer.

The Centre for Climate Change, Corporations and the Law conducts research in the field where Law, Corporations and Climate Change meet. Research in this field has become increasingly relevant due to the broad consensus that climate change forms a direct threat to humanity. While the Law has the purpose of protecting legitimate human interests and businesses play a key role in controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

The ACFL researchers have diverse expertise in the field of Dutch, comparative and European law of persons, family and juvenile law, and behavioral sciences. An important goal of ACFL is to pool this knowledge of its researchers and to create an optimal environment for the combination of classical legal national, comparative law and Multidisciplinary (empirical) research. Furthermore, ACFL aims to contribute to the scientific debate on the development of Dutch family law, as well as to the broad international discourse on the development of family & law in Europe and beyond.

The CICJ is an independent non-partisan university center dedicated to interdisciplinary academic research and education, policy analysis and debate on international crimes, international and transitional justice, as well as conceptual and institutional responses to mass atrocity. The Center’s staff is specialized in different fields of study, including international law, criminal law, criminology, (legal) psychology and anthropology, and in methods of social sciences research.

The aim is to track the multiplicity of complex developments in migration law that take place at the international, European and national levels. Research is conducted on diverse topics, as asylum and refugee law and family reunion law. This implies research into the human costs of border control, the intersection between the family and migration law, the role of the judiciary, the relation between (irregular) migration and the welfare state, the EU principle of mutual trust and the role of time in migration law.

The Department of Criminal Law and Criminology conducts research and provides education that focuses on fighting and preventing crime. Criminality and the fight against it are at the pinnacle of public interest. Not a day goes by without the media reporting of new crimes and of new penal cases. In daily life, a large group of professionals are involved in the combating and prevention of crime: a task for which proper and detailed knowledge of criminal law and criminology is indispensable. The Department of Criminal Law and Criminology makes an important contribution to this end, first and foremost, by offering various courses and education programs in the legal and socio-scientific fields. Furthermore, the Department contributes to the academic and social debate by publishing numerous scientific articles and delivering specialized lectures. The use of substantive and procedural criminal law in our society, taking also into account processes of globalization, digitalization and new technological developments, is at the forefront of our focus. The members of our Department also share their knowledge by participating in advisory committees, training professionals and through other secondary activities. The connection between academia, society and legal practice is thus ingrained in the functioning of the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology.

The center deals with systematic and comparatively focused research on urban issues. The activity of the Center for Urban History (CUH) is mainly focused on the study of urban life in the territory of Central and Central Eastern Europe. Urban society in general represents an ideal subject for analytical research into culture and societal transformations over time, urban issues must be seen as an interdisciplinary research field. CUH is thus not a historical workplace in the traditional sense, but a workplace using the methods and approaches of history, sociology, statistics, demography, cultural anthropology, etc. Research within the Center of Urban History is closely connected with the pedagogical activities of its members and external collaborators, who present the results of their research at lectures and regular seminar classes.

Asta Žukauskaitė research group is interested in synthesis and application potential of indoles and their bioisosteres. Her team members devote synthetic efforts towards naturally occurring, putative and nature inspired indolic compounds. They adapt and, if necessary, develop synthetic methodologies to prepare isotopically labelled internal standards of naturally occurring indoles (i.e., auxins, tryptophan metabolites, etc.), enabling their identification and quantification in plant and/or animal tissues, which is essential for physiological studies investigating their mode of action. Fluorescently labelled auxins are being developed for visualization of auxin transport, as well as tissue-specific and subcellular localization in planta, without the use of marker or reporter lines.

Biological activity as well as unique metabolic properties of prepared derivatives is evaluated in different bioassays, receptor assays, field experiments on various crops (corn, barley, wheat, rape seed, poppy seed) as well as different in vitro tissue-systems of various plat species, including ornamental, medicinal and endangered ones (in collaboration with different labs around the world, e.g. in South Africa or Belgium). New derivatives cross-talk with endogenous plant hormones (cytokinins, auxins, jasmonates, salicilates, abscisic acic…) is determined in the plant extracts using UHPLC-MS/MS as well as in situ by mass spectrometry imaging.

Another important area of the group’s activity is the synthesis of selected biologically active candidates in a larger scale and the solution of the subsequent transfer of technology from laboratory to semi-pilot and pilot scale. Cooperation with the commercial sphere is also very important, especially in the development of new technologies. The great result of the group’s work is, among other things, a number of granted international patents.

Research projects within Pospisil2ab focus on the (semi) synthetic preparation of natural substances, and on the development of new environmentally friendly synthetic procedures suitable for their preparation. In the field of natural substances, we focus mainly on (1) phenylpropanoid based plant secondary metabolites – lignans and neolignans, and on (2) plant growth regulators – gibberellins. This type of substances are prepared by (3) new synthetic procedures that are based on new synthetic methods and (pluripotent) reagents designed and developed within the group. The goal of such protocols is to create new structurally and stereo diverse chemical libraries of (potentially) biologically active substances. Substances that are subsequently used in the study of (bio)chemical transformations. The aim of the research is to find new molecular targets in studied biological targets. Our bioactivity studies focus mainly on substances with leishmanicidal and anthelmitic effects. (more info at www.pospisilab.com)

The group led by Lucie Plíhalová is dedicated to the design, preparation and research of new small heterocyclic, especially purine, molecules, most often derived from plant regulators. These substances have, in miniature concentrations, an unprecedented biological activity in plants, which can be better mapped by using their fluorescent or isotopically labelled derivatives. Controlled derivatization or slight modification of these plant molecules can also effectively modulate the biological effects on plant cells and tissues and thus prepare, for example, modern substances for the treatment of plants without significant burden on the environment. Inspired by plant substances, new heterocyclic bioactive substances with an effect on human cells and tissues, with potential use in cosmetics or hygiene, are also being prepared and investigated.

Group specializing in collection and analysis of chemical data.

The overall objective of this group is to provide an in-depth understanding of cultural traditions, intercultural borrowings and diffusions in various regions in Asia. The focus on matters of transmission as social and cultural processes inevitably lead to a greater awareness of how cultures are highly interwoven and interdependent. While we are spatially concerned with different regions in Asia, our work is methodologically based on field research. Those dealing with material culture look at how artefacts enable cultural knowledge storage the articulation of identity, e.g. of specific cultural communities. Another important part of material culture is looking at the consumer side of objects. Who were the objects made for and what can we learn about the underlying motivations? We have a material culture lab at our disposal where artefacts can be chemically examined, for example, for their composition or regarding their surface morphology and composition.

The role of the Institute of International Affairs (IIA) is to provide education, promote research, and carry out service projects in the field of international relations. It aspires to serve both academic and professional needs and stimulate a general discussion on subjects relating to international affairs. To this end, the Institute plans and carries out research on various subjects and hosts conferences, seminars, and lectures concerning international affairs. It offers various services to both the private and public sector, conducting surveys, writing reports, and carrying out research on a range of topics. It publishes books and papers on international relations and Icelandic foreign affairs. International cooperation and interdisciplinary discussions are important factors in the work of the IIA. Over one hundred scholars with various types of expertise participate in the work of the IIA, CAS and the CSSS, and the institutes have ties to a number of foreign research bodies. The IIA is a forum for dialogue between the academic community, the private sector, and public service in the area of international relations. The Institute of International Affairs was established in 1990 but was expanded and re-structured with the creation of the Centre for Small State Studies in 2001. The Centre for Arctic Studies was launched in March 2013. The Institute and the Centres are supervised by a joint Steering Board. All three are housed within the University of Iceland’s School of Social Sciences but with close links to the School of Humanities. Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre is the newest addition to the Institute of International Affairs and it was established in October 2016.

The BioMedical Center is an official collaboration between research groups working in biomedical molecular life sciences within the University of Iceland, the National Hospital, Reykjavík University, and other research institutions. The research groups focus on various fields of research, including molecular biology of cancer, stem cell biology, neural biology, gene and transcription regulation, gene therapy, nutritional biochemistry, immunology, and physiology.

Research groups from four faculties (Pharmacy and Chemistry; Mathematics, Informatics and Physics; Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences; Technical Sciences) cooperate within this research focus in order to fully exploit the synergies between physics, chemistry, earth sciences, pharmaceutical technology, and civil engineering. Synergies and strength areas are found in the fields of clusters, polymorphism/phase transitions, catalysis-reactivity, high-pressure research and materials engineering. A particular strength of the research focus lies in high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis and characterization of materials, which results e.g. in hitherto inaccessible coordination geometries in solid state compounds. Thereby, fabrication of novel materials with tailored optical, electronic and mechanical properties becomes possible. Furthermore, elaborate technologies allow us to mimic conditions which are found deep in the earth mantle, thus permitting unprecedented insights into geomechanical and geochemical processes. Strong activities are focused on clusters in the gas phase and on surfaces. Basic questions ranging from the “magic” stability of clusters to the electronic structure and the possibility of tailor-making catalyst for chemical reactions are explored. Another important focus of the platform is the study of phase diagrams, phase transitions and of metastable materials, both in the bulk and in low-dimensional materials are investigated, including ferrolectric or superconductive materials. New concepts of phase transitions in amorphous systems, particularly water and ice, have resulted in the discovery of new phases and in new concepts such as cryocatalysis. The expertise in phase transitions, polymorphism and watersolid interactions is finally being exploited to obtain better control of drug formulation and performance.

The Center Interdisciplinary Gender Studies Innsbruck (CGI) and the affiliated research platform researches, theorizes and deconstructs gender and gender relations in a trans- and interdisciplinary perspective. The CGI and the Research Platform deepen the cooperation of scientists and lecturers in the field of Women´s*, Gender, Feminist and Queer Studies regionally, nationally and transnationally. In addition, they seeks to enhance the links to international research, strengthen Women´s*, Gender, Feminist and Queer Studies through cooperations with non-university actors and organisations and to disseminate research findings to the public, politics and society in order to contribute to the reduction of intersectional inequalities.

EPoS „Economy, Politics & Society“ is an interdisciplinary research area in which economic, organizational, political and social structures, contexts and developments are studied. The scientific diversity of this interdisciplinary research focus facilitates mutual information about new findings across disciplinary and organizational boundaries and inspires the development of new research ideas and collaborations. The disciplines represented in the research area EPoS from the fields of business administration, educational science, media science, work and organizational psychology, philosophy, political science, sociology, statistics and economics deal with the following theoretical, methodological and content-related focal points based on a broad spectrum of competences: We research frameworks, structures and processes, behavior and decisions and their consequences for institutions, markets, companies, organizations, groups, communities and individuals in different cultural, digital and temporal-spatial contexts; We develop new methodological procedures for data collection and data analysis and work with theory-based empirical and experimental approaches as well as mathematical formal modelling; We deal with questions of philosophy of science, reflexivity in the theory of science, scientific practices, relational theory and methodology. This way, we provide relevant information for decision-makers in politics, business and society on how to deal with current and future challenges. The researchers of EPoS “Economy, Politics & Society” strive for high quality research and relevance through interdisciplinary and international cooperation; all scientific questions are examined from multiple perspectives. High-ranking publications, the quality of the submissions of competitive research proposals as well as in the promotion of young researchers in the established doctoral programs reflect our efforts.

“The Research Area Scientific Computing integrates all scientific activity at the University of Innsbruck in information technology (IT) and computer-aided research. High-end computing facilities allow the simulation and optimization of complex processes, as well as the organization, analysis and presentation of big data to solve increasingly complex compute- and data-intensive problems in many different fields such as science, engineering and life-science.

Aims of the Research Area SC are to use the inherent synergies between various research areas and different fields by cooperating within the university, as well as between different universities and other institutions in Austria and all over the world. Thus fruitful interdisciplinary research is fostered by exchanging knowledge and information, by sharing resources, by coordinating funding for keeping and developing the necessary infrastructure, as well as by enhancing science oriented teaching.”

Physics provides the foundation for our understanding of nature and the development of new technologies. New insights and important discoveries in physics strongly influence our daily life, as shown for example by the discovery of electricity and X-rays or the development of the transistor, the laser and magnetic resonance tomography. Also in the future we can expect many new achievements, ranging from new insights into nature to fascinating new technologies based on quantum mechanics. Within the international community the Innsbruck physics research center connects top-level research among a broad range of physical topics with outstanding education facilities and combines three research centers three basic research fields: the Center of Astronomy and Particle Physics (Speaker: Norbert Przybilla), the Center of Ion- and Plasma Physics/Applied Physics (Speaker: Paul Scheier), and the Center of Quantum physics (Speaker: Francesca Ferlaino). The recently granted doctoral college „Atome, Licht und Moleküle“ from the Austrian Science Fund FWF serves as a training center for highly qualified and motivated academic talents from the national and international scientific community. This further intensifies the cooperation among scientists similar to the Special Research Programs FoQuS (SFB F40), which connects theoretical and experimental research groups from Innsbruck and Vienna under the common goal to improve the understanding of the basic building blocks and the applications of quantum physics. Additionally the technological capabilities have been improved recently by jointly used state-of-the-art facilities. The physics research in Innsbruck has an excellent international reputation, which also shows up in many awards for scientific members, for example two Wittgenstein awards and many ERC- and START-Grants. The Physics Research Center has many intense collaborations with leading research centers worldwide and forms an international environment for scientists from all over the world. Students benefit from the large diversity of excellent education and advanced training. The gained research experience in this environment offers excellent career opportunities for young physicists, not only in the scientific field but also in many other areas.

The Research Area “Cultural Encounters – Cultural Conflicts” is an association of disciplines from the humanities and the social sciences that investigates diverse forms of cultural contact. We understand ‘culture’ as a dynamic system concerned with the creation of meaning. These dynamics are analyzed as places of both creativity and the continuous emergence of new formations, but also of conflict-laden relations that may culminate in violence and warfare. Mobility, migration, and transfer – thus our working hypothesis – not only constitute the crucial challenges of our times, but are experiences fundamental to all epochs. These processes affect the evolution of groups, societies, religions, and behavior patterns, the creation of art and literary works, as well as practices of everyday life. As cultural phenomena, they are historically contingent and thus complex and potentially modifiable. They reflect current power structures and social inequalities; at the same time, they are intrinsically tied to the search for orientation and order.

Digital procedures, methods, and media are transforming all aspects of our society including science, economy, and social relations, a process known as digitalization. Growing capacities of data processing and progress in analytical methods and artificial intelligence are motivating entire branches of science to raise new questions and to develop new approaches. This transformation requires progressive, interdisciplinary synergies between computer science and related scientific disciplines such as mathematics and statistics on the one hand, and virtually all other scientific disciplines on the other Hand. The objective of the Digital Science Center at the University of Innsbruck integrates and promotes digitalization of scientific research, spearheading new research directions and supporting high-quality science. To this end, it employs staff researchers from diverse scientific disciplines with high competence in digital science. It forges new interdisciplinary research synergies and offers courses to promote competence in digital science in all scientific disciplines.

The research area benefits from a broad field of expertise with a special focus on mountain areas. Based on the idea of a multi-faculty University, we have experts from 8 research centers working in natural and technical sciences, in social, economic as well as in cultural, sport and health sciences. Thanks to the different disciplines involved, our research focus is able to address topics relevant to mountain areas from various perspectives. This is becoming more and more important, as mountain regions are considered especially vulnerable to increasing climate change impacts and globalization. We react to these issues by merging results from all embedded disciplines and extending the output in interdisciplinary research frameworks. Beyond fundamental research, the interdisciplinary strategy should help to contribute to smart solutions for sustainable development in mountain areas, and to pursue outreach activities in mountain communities.

The Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (ELH) is a center for research, development and application of ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (UHF-MRI), particularly in cognitive neurosciences and clinical diagnostic imaging. Centerpiece of the Erwin L. Hahn Institute is a whole-body ultrahigh field (UHF) MAGNETOM Terra 7-Tesla MRI System from Siemens Healthcare operating at a magnetic field strength of 7 Tesla. The ELH was founded as a central institution of the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen in 2005.

The Centre for Logistics and Traffic (ZLV) dedicates itself to the interdisciplinary conception, management and transfer of scientific work in the areas of logistics, mobility and traffic. The ZLV is thereby geared towards long-term sustainable, economically beneficial, socially acceptable and ecologically reliable innovations.

The Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB) is an interdisciplinary scientific center of the University of Duisburg-Essen and provides the framework for research in the field of biomedical science. The ZMB integrates basic scientific research on the UDE campus with application-oriented medical research at the University Hospital Essen. The mission of the ZMB is to elucidate molecular mechanisms of disease and to turn this knowledge into medical progress. To this end, the ZMB is active in key areas of basic biomedical research, and the translation of scientific knowledge into novel drugs and diagnostic tools. Accordingly, approx. 80 workgroups of the ZMB combine basic and applied biomedical sciences. The interdisciplinary research approach is also reflected in joint research and collaborative projects between the three participating faculties, which focus on three research areas: i) oncology, ii) immunology, infectious diseases and transplantation and iii) molecular and chemical cell biology. A dynamic, stimulating and collaborative research environment includes state of the art facilities and more than 600 highly educated personnel. Our interdisciplinary research crosses traditional boundaries and involves joint projects with the biotechnical and pharmaceutical industry, nanotechnology, physics and engineering. ZMB members actively participate in our educational and research-oriented Bachelor- and Master Schemes in Medical Biology and Molecular Biology that prepare for a scientific career in the biomedical field. Doctoral students benefit from established measures for the promotion of young scientists, such as structured (inter)national doctoral programs initiated under the auspices or with the participation of ZMB members.