Institute of Science and Technology - Austria

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Institute of Science and Technology - Austria
logo
founding 2007
Sponsorship state
place Maria Gugging , district of Klosterneuburg , Austria
management Thomas Henzinger
Professors 49
Website www.ist.ac.at

The Institute of Science and Technology - Austria (IST Austria) is a postgraduate academic institution in Austria , which, following the example of foreign institutions such as the Weizmann Institute or the Rockefeller University , is supposed to conduct cutting-edge research in the field of basic research. In contrast to the universities , there are no basic courses, only an interdisciplinary PhD program. The institute is based on its own law that was passed in March 2006. The Institute of Science and Technology Austria is based in Maria Gugging , a district of Klosterneuburg , north of Vienna . In 2019, the institute was rated third worldwide in the “Academic Nature Index” (a size-weighted evaluation of publications in internationally established specialist journals) of the scientific journal “ Nature ”.

history

Conversion of the main building of the Gugging State Neurological Clinic into the research institute in 2008; Total renovation with thermal renovation

On the initiative of the Viennese experimental physicist Anton Zeilinger , the concept of a “University of Excellence” was drawn up, in which scientists should conduct scientific and technical research at the highest level. In February 2006, the then Minister of Science Elisabeth Gehrer decided , contrary to the wishes of the expert commission she appointed, for the Klosterneuburg- Maria Gugging location . Zeilinger then resigned from the project, as did the physicist Arnold Schmidt and the chemist Peter Schuster . In a press release, they justified this by stating that this location decision had resulted in a “sub-optimal solution” and not a “broad political consensus as possible”.

The decision in favor of Klosterneuburg-Maria Gugging and against Vienna was attributed to the higher financial participation of the State of Lower Austria and the immediate availability of the buildings. However, it was sometimes viewed by observers as politically motivated, since Lower Austria is governed by an ÖVP provincial governor, while Vienna has an SPÖ mayor.

The initial difficulties were overcome by the preparation of a report by the “International Committee”, consisting of Haim Harari (1988–2001 President of the Weizmann Institute, Israel), Olaf Kübler (1997–2005 President of the ETH Zurich ) and Hubert Markl (1996–2002 President of the Max Planck Society ). The key messages of the report are:

  • Striving for the highest scientific quality
  • Focus on basic research
  • Independence from politics and business

By consistently pursuing these plans, important scientists such as Anton Zeilinger or Eric R. Kandel (Nobel Prize Winner for Medicine 2000) could (again) be won over.

The name was changed to "Institute of Science and Technology Austria" (IST Austria). On March 29, 2006, the project was approved in the National Council with the votes of the governing parties ( ÖVP / FPÖ - BZÖ ) and the then opposition SPÖ .

The preparatory work for IST Austria began in spring 2007 in the buildings of the former Gugging State Neurological Clinic . The positions of the first president as well as the professors and assistant professorships were advertised in autumn 2007.

On June 28, 2008, the German neurobiologist Tobias Bonhoeffer was nominated by the Board of Trustees as founding president. On July 21, 2008 Bonhoeffer resigned from office. On December 4th, the computer scientist Thomas Henzinger was presented as the first president. His four-year term began on September 1, 2009. In November 2012, he was confirmed in office for a further four years.

Evaluation

In January 2011 the first evaluation of the new institute was carried out by a committee of two Nobel Prize winners ( David Baltimore , Erwin Neher ), the former President of the California Institute of Technology, as well as professors from Rockefeller University, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Centers carried out. In March 2011, the expert committee gave IST Austria an excellent certificate. In a general discussion it is said that the institute is on the way to setting new standards in education as well as in research, which will be of importance not only nationally, but also throughout Europe and beyond, and that it is well on the way to excellence .

financing

In 2012, the financing of IST Austria was secured until 2026. An agreement between the Republic of Austria and the State of Lower Austria, which regulates the further financing of the institute from 2017 to 2026, was passed by parliament and the state parliament in July 2012. The federal government invests an average of € 99 million per year, a third of this money is tied to the successful acquisition of third-party funding and the fulfillment of quality criteria inherent in research. The Lower Austrian provincial government is also contributing € 368 million for the infrastructure, buildings and operation of the IST Austria Campus. This funding allows IST Austria to grow to a size of around 90 to 100 research groups with up to 1000 scientists by 2026.

organization

Board of Trustees

The board of trustees is the highest, leading body of the institute and is appointed by the federal government (4 members), the state of Lower Austria (3 members) and the scientific community (7 members). The main tasks of the Board of Trustees consist of adopting the organizational statute and the strategic direction, appointing the President, the Scientific Council and the Administrative Director as well as approving the procedure for the appointment and promotion of academic staff and scientists.

Southwest view of IST Austria
Exterior view of the IST Austria in Maria Gugging , on the left the newly built Audimax

Current Board of Trustees:

Executive Committee

The six-member executive committee acts as a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees. Among other things, the Executive Committee is responsible for acting on behalf of the Board of Trustees in relation to all matters between meetings of the Board of Trustees and for conducting preparatory discussions on topics to be submitted to the Board of Trustees for decision, e.g. B. the annual budget.

Scientific advice

The Scientific Council submits proposals for scientific orientation and for ensuring high scientific performance. According to Section 9 of the Federal Act on the Institute of Science and Technology, it should consist of ten "internationally highly recognized research personalities" and one member without voting rights who, due to his "outstanding management experience, makes a significant contribution to achieving the goals of the Institute of Science and Technology Technology can do ". All members are appointed by the Board of Trustees for a term of six years.

scientist

In 2009, evolutionary biologist Nick Barton - recipient of the Darwin Wallace Medal 2009 - was appointed the first professor. In 2018, 49 professors and their research groups are working at IST Austria; their research is funded, among others, by 38 ERC ( European Research Council ) grants.

aims

  • At IST Austria, by concentrating on basic research in a few selected areas, interdisciplinary, independent and long-term research of the highest quality should be possible. This research should be guided solely by the researcher's urge to research. The influence of political and / or economic constraints should be excluded through the long-term (until 2026) guaranteed and fixed financing. IST Austria could become a model for the organization and promotion of outstanding science in Austria and in Central Europe. By 2026, the institute is to grow to 90-100 research groups with around 1000 scientists.
  • IST Austria is one of the few research institutes in the world that is allowed to award a doctoral degree (PhD). The interdisciplinary PhD program focuses on biology, computer science, mathematics, neurosciences and physics. The Graduate School is open to applicants from all over the world who have a Bachelor's, Master's or equivalent degree. The institute-wide selection process takes place once a year, whereby the scientific potential of the applicants is assessed. Applicants can submit documents by mid-January in order to start their doctoral studies in September of the same year. Potential candidates will be invited to application interviews in March.

Graduate school

The PhD program consists of two different phases: In phase 1, the students complete a rotation through several research groups, attend courses in and outside of their specialist area, look for their supervisor and take the so-called qualifying exam , the authorization test for further doctoral studies. In phase 2 the students conduct research in one or more research groups. You are employed at the institute and are paid with an internationally comparable salary. The language of instruction and working at IST Austria is English. The duration of the doctoral program depends on the previous education and the individual study progress and is on average four to five years.

Viktoriia Sharmanska (Lampert research group, then University of Sussex) and Johannes Reiter (Chatterjee Group, then Harvard Medical School) were the first students to complete their doctorate at IST Austria and graduated in June 2015.

criticism

Criticism of the concrete implementation of IST Austria

  • The location Klosterneuburg-Maria Gugging was described by many scientists as unfavorable. On the other hand, the campus in the middle of the Vienna Woods offers both an attractive landscape and development potential for up to around 2000 employees as well as scientific and technical offshoots.

Fundamental criticism of the concept of an elite university

  • There is a possibility that ultimately predominantly students from wealthy backgrounds will conduct research at IST Austria. This assessment is countered by the fact that the selection is based solely on technical criteria and that the PhD students are employed, receive a salary and therefore it is about the greatest talents and not about a social selection.
  • Science research indicates that research needs a broad base. In practice, individual top researchers are supported by a broad layer of researchers who keep the scientific community running.

Others

Exterior view of the EVN Wärme biomass heating plant in Maria Gugging to supply the research facility
Shuttle bus from Vienna Heiligenstadt to the institute

In keeping with the concept of the research facility, especially in terms of sustainability, the Niederösterreichische Bauträgergesellschaft has implemented the supply of district heating from a biomass heating plant , which is located directly on the campus.

In order to be able to reach the institute more easily by public transport, there is a separate shuttle bus from Vienna-Heiligenstadt, which runs every 60 minutes to Klosterneuburg-Maria Gugging during the week.

Web links

Commons : Institute of Science and Technology Austria  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Federal Law on the Institute of Science and Technology - Austria (IST-Austria-Gesetz - ISTAG), Federal Law Gazette I No. 69/2006 , title changed by Federal Law Gazette I No. 31/2018
  2. ^ Federal law on the Institute of Science and Technology - Austria
  3. ↑ 2019 tables: Institutions | 2019 tables | Institutions by normalized FC - Academic | Nature Index. Retrieved June 27, 2019 .
  4. ↑ IST Austria No. 2 of the world's best research institutions. June 20, 2019, accessed June 27, 2019 .
  5. ↑ ORF.at: IST Austria: Brain researcher Bonhoeffer becomes first boss ( Memento from July 13, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  6. ↑ Bonhoeffer surprisingly renounces the position of the chief Der Standard of July 21, 2008
  7. ↑ derStandard.at: Computer scientist Thomas Henzinger becomes first boss. Retrieved January 4, 2019 (Austrian German).
  8. ↑ science.orf.at: IST Austria President took office ( Memento from July 14, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  9. ↑ http://www.kleinezeitung.at/nachrichten/politik/3177458/austria-praesident-henzinger- wiederbestellt.story : IST Austria President Henzinger re-ordered
  10. ↑ a b 2011 evaluation of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria
  11. ↑ ORF NOE: Exemplary development at IST Austria . Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  12. ^ Die Presse: Positive evaluation for IST Austria . Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  13. ↑ Die Presse: 1.4 billion euros for the elite institute in Klosterneuburg . Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  14. ↑ IST Austria website: Board of Trustees . Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  15. ↑ IST Austria website: Research groups . Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  16. ↑ IST Austria Annual Report 2017, page 4
  17. ↑ IST Austria Newsletter, August 2015

Coordinates: 48 ° 18 ′ 35.1 ″  N , 16 ° 15 ′ 34.8 ″  E