The Interdisciplinary Center for Infection Biology and Immunity (ZIBI) participates in the Exzellence Initiative of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Science Council (WR) with an application for a Graduate School. On September 1st, the full applicaton was submitted. Mid of June 2012, the decision of the committee of experts will be published.

Robert Koch’s name represents Berlin’s long-standing and internationally renowned tradition in Infection & Immunology research. Today, this reputation is reflected by a large number of excellent local scientists and various ongoing research and training activities. The Robert-Koch Graduate School (RKGS) is an initiative of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) in cooperation with the Freie Universität Berlin (FU), the Charité University Hospital (Medical Faculty of HU and FU), and six internationally renowned non-university institutions. This alliance aims to develop an internationally recognized focus for excellent graduate training in Berlin by uniting nine existing graduate programs arranged in three classes: “Infection,” “Immunology,” and “Systems Biology and Molecular Epidemiology.” Research in these areas ranges from the analysis of molecules and cells to whole organisms and populations, and covers theoretical and basic experimental approaches, as well as translational and clinical studies.

RKGS aims to unify the doctoral research training of its member programs, to deploy synergistic effects and to anchor it at the highest international level by providing infrastructure as well as administrative help, by organizing teaching offerings and by supporting excellent science. RKGS will provide a central recruitment platform for outstanding candidates to accept about 60 internationally selected highly qualified doctoral researchers per year. These docoral researchers will be offered outstanding career development opportunities, centered around an interdisciplinary research project and characterized by scientific excellence, direct supervision, personal mentoring and gender equality. RKGS will develop and organize a common curricular framework and a broad range of interdisciplinary training opportunities in coordination with its member programs. Subject-specific training will be offered by the member programs according to RKGS quality standards. RKGS has a clear focus on establishing a sustainable infrastructure for research training connecting the HU and its partners. As a prerequisite, the involved institutions have already made and will make substantial financial investments including seven professorships and a laboratory building. Sustainability of RKGS will be ensured by support of interdisciplinary collaborative activities to stimulate the generation of new doctoral programs and by very substantial long-term support of HU. In summary, RKGS is prepared to establish a research training focus of international visibility that will serve as a model for outstanding interdisciplinary graduate training in Berlin, Germany and beyond.

Executive Summary                                        Statutes - draft

Designated Speaker

Prof. Richard Lucius (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Inst. Für Biologie)

Designated Vice-Speaker

Prof. Max Löhning (Charité & Deutsches Rheumaforschungszentrum)

Prof. Klaus Osterrieder (Freie Universität Berlin, Veterinärmedizin)

Dr. Hedda Wardemann (Max Planck Institut für Infektionsbiologie)