Project Details
Projekt
GSC 86: Berlin School of Mind and Brain
Subject Area
Psychology
Neurosciences
Philosophy
Linguistics
Neurosciences
Philosophy
Linguistics
Term
from 2006 to 2019
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 24184485
The Berlin School of Mind and Brain attempts to educate a new generation of scientists working at the interface of humanities/social sciences and brain sciences. The research has seen tremendous progress in recent years, specifically through the development of new approaches to noninvasively assess human brain function (i.e., functional magnetic resonance imaging). New research fields, such as neuroeconomics, neuroethology, neurophilosophy etc. ("neuro-x",) have been created and the findings obtained in theses areas have had tremendous impact which has transcended their own scientific environment by affecting e.g., our view of mankind in general.
Despite of these phantastic developments, important problems should not be overlooked:
(1) the lack so far of a real integration of the hitherto separated "traditional disciplines" and
(2) the lack of young scientists which are adequately trained to meet the specific challenges of these fields. The graduate school addresses both issues. Research will focus on five research topics:
(1) conscious perception,
(2) language,
(3) decision making,
(4) ontogenesis/plasticity, and
(5) mental dysfunction associated with brain disorders. These research topics were chosen to represent areas of high expertise among the faculty.
About twenty doctoral students are admitted to the three-year doctorate programme each year.
They experience a structured educational programme, are supervised by at least two professors ("mind" and "brain"), and by a mentor, and are financed by stipends. Members of the faculty represent - chosen independently of institutional affiliations - leading mind and brain researchers in Berlin (HU, TU, FU, MPG, PTB, MDC) und its surroundings (Leipzig, Potsdam, Magdeburg). In addition to educating a next generation of scientists through the graduate programme, the other aim is to foster the integration of these scientists into an internationally highly competitive mind brain research cluster. We envision that the joint educational and research effort and the joint work on a new common mind brain language will catalyse this development, too.
Despite of these phantastic developments, important problems should not be overlooked:
(1) the lack so far of a real integration of the hitherto separated "traditional disciplines" and
(2) the lack of young scientists which are adequately trained to meet the specific challenges of these fields. The graduate school addresses both issues. Research will focus on five research topics:
(1) conscious perception,
(2) language,
(3) decision making,
(4) ontogenesis/plasticity, and
(5) mental dysfunction associated with brain disorders. These research topics were chosen to represent areas of high expertise among the faculty.
About twenty doctoral students are admitted to the three-year doctorate programme each year.
They experience a structured educational programme, are supervised by at least two professors ("mind" and "brain"), and by a mentor, and are financed by stipends. Members of the faculty represent - chosen independently of institutional affiliations - leading mind and brain researchers in Berlin (HU, TU, FU, MPG, PTB, MDC) und its surroundings (Leipzig, Potsdam, Magdeburg). In addition to educating a next generation of scientists through the graduate programme, the other aim is to foster the integration of these scientists into an internationally highly competitive mind brain research cluster. We envision that the joint educational and research effort and the joint work on a new common mind brain language will catalyse this development, too.
DFG Programme
Graduate Schools
Applicant Institution
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Participating Institution
Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Fraunhofer-Institut für Offene Kommunikationssysteme (FOKUS); Freie Universität Berlin; Leibniz-Zentrum Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft (ZAS); Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC); Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung; Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften; Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg; Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)
Standort Berlin; Technische Universität Berlin; Universität Potsdam; Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin e.V.
Institute for Advanced Study
Standort Berlin; Technische Universität Berlin; Universität Potsdam; Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin e.V.
Institute for Advanced Study
Spokespersons
Professor Dr. Michael Pauen; Professor Dr. Arno Villringer
Participating Researchers
Professor Dr. Michael Brecht; Professor Dr. Niko Busch; Professor Dr. Matthias Endres; Professorin Dr. Agnes Flöel; Professorin Dr. Angela Friederici; Professor Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer; Professor Dr. Peter Hammerstein; Professor Dr. John-Dylan Haynes; Professor Dr. Hauke Reiner Heekeren; Professor Dr. Andreas Heinz; Professor Dr. Norbert Kathmann; Professor Reinhold Kliegl, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Katharina von Kriegstein; Professor Dr. Manfred Krifka; Professor Ulman Lindenberger, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Elke van der Meer; Professor Dr. Klaus Obermayer; Professor Dr. Dominik Perler; Professor Dr. Thomas Schmidt; Professor Dr. Dietmar Schmitz; Professorin Dr. Tania Singer; Professor Dr. Henrik Walter; Professorin Dr. Isabell Wartenburger
