External integration problems o f the institutes

External integration o f the newly established institutes in the sense o f the development o f stable scientific and science-policy networks is also still connected with a number o f problems.

The development of cooperative relationships:

The former scientific and non-scientific cooperative relationships maintained by the research groups taken over from the Academy have fundamentally changed. For one thing, changes in the research and application fields o f the institutes in question have necessarily involved changes in relationships o f cooperation; for another, the reorganization o f the East German scientific landscape and the decline o f the East German economy has affected the cooperative relationships o f former Academy scientists. This is particularly true o f contracts with industry and other relations with industrial research, which have largely foundered.

The formerly predominant scientific contacts with institutions in the form er COMECON countries have also been radically reduced. Upheaval in eastern European countries is only one o f the reasons for this, although one not to be underestimated. The fact that Academy scientists w ho had sustained these cooperative relations with eastern European partners in years o f personal contact are no longer employed in the new research institutes also plays a certain role in this respect. However, the new possibilities that have arisen or the pressure perceived by East German scientists to seek collaboration in research w ith W estern partners are o f decisive importance. This cooperation with the West has replaced relations with eastern European partners.

On the one hand it's necessary to make one's mark in the international scientific context, and nationally as w e ll. That has to be. Research is communication. So in the last resort research is permanent contact w ith other w o rkin g groups. That's part o f it, part o f development.

The o n ly problem is, in such a development phase it's absolutely v ita l on the one hand to catch up on what had been lacking in the past, especially w ith regard to the West; to get something g oing at a ll; but on the other hand there's the risk w ith a ll this cooperation o f dissipating one's energies and no longer difference who puts them in - that you get approached when there's a question o f cooperation. (Head o f division, Institute 3.)

A t present, integration o f scientists from the new facilities in the institutions o f the scientific communities and science-policy networks mainly concerns newly appointed staff from the old federal states. As a rule, they have kept existing contacts or cooperative relationships, and can in future have a mediating role to play for their East German colleagues. To some extent this is already the case.

At the same time, scientists from the former Academy o f Sciences institutes are endeavouring to improve their contacts and reputations through - mostly above average - participation in

conferences, meetings, and workshops as well as by taking up visiting positions and making study visits in Germany and abroad. This also permits them to gain pertinent information on current developments in their own fields.

Im portant developments - how the w ind is blow ing - can't be learnt from reading matter. ...That's why, but not the o n ly reason w hy we lik e to travel and do so relatively often. Especially to the international congresses or meetings where we believe important things happen in the fie ld ; there we hear what hasn't been published yet and what's being discussed. ... The sponsors and also our new director take a somewhat more c ritic a l view , ... The sponsors think it's m ostly tourism. A nd our new director is naturally so up on things that he no longer needs to go everywhere. He gets invited to such im portant events because he's firm ly established as part o f the scientific comm unity, w hich we aren't yet (Head o f division, Institute 1).

The lower degree o f integration into the decision-making processes o f the scientific communities (national and international) and science-policy networks in comparison to West German institutes presumably brings disadvantages for the newly established Blue List institutes, e.g. in the acquisition o f third-party funds, in representation on the editorial boards o f renowned periodicals, and in appointments to conference committees. This would in its turn affect the reputation o f the institutes etc. It is an open question how successful the institutes will be in breaking this vicious circle.

The development o f third-party funds acquisition

The capacity o f the newly established Blue List institutes to obtain third-party funds will be o f crucial importance in the process o f integrating into the German scientific landscape. The common dependence o f all German research institutions on limited resources, and the consequent competitive pressure constitutes a further source o f integration problems for the new East German institutes. So far they have been mitigated by special funding (Reinforcement Fund) for East German institutes, as well as by special development promotion programmes. These special arrangements will be expiring for the most part in 1996. The statistical data at present available on third-party fund acquisition by institutes and statements by the interviewees interrogated to date show that at least the East Berlin Blue List institutes w ill succeed only in exceptional cases in replacing this special funding through 'normal' third-party finance.

Third-party funds have hitherto been provided primarily by public sponsors such as the Federal Department o f Research and Technology (BMFT). Third-party funds obtained from sponsoring organizations (especially the German Research Association and various foundations) constitute a second, still growing, source o f finance. Because o f the problems described above, the proportion o f third-party funds coming from industry tends to be low.

The East Berlin Blue List institutes differ with respect to both the amount and structure o f their third-party funding (see Fig. 6)

Fig. 6: Third-party funding income o f institutes in the FVB e.V. in 1993 in DM 1.000 per scientist (Source: FVB e.V. 28 March 1994)

There is a wide variety o f reasons for this. First the given scientific profile o f the institute naturally determines the degree to which third-party funds can and must be obtained and from which sources. But on the other hand, the status and level o f consolidation achieved by the institutes and divisions plays an important role:

N aturally we have this basic financing to begin w ith. And that is what we now take as our guide.

Because I can't acquire third-party funds - not only me but also the members o f the d ivision - i f I'm in no w ay in a position to answer fo r a competent, internationally recognized lin e o f research and also to publish. A nd fo r this reason it's clear that so far we've only used and acquired very little third-party finance because this division is new and has only tw o years behind it .(Head o f division, Institute 5)

The amount and structure o f the third-party funds obtained will presumably have a considerable impact on the future development o f the institutional profile. Not least o f all because research groups or divisions that are particularly successful in acquiring third-party funds can consolidate their position in the institute and their reputation in the community.

However, a certain adaptation to existing support possibilities is to be expected.