Membrane R & D at GKSS

GKSS Research Center is one of 16 German National Research Centers, jointly funded by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology (90%) and the Federal States (10%). Some 800 employees including graduate students, postgraduates, visiting scientists and trainees, in addition to a permanent staff of 480 are based in Geesthacht near Hamburg and Teltow near Berlin. The principal areas of investigations are: materials research, environmental research and separation technology.     

Tracing knowledge flows in innovation systems

This paper gives an overview of quantitative approaches used to study the science/technology linkage. Our discussion is informed by a number of theoretical approaches that have emerged over the past few years in the area of innovation studies emphasizing the exchange of actors in innovation system and a shift in the division of labour between publicly funded basic research and industrial development of technology. We review the more quantitative literature on efforts made to study such linkage phenomena, to which theorizing in the science policy area has attributed great importance. We then introduce a typology of three approaches to study the science/technology linkage - patent citation, industrial science, and university patenting. For each approach, we shall discuss merits and possible disadvantages. In another step we illustrate them using results from studies of the Finnish innovation system. Finally, we list key limitations of the informetric methods and point to possible hybrid approaches that could remedy some of them. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Absolute and specific measures of research group excellence

A desirable goal of scientific management is to introduce, if it exists, a simple and reliable way to measure the scientific excellence of publicly funded research institutions and universities to serve as a basis for their ranking and financing. While citation-based indicators and metrics are easily accessible, they are far from being universally accepted as way to automate or inform evaluation processes or to replace evaluations based on peer review. Here we consider absolute measurements of research excellence at an amalgamated, institutional level and specific measures of research excellence as performance per head. Using biology research institutions in the UK as a test case, we examine the correlations between peer review-based and citation-based measures of research excellence on these two scales. We find that citation-based indicators are very highly correlated with peer-evaluated measures of group strength, but are poorly correlated with group quality. Thus, and almost paradoxically, our analysis indicates that citation counts could possibly form a basis for deciding on, how to fund research institutions, but they should not be used as a basis for ranking them in terms of quality.     

How to interpret the position of private sector institutions in bibliometric rankings of research institutions

This paper analyzes the positions of institutions from the private domain in bibliometric rankings of as many as 27,000 research institutions and highlights factors that are crucial for a proper interpretation of such positions. It was found that among the institutions with the largest output in terms of published research articles, private firms are underrepresented, whereas in the top quartile of institutions with the largest citation impact firms are overrepresented. A firm’s publication output is not a good indicator of its R&D investment: big firms in Pharmaceutics are both heavy investors in R&D and frequent publishers of scientific articles, whereas in Automobiles firms tend to invest heavily in R&D but their publication output is low. This is ascribed to the fact that the former need a validation of their results by the scientific community, while the latter do less so. Private institutions generating the largest citation impact tend to collaborate with the best public research institutions. This reflects the crucial importance of publicly funded research for the private sector.     

Wissenschaftswandel in Zeiten politischer Umwälzungen: Entwicklungen,Verwicklungen, Abwicklungen

Until recently, the development of the modern sciences has usually been described as a continuous unfolding of constantly expanding and differentiating research institutions on the one hand, and the accumulation of more and better knowledge on the other. The changes that have occurred both in scientific institutions and in the direction and content of research in the course of revolutions or comparable political changes pose significant challenges to such accounts. I would like to propose an interactive approach to this issue. Instead of accepting a linear, deterministic model of scientific change as a result of political upheaval, I suggest that such political changes present an array of challenges to and possibilities for the interruption, redirection, reconstruction or effortful continuation of research. The central claim is that scientific development in times of political upheaval has proceeded in Germany primarily by means of increasing cooperation of scientists with the state, involving a process that I call the technologization of basic research. But this is not always a one-sided affair involving the subordination of science to practical politics or to ideology. Rather, I argue, what occurs is the mobilization or reconstruction of physical, institutional, financial cognitive and/or rhetorical resources. Such mobilizations can proceed in various directions: the state or agencies within it can mobilize scientists as resources in the interest of achieving certain political aims; scientists can convert themselves into such resources (or claim that they are doing so); or both things can happen at once. The approach is exemplified by examining continuities and changes in the situations of the sciences following the major turning points of 20th century German history, symbolized by the dates 1918, 1933, 1945 and 1990. Considered in particular are: scientific changes in Germany following the Nazi takeover and creative innovations by émigré scientists working in different cultural settings; the massive transfer of scientific resources after Nazi Germany's defeat and attempts to carry on and reconstruct science in the two postwar German states; and the massive reorganization of scientific institutions in eastern Germany after unification. The examples come primarily from biology and experimental psychology, but physical sciences and particular branches of technology are considered as well.     

The use of citation speed to understand the effects of a multi-institutional science center

The extent to which an article attracts citations has long been of interest. However, recent research has emphasized not just the receipt but also the pacing of citation. Citation speed has been shown to be affected by journal prestige and self-citation but also public funding of research. Amidst these viewpoints, this paper explores the speed of article citation of a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary publicly funded research center relative to that of a comparison group of articles. Results indicate that articles by authors affiliated with the center are significantly more likely to have early-cited papers within the year of publication than the random comparison group, with controls by field also being significant. Implications for the ability of a publicly funded center to attract attention toward articles are discussed.     

Increasing the return on investment from federally-funded research and development

Abstract

Each year, the United States invests approximately $495 billion in research and development (R&D) – about a quarter of the total global investment. While the private sector accounts for about 67% of U.S. investment, the Federal government plays a critical role in funding R&D, particularly in areas that address societal needs in which the private sector does not yet have sufficient clear or strong incentive to make the required investments. The Federal government invests approximately $150 billion each year in R&D conducted at Federal laboratories, universities and other research organizations. As Federal R&D investments wind down or are completed, additional work is often still needed to translate the knowledge accrued from that R&D into products and services that will improve lives and provide economic growth. Technology transfer is the process by which existing knowledge, facilities or capabilities developed through R&D are utilised to fulfill public and private need. The transfer of technology from federally-funded R&D to the private sector is crucial to realising the taxpayer’s return on investment in the Federal R&D ecosystem. However, moving innovations from the lab to the market is more than inventing products for people to buy. Technology transfer is about creating jobs and growing the economy; ensuring a strong, secure, and resilient Nation; and improving Americans’ health and environment, fostering the conditions for America to maintain leadership in global innovation.     

Formierung einer wissenschaftlich-technischen Gemeinschaft

The Formation of a Scientific-technological Community. NMR-Spectroscopy in the Federal Republic of Germany After World War II, different kinds of physical instruments became the cores of communities whose members were specialised in the development of instrumental methods. Scientists, instrument builders, civil servants, and employees of private companies took over active parts in the formation of these communities. In his concept of Research Technology, the sociologist Terry Shinn identified a specific group between scientific research and technology of instrumentation, working on the invention of instruments and their transfer into different fields of application. Here, we focus on the final part of this process. Our case study is the implementation of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in the Federal Republic of Germany as a standard method for spectroscopical analysis in chemistry, and as a research field in its own right. In this setting, the adaptation and institutional stabilisation of NMR in chemistry cannot be reduced to the activities of the relatively narrow group of research technologists. We call the social network around NMR a scientific-technological community. Like research technologists, members of the scientific-technological community worked in the interstitial spaces between science, administration, and industry, but they comprised a much wider range of functions. As for results, we recognize the huge impact of governmental funding on the innovation of novel instrumentation, the importance of academic scientists as both referees and users, and the efforts to establish NMR as a truely interdisciplinary field and generic method. The case of NMR in the Federal Republic of Germany shows specific regional traits, but is part of a general movement in science emphasizing the development of instrumental methods.

Die dem Artikel zugrunde liegende Forschung wurde durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft im Rahmen der Forschergruppe 393 „Wechselwirkungen zwischen Naturwissenschaft und Technik: Formen der Wahrnehmung und Wirkung im 20. Jahrhundert“ unterstützt. Wir danken den Mitgliedern der Forschergruppe für professionelle und anregende Zusammenarbeit. Weiterhin danken wir den drei anonymen Gutachter/innen und der Redaktion von NTM für ihre kritischen Stellungnahmen sowie unseren Gespr?chs- und Interviewpartnern, Walter Pietrusziak von der Gruppe Informationstechnik, Infrastruktur in der DFG-Gesch?ftsstelle in Bonn und den Mitarbeitern des Bundesarchivs in Koblenz für ihre Unterstützung.     

Non-isothermal two-phase flow in low-permeable porous media

In this paper, we consider non-isothermal two-phase flow of two components (air and water) in gaseous and liquid phases in extremely low-permeable porous media through the use of the finite element method (FEM). Interphase mass transfer of the components between any of the phases is evaluated by assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium between the phases. Heat transfer occurs by conduction and multiphase advection. General equations of state for phase changes (Clausius–Clapeyron and Henry law) as well as multiphase properties for the low-permeable bentonites are implemented in the code. Additionally we consider the impact of swelling/shrinking processes on porosity and permeability changes. The numerical model is implemented in the context of the simulator RockFlow/RockMech (RF/RM), which is based on object-oriented programming techniques. The finite element formulations are written in terms of dimensionless quantities. This has proved to be advantageous for preconditioning composite system matrices of coupled multi-field problems. Three application examples are presented. The first one examines differences between the Richards approximation and the multicomponent/multiphase approach, and between two numerical coupling schemes. The second example serves as partial verification against experimental results and to demonstrate coherence between different element types. The last example shows simultaneous desaturation and resaturation in one system.The work presented in this paper was partially funded by the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). We thank Dr. Wallner and Dr. Shao from the BGR for their support of this research. Furthermore, we wish to acknowledge the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for their interest and support of this work.     

Internet technology and the epistemic strategies of scientists in post-apartheid South Africa: Race as a decisive factor

Internet technology is an indispensable tool in scientific research. Prior research confirms the importance of professional activities, professional networks, scientific collaboration and the internet among scientists, academics and researchers. In other words, professional activities, networks and collaboration are relevant epistemic strategies in both the short- and long-term objectives of knowledge production. Variations in these strategies are possible across different categories such as race and gender. Involving academics and scientists (n = 204) from sampled institutions in post-apartheid South Africa, this study examines how the use of technology by people in different racial categories influences their epistemic strategies of professional activities, networks and scientific collaboration.     

中国汽车产业创新体系研究

本文在清晰界定汽车产业创新体系内涵的基础上,分析了汽车产业创新体系的现状,尤其是在聚集于4~7级技术成熟度、打通基础研究和产业化技术之间鸿沟的非盈利应用技术研究机构方面的不足等方面,参考国际相关经验,对我国面向汽车强国建设的汽车产业新型创新体系建设进行了思考,并提出设立中国汽车创新理事会、加快建设汽车领域制造业创新中心等建议。     

Der Leichtbau‐Cluster – ein branchen‐ übergreifendes Netzwerk für den Leichtbau

The Leichtbau‐Cluster – an Interbranch Network for Lightweight Construction The Leichtbau‐Cluster (LC ‐ Competence Network for Lightweight Technologies) is an interbranch network of enterprises, university‐level and other (commercial) research institutions. The multidisciplinary cooperation strengthens innovation and increases the competitive ability of the associated partners. The network activities especially focus on the needs of small and medium‐sized businesses. The three principal topics discussed are: Materials for lightweight applications, lightweight construction modes an design principles, advanced manufacturing technology for lightweight applications. The objective targets are supported and therefore the network is co‐funded by bavarian state government. The University of Applied Sciences Landshut is the network's legally responsible body.     

基于QFD与TRIZ的陕西唐文化旅游纪念品创新设计

目的针对当前陕西唐文化旅游纪念品在创新设计方面的不足之处,提出集QFD和TRIZ于一体的唐文化旅游纪念品创新设计理论模型。方法通过使用QFD质量屋分析游客的需求,并将其转化为唐文化旅游纪念品的制造技术要求,然后应用TRIZ创新理论的相关通用工程参数,描述游客需求和旅游纪念品技术要求之间的技术冲突。结论通过矛盾矩阵和发明原理对旅游纪念品的安全性、趣味性、实用性和便携性问题,提出冲突解决方案,并将发明原理演绎与具体化,进而完成旅游纪念品的创新设计。     

Fundamental and Technical Challenges for a Compatible Design Scheme of Oxyfuel Combustion Technology

Oxyfuel combustion with carbon capture and sequestration(CCS) is a carbon-reduction technology for use in large-scale coal-fired power plants. Significant progress has been achieved in the research and development of this technology during its scaling up from 0.4 MWth to 3 MWth and 35 MWth by the combined efforts of universities and industries in China. A prefeasibility study on a 200 MWe large-scale demonstration has progressed well, and is ready for implementation. The overall research development and demonstration(RDD) roadmap for oxyfuel combustion in China has become a critical component of the global RDD roadmap for oxyfuel combustion. An air combustion/oxyfuel combustion compatible design philosophy was developed during the RDD process. In this paper, we briefly address fundamental research and technology innovation efforts regarding several technical challenges, including combustion stability, heat transfer, system operation, mineral impurities, and corrosion. To further reduce the cost of carbon capture, in addition to the large-scale deployment of oxyfuel technology, increasing interest is anticipated in the novel and nextgeneration oxyfuel combustion technologies that are briefly introduced here, including a new oxygen-production concept and flameless oxyfuel combustion.     

Bias against research on gender bias

The bias against women in academia is a documented phenomenon that has had detrimental consequences, not only for women, but also for the quality of science. First, gender bias in academia affects female scientists, resulting in their underrepresentation in academic institutions, particularly in higher ranks. The second type of gender bias in science relates to some findings applying only to male participants, which produces biased knowledge. Here, we identify a third potentially powerful source of gender bias in academia: the bias against research on gender bias. In a bibliometric investigation covering a broad range of social sciences, we analyzed published articles on gender bias and race bias and established that articles on gender bias are funded less often and published in journals with a lower Impact Factor than articles on comparable instances of social discrimination. This result suggests the possibility of an underappreciation of the phenomenon of gender bias and related research within the academic community. Addressing this meta-bias is crucial for the further examination of gender inequality, which severely affects many women across the world.     

Nationalism, science, and individual responsibility

Nationalism and science are two dominant systems of thought and institutions that have evolved together over the past four centuries. An intolerable conflict, however, has arisen between them, and humanity will not survive long if they both continue to flourish. The hundred-fold (or more) reduction in the cost of destruction provided by physicists through the development of nuclear weaponry has brought this conflict to a critical point. Young scientists have a moral imperative to study the relationship between nationalism and science and, although there are no clear answers, to search for a way to resolve the conflict.     

Women in STEM networks: who seeks advice and support from women scientists?

Supporting and advancing women’s science careers continues to be of interest to researchers, scientists, science funders, and universities. Similarly, professional advice and support networks are important to understanding the advancement of scientific careers. This research aims to marry these two lines of research to investigate and compare the ways in which men and women scientists seek advice and support from women in their networks. Using a sample of academic scientists in nonmedical biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and atmospheric sciences, electrical engineering, and physics we assess the extent to which women and men scientists seek advice and support from women in their networks. We find that field of science is the primary predictor for the presence of women in scientists’ advice and support networks. We also find that citizenship, rank, age, and friendship are significantly related to the proportion of women in women’s networks, but are not consistently significantly related to the proportion of women in men’s networks. We conclude with a discussion of the findings and the distinctions between men and women scientists’ advice and support networks.     

Forty years of World Patent Information: A bibliometric overview

World Patent Information (WPI) is the leading international academic peer reviewed journal in the field of patent information. The journal was launched in 1979 and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019. In recognition of this event, the aim of this work is to analyse the main actors, research themes and audiences of WPI. The analyses are based on the Scopus and Web of Science databases and include bibliographic coupling, co-citation and co-occurrence of author keywords. WPI is a boundary-spanning journal with authors from academia, industry and governmental organisations, such as patent authorities. This unique composition provides a prominent platform for knowledge transfer between academia and industry. In addition, WPI facilitates knowledge transfer between academia and industry, with research institutions citing contributions from authors affiliated to industry and patent offices. Furthermore, WPI not only crosses the boundaries between organisations (academia, industry and government), but also across disciplines, linking IP management, technology and innovation management, engineering, computer sciences, physical and natural sciences.     

Is science driven by principal investigators?

Scientometrics - In this paper we consider the question what is the scientific and career performance of principal investigators (PI’s) of publicly funded research projects compared to...     

The effects of changes in the funding structure of the Flemish universities on their research capacity, productivity and impact during the 1980's and early 1990's

This article addresses the following issues: How did external funding of Flemish academic research develop during the 1980's and early 1990's? What are the effects of the increase of external funding on the size and the composition of the research capacity in Flemish universities, and on research performance as reflected in bibliometric indicators? We present results of a quantitative analysis of 340 research departments in the natural and life sciences at three Flemish universities. We found that the externally funded research capacity increased strongly and is more and more concentrated in a limited number of departments. Departments with a high international standing have profited more from external funds than groups with a low impact. In the class of departments showing the strongest increase in the externally funded research capacity, the ratio of the number of junior and senior scientists in these departments increased radically, while the publication productivity decreased. Our findings point towards the problem that if these trends continue to develop, a situation may emerge in which the basis normally provided by the university itself has become too small for externally funded research activities.