In Lead Project (LP) 1, Research Data Management and Data Science, Prof. Dr. Iris Pigeot spoke of the intensive exchange between UBRA members on the handling of research data in the corresponding working group. She drew a positive conclusion from Data Train 2023, the central training programme for doctoral students for the interdisciplinary teaching of skills in the areas of research data management and data science. It was successfully offered for the third time in 2023 and recorded around 1,000 participants in the kick-off event, 12 starter track lectures and eight data scientist workshops. Together with the NFDI4Health, a handbook, Handbook of Training Concepts 2023, was published within the scope of LP 1 in August 2023.
The DataTrain Starter Track will take place again from January to May 2024 with a kick-off event on 17.01.2024. In addition, the "Research Data Day 2023" is planned for week 25 with information booths centrally located in the Glass Hall of the University of Bremen, workshops in adjacent rooms and an evening event in the House of Science. In 2024, Data Nord, as a regional lighthouse with supra-regional radiance, will work on pooling and further developing regional expertise, thus expanding Bremen's pioneering role and competitiveness in the field of data science.
In Lead Project (LP) 2, Artificial Intelligence, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst Hahn spoke about the activities of the AI Centre for Health Care. The initiative aims at linking the member institutions within the scope of the topic AI in health and, in particular, promoting doctoral students who are involved in interdisciplinary projects that bring the institutes together. In this context, all 28 doctoral students (PhDs and PIs) and other participants met in Bad Bederkesa in May 2023 to present research project statuses, discuss their content and promote a feeling of institute solidarity. The projects were presented to over 200 participants at the UBRA conference "AI in Health" on 21.09.2023 and discussed in the form of poster sessions. A keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Lothar H. Wieler and subsequent panel discussion complemented the conference programme. In 2024, LP 2 will continue to work on making Bremen even more attractive as an AI location, creating synergies by pooling expertise, increasing visibility and promoting young talent.
The peer-to-peer network, in which AI experts from UBRA member institutions meet on a monthly basis, offers regular dialogue. Prof. Dr. Frank Kirchner spoke about the UBRA presence at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2023 in Macau and the UBRA stand at the European Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI) 2023 in Krakow, in preparation for the IJCAI-ECAI 2026 which will be hosted by Bremen. UBRA will also be represented in 2024 at the IJCAI 2024 (03.08.2024 - 09.08.2024) in Jeju, South Korea, and at the ECAI 2024 (19.10 - 24.10.2024) in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
In Lead Project (LP) 3, Innovation Networking, Prof. Dr. Rainer Fechte-Heinen presented the activities in 2023. The workshop "How to Write Competitive Proposals" took place on 12.10.2023 to educate the 70 participants on how to write competitive and successful proposals for the European research framework programme Horizon Europe. The second workshop, "Funding Opportunities in Horizon Europe - Climate, Energy, Mobility" on 02.11.2023, was just as well received and popular with 86 registrations. Every year, the U Bremen Research Alliance supports up to three conferences with a maximum of 10,000 euro. This was used by UBRA members the German Maritime Museum, Fraunhofer MEVIS and the University of Bremen (MAPEX). They invited experts from the fields of archaeology, cultural heritage research, materials research and the physics of imaging to the U Bremen Research Alliance Conference on "MRI for Cultural Heritage Objects" at the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven 7-8 December 2023 to develop and discuss new findings regarding the technical usability of MR methods for various biomaterials and the analysis of conservational substances.
In Lead Project 4, Public Relations/Marketing, Derk Schönfeld gave a review of activities in 2023. The science magazine Impact was published in 02/23 and 08/23. UBRA already sends out regular press releases and event announcements in newsletter form, which will be expanded into a newsletter in 2024. The U Bremen Research Alliance was represented at the following trade fairs and events with its own stand: OPEN CAMPUS 06/2023, German Academic International Network (GAIN) 08/2023, AI in Health 09/2023, European Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI) 10/2023. Since 09/2023, UBRA has been interacting with its stakeholders via LinkedIn and said goodbye to the platform X (formerly known as Twitter) at the end of this year. From 2024, the UBRA Marketing working group will meet monthly to exchange ideas and network on science communication and general communication topics. In addition, the image brochure will be redesigned and the website will provide visitors with even more insights into UBRA activities.
In Lead Project 6, U Bremen Research Alliance Welcome Center, Oliver A. Dreher reported on the plans to proactively extend the service of the Welcome Center to national incoming researchers. The Welcome Centre welcomes national and international researchers and supports them and their families in planning and realizing their stay in Bremen and Bremerhaven, regardless of the duration and financing of their stay. Until now, the service was essentially limited to international travellers and their families.
Frauke Meyer, Treasurer of the U Bremen Research Alliance e. V., then presented the annual financial statements 2022 and Professor Jutta Günther led through the rest of the formal part of the assembly: discussion, report of the auditors and approval of the executive board. The development strategy for 2024 was accepted unanimously. Among other things, the guidelines for collaboration within the alliance were laid down here. Financial planning for the 2024 development strategy and the 2024 contribution regulations were also approved.
A subsequent tour of the DLR Institute of Space Systems completed the meeting. This was followed by an informal get-together with snacks and drinks, during which the participants were able to exchange ideas.
