topic Research

Socio-ecological research

How can one persuade consumers to make use of their knowledge about sustainable nutrition in their everyday shopping patterns? Does the withdrawal of the public sector from the fields of water, electricity and gas supply entail risks with regard to social justice and environmental protection, or does it open up greater scope for sustainable action? What ecological, social, cultural and economic risks does the continuous penetration of everyday life with I&C technologies entail, for example nation-wide mobile telephone networks, or the use of smart identification tags (RFID)? How can the forthcoming renovation of post-war housing estates meet the needs of both ecology and tenants in times of empty public coffers?

The "Socio-ecological research" funding priority is characterized by the cross-disciplinary pooling of knowledge to provide scientific contributions to solving concrete social problems of sustainability: nutrition and agroscience, the liberalization and privatization of utilities (water, energy, waste), the shaping of emission trading systems or dealing with novel "systemic" risks (e.g. caused by the use of genetic technology or nanotechnology) are at the centre of its work.

As a rule, this requires interdisciplinary cooperation between researchers in the natural and the social sciences. Because these are problems of everyday life, research must look beyond the science system and take into account the expert knowledge which exists in practice (transdisciplinarity). All social actors - consumers, municipalities, companies and civil society - are therefore involved in the research process in different forms. The objective is sustainable development, i.e. the ecological modernization of society without neglecting mankind's desire for social justice and prosperity.

This is a highly complex task which is at the top of the Federal Government's research agenda.
Research funding takes into account the fact that methods of inter- and transdisciplinary research are not yet sufficiently anchored in the German science system. Specific elements are included for the development of research capacity (capacity building). This also includes targeted support for young researchers, the development of strategic networks between university and non-university research institutions, securing transdisciplinary methodologies, in particular in non-university research institutions which do not receive basic institutional funding, as well as the implementation of publication strategies.