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New Round of Applications for Fellowships in Research Communication at MIP.labor

Science journalists and other media professionals have until October 15 to apply for a highly attractive fellowship at MIP.labor

№ 178/2021 from Sep 09, 2021

The research communication think tank for mathematics, computer science, and physics (Mathematik, Informatik, Physik = MIP) is based at Freie Universität Berlin and receives funding from the Klaus Tschira Foundation. MIP.labor gives its fellows the space and resources to investigate particularly complex topics in mathematics, computer science, and physics, topics that are rarely featured in media coverage. Every year, up to ten fellows are given six months to work intensively on a topic of their choice and develop an innovative media format.

Journalists and other media professionals who would like to participate in the program have until October 15, 2021, to apply for a six-month fellowship. The MIP.labor advisory board makes the final decision on who will be selected. You can find further information at www.miplabor.de.

Johanna Michaels is one of the first four MIP.labor fellows. Michaels is a physicist and philosopher, whose work deals with spatial perception. She will be testing her first visualizations in a virtual reality environment together with a software specialist. The mathematician and science journalist Christoph Drösser will tackle the issue of fairness in applications of artificial intelligence during his time at MIP.labor. Dr. Reinhart Brüning is a philosopher, physicist, and freelance journalist who will be investigating the foundations of blockchain and its many applications. Last but not least, Rüdiger Braun is a biologist and science journalist who wants to make the topic of “rhythm” interactive and tangible using methods from mathematics and computer animation.

The journalists will be given additional support through tandem partners from their respective research areas so that they can fully immerse themselves in their topics. A team at MIP.labor with practical expertise in software development, graphics, video editing, and scientific editing will assist the fellows in developing their chosen format. Throughout the program, they will focus on creative solutions to convey information on complex scientific issues.

Further Information

  • Contact at Freie Universität Berlin
    Office of News and Public Affairs at Freie Universität Berlin
    Carsten Wette
    Email: carsten.wette@fu-berlin.de
    Telephone: +49 30 838-73189

Freie Universität Berlin is a young, dynamic university with an international outlook located in the southwest of Germany’s capital city. It has received the title of “University of Excellence” three times through the Excellence Initiative jointly sponsored by the German federal government and the governments of the German states, most recently as a member of the Berlin University Alliance. 470 professors conduct research across a wide spectrum of subjects at the university, from the humanities and social sciences right through to the natural sciences. Freie Universität Berlin was founded in 1948 by professors and students, in response to the persecution faced by students who took a critical eye of the system at Universität Unter den Linden, at that time located in the Soviet sector of the divided city. According to statistics from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Freie Universität Berlin is the most popular destination for top researchers from abroad as well as for international students. One-fifth of its roughly 30,000 students and one-third of its 4,000 doctoral candidates come from outside of Germany.

MIP.labor is a research communication think tank for mathematics, computer science, and physics (Mathematik, Informatik, Physik = MIP). The project is based at Freie Universität Berlin and receives funding from the Klaus Tschira Foundation. Its primary objective is to develop new media formats to make complex information easier for the general public to understand. Science journalists and other media professionals can apply for a highly attractive six-month fellowship program at MIP.labor. This is designed to strengthen scientific journalism and bring current topics in mathematics, computer science, and physics to a broader audience. You can find further information at www.miplabor.de.

The Klaus Tschira Foundation was established to promote the natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science, with the overarching objective of encouraging the general public to appreciate and engage with these subjects. It was set up by the physicist and co-founder of SAP Klaus Tschira (1940–2015) in 1995. Its three funding priorities are education, research, and research communication. Its projects throughout Germany begin at kindergarten level and continue on to schools, universities, other institutions of higher education, and research facilities. The foundation is committed to advancing the dialogue between academia and society at large. You can find further information at www.klaus-tschira-stiftung.de.