funding for
technical infrastructure
CBBS funding for technical infrastructure
In order to further advance neuroscience research at the site and raise its international profile, part of the CBBS budget is being allocated to fund technical staff and equipment across several areas. Through these investments, the CBBS aims to further expand its neuroscience research focus in order to drive innovation and compete internationally using state-of-the-art technologies.
The targeted promotion of strategic, forward-looking investments within the department, as well as support for technical laboratory staff, sharpens the research profile and accelerates the development of methodological procedures, ensuring that we remain a strong partner for both the scientific community and industry.
To date, these measures have been funded by the CBBS with a total of over €4 million.
The infrastructure funded by the CBBS to date is:
Support for an imaging platform
Magdeburg is home to a large number of researchers with extensive expertise in the field of functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging. To interpret measured brain data, each research group within the CBBS uses different analysis tools, some of which they have programmed themselves. To improve collaboration among these scientists and to enhance the reproducibility of analyses—a requirement of funding bodies and journals—the CBBS has set itself the goal of establishing an imaging platform.
Funding for Equipment
The CBBS supports the neurosciences through targeted funding for equipment. This expansion enables researchers to utilise state-of-the-art technologies in brain research, thereby promoting groundbreaking discoveries and innovative approaches in the investigation of neural processes. This support contributes to scientific excellence and the international visibility of research at Otto von Guericke University, the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology and the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases e. V. Magdeburg.
Support for undergraduate programmes
Alongside research, the training and support of young researchers within the research focus play an important role. The CBBS supports the undergraduate training of young researchers by awarding Master’s scholarships to particularly qualified students and also supports the coordination of the international Master’s programme in Neuroscience at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.
Support for Graduate and Postgraduate Programmes
The CBBS provides targeted support for its CBBS Graduate Programme, which offers a range of graduate and postgraduate opportunities in the field of neuroscience. This support enables PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to access outstanding educational and research resources, as well as innovative professional development initiatives. Thanks to this financial support, they can take part in subject-specific workshops, exhibitions and interdisciplinary projects, thereby significantly improving their career prospects. The CBBS Graduate Programme also provides PhD students with a better overview of the available opportunities, offers assistance with the PhD process and facilitates greater interaction between PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
Funding for MRI equipment
To ensure the smooth running of experimental work in human imaging, the CBBS provides targeted funding for MRI equipment and technical support to assist researchers working on the 3 and 7 Tesla MRI scanners. This initiative serves, amongst other things, to further develop human imaging, but also to provide substantive support for site-funded programmes of the German Research Foundation (DFG), such as Collaborative Research Centres, or the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), such as the STIMULATE research campus, thereby sustainably improving the chances of securing further funding and attracting additional third-party funding for the site.
Promoting Teaching and the Export of Teaching Methods
The CBBS supports teacher training in the state in the field of neuroscience. Among other things, the Centre for Teacher Training at Martin Luther University Halle disseminates the CBBS’s neuroscientific findings on attention, learning, memory formation and motivation. This initiative, proposed by the Ministry, encompasses both support for the teaching of neurobiological knowledge as part of teacher training and events for continuing professional development for teachers at various locations.
Funding for Collaborative Research Centres
Collaborative Research Centres are the most important research consortia operating under the umbrella of the CBBS. In order to further develop the research content of these centres and thereby significantly improve their chances of securing continued funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), the CBBS supports them through targeted measures, such as increasing technical and administrative staff to improve infrastructure, as well as providing material resources and funding for equipment.
Promoting the neurosciences at the Millennium Tower
The Millennium Tower in Magdeburg’s Elbauenpark uses five exhibition levels to vividly illustrate how the world has changed and humanity has evolved over the past 6,000 years, offering a journey through the history of science and technology from the early advanced civilisations to the 21st century. On the fifth floor, a permanent exhibition showcases contemporary fields of science, including the neurosciences at Magdeburg’s Otto von Guericke University and the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, represented and funded by the CBBS.