100,000 euros for International Research Marketing at Münster University

The University of Münster is one of the prize-winners in the "International Research Marketing" ideas competition organized by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The jury was impressed by the "WiRe – Women in Research" scheme run by the University’s International Office. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research will be making 100,000 euros in prize-money available to the University for the implementation of the scheme.

"WiRe" is a network which has a specific target group and provides special funding and support for women. It is an instrument of international research marketing and addresses a worldwide problem – the fact that women constitute a minority in leading academic positions. It is in the so-called MINT subjects – Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences and Technology – that women are especially affected by this. Specific financial support is to be made available for female researchers after they obtain their doctoral degrees – for example, to enable them to spend up to six months in Münster with their family or partner.

The aim of the scheme is, in particular, to raise international awareness of both Münster University and Germany as family-friendly locations. Among the partners collaborating in the scheme are the Gender Equality Office at Münster University, the Association of Women in Science, and the EU project "Equal-IST" ("Gender Equality Plans for Information Sciences and Technology Research Institutions").

This was the third time that the competition for the best ideas on international research marketing took place. Other prize-winners are the Jülich Research Centre and the University Alliance Ruhr. The German Sports University in Cologne receives a special start-up prize. This year saw 21 universities and research institutes taking part in the competition.