Sparkling Science

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In the 114 big research projects (42 have already been finished) the young colleagues take an active part and work independently on parts of the research projects. As junior colleagues they introduce important suggestions into the research approach. They collaborate in the conception and conducting of investigations, conduct polls, collect data, interpret it together with the researchers and present the results at schools, universities and even at scientific conferences.

The support track is open to a broad thematic spectrum. Research is carried out on all sorts of different topics: from mechatronics and molecular biology to migration research, from acoustics and biometrics to literature research.

In the framework of a second support track of the Sparkling Science programme the BMWF awarded from 2007 until 2011 grants for smaller projects – in this case “school research projects” submitted and conducted by schools. In these projects, too, schoolchildren worked closely together with researchers and supported them in their research work; these, however, were funded by other national and international research programmes outside the Sparkling Science programme. This support track also provided no thematic restrictions.