The memorandum "Understand – Evaluate – Shape. Transdisciplinary knowledge for a sustainable society" has been presented by leading actors in the field of transdisciplinary sustainability research. They hope to ensure that social-ecological research can be deepened and expanded in the coming years – regarding content, organization, and institutions. Ecologic Institute welcomes this memorandum and calls for others to sign it. The memorandum was submitted to the German Federal Minister of Research Annette Schavan for consideration, but the opportunity to sign it and show your support for social-ecological research still exists. The Director of Ecologic Institute, R. Andreas Kraemer, wrote the memorandum as part of an expert group.
Join together for innovative research – new version of the social-ecological research program
The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research has supported social-ecological research for the last twelve years. As part of this support, cooperative and individual projects with groundbreaking approaches for addressing global problems like climate change, environmental degradation, and food security have been in the focus. This support is now being redesigned, and it would be wise to use this chance to set a new course.
Asking the right questions and strengthening innovative structures
"With recommendations for support schemes for research themes and instruments to develop research structures, the memorandum delivers a new vision for social-ecological research," says R. Andreas Kraemer, Director Ecologic Institute. "It continues a tradition of research while at the same time deepening and expanding its basis. We, as an internationally active institute that does much work in Europe, welcome the planned support for German research organizations to partake in collaborative international projects, especially in the EU Research Framework Programmes."
The authors of the memorandum, Dr. Thomas Jahn, Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind, Dr. Rainer Grießhammer, Thomas Korbun, R. Andreas Kraemer, Prof. Dr. Claus Leggewie, Prof. Dr. Ortwin Renn, and Prof. Dr. Angelika Zahrnt invited all interested parties to support these recommendations for a new vision for social-ecological research. The first version of the memorandum was discussed at the BMBF Agenda Conference "Social-ecological research for the future of our society" on 20 March 2012 in Bonn with over 200 participants.
- download the memorandum [pdf, 416 kB, English]