Being able to participate in research early on in their studies – this is what the Student Research Opportunities Program^x (StuROP^x) of the Berlin University Alliance (BUA) facilitates for students of the four partner institutions – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin,

and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Students can either initiate their own research tutorials, known as "X-Tutorials", or participate in student research groups led by junior researchers. The application for the summer semester 2022 is possible until November 28, 2021.

Students can apply for the X-Tutorials with their own project idea. What is special about the concept is that students can pursue their own research questions early in their studies. Students from all four partner institutions can participate in the funded courses, creating a versatile learning and research environment that transcends disciplines and institutions.

Doctoral candidates or Postdocs with a teaching concept can apply for the research groups, the so-called "X-Student Research Groups". They investigate the self-selected research questions together with students. "The format is an excellent way to implement your own research ideas with students and involve them more intensively in research. In my teaching, it is important to me that students learn about research from different perspectives, experience it in practice, and, above all, understand that they can make a valuable contribution to it – regardless of their background. That is exactly what the X-Student Research Group allows: students contribute their individual skills to an interdisciplinary team and share responsibility for the joint work," says Nadine Vietmeier. The doctoral candidate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and her X-Student Research Group investigated a computer-based method for use in the diagnosis of children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder during the summer semester of 2021.

The applications will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary committee consisting of members of all partner institutions. Prof. Dr. iur. Eva Inés Obergfell, spokesperson of the steering committee for the cross-cutting theme Teaching and Learning and Vice President for Teaching and Learning at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin until September 2021, emphasizes: "It is essential that the applications are convincing in terms of subject matter and didactics, and that exciting, innovative research projects are offered with students in mind. For this reason, teachers, research assistants, and students are all members of the review committee." In the current winter semester, the BUA is funding 16 X-Tutorials and 24 X-Student Research Groups.

Interested persons may inform themselves about the formats and ask questions about the application process on October 22 (German) and October 25 (English) at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. The access data for the info events can be found on the Call for Proposals websites.

The Berlin University Alliance

The Berlin University Alliance is a consortium consisting of three major Berlin universities – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin – and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, established to shape research and education in Berlin. The four partners joined forces to further develop Berlin as a research hub with international drawing power. Together the partners explore major societal challenges, increase public outreach, promote the training of junior researchers, address issues of quality and standards in research, and share resources in the areas of research infrastructure, teaching, diversity, equal opportunities, and internationalization. The Berlin University Alliance is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the state of Berlin under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder.

Joint press release from Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin along with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Press contact
Hans-Christoph Keller, acting press spokesperson for the Berlin University Alliance and press spokesperson for Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Email: medien@berlin-university-alliance.de