Research knows no boundaries

Joachim Reidl is the Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Graz. For the molecular biologist, promoting young talent is extremely important. Photo: wildundwunderbar

In 2024, the University of Graz received a heavy rain of funding: ERC grants and recognition from the FWF. Successful research cannot only be carried out within the ivory tower, but requires the courage to cross borders - one's own, disciplinary as well as geographical ones.

The University of Graz achieved significant research successes in 2024. Which of these achievements do you personally consider to be particularly groundbreaking?

Joachim Reidl: A key milestone was taking the lead in the FWF Cluster of Excellence "MetAGE" programme, a highly recognised initiative in health and ageing research. This emphasises the outstanding position of the University of Graz in the national research landscape. The development of young researchers is also remarkable: last year, two ERC-START and one FWF-START awards were acquired, bringing the total number of ERC projects at our university to 17. Eleven of these projects were initiated in the past three years alone - impressive progress that offers new prospects for young researchers in particular.

The Faculty of Humanities recorded lively research activity in 2024 with numerous externally funded projects. How do you support interdisciplinary research?

Reidl: Creating freedom for researchers, for example by reducing teaching commitments and supporting them by creating specialisations, is a central pillar of our strategy. The humanities have impressively demonstrated the high quality of their research by successfully attracting third-party funding. We support interdisciplinary projects through targeted investments in infrastructure such as research managers, material resources and additional staff. For example, the "Elastic Borders" project by Bilgin Ayata, funded by the NOMIS Foundation, and a new specialised research area on Eastern European research were successfully established.

The University of Graz attaches great importance to promoting young academics. What does the programme look like?

Reidl: Since 2022/23, there has been a strong focus on the targeted promotion of high potentials. Since 2023, the new ASTRA programme has served as a new funding instrument. As the successor to FWF-START, it offers young researchers structured support and we try to motivate our high potentials to submit applications. Our offer also includes writing courses, interview training and assistance with the application process in order to maximise the chances of success. In addition, our research management team provides comprehensive support - from concept development to submission and project implementation. Mentoring programmes and individual coaching opportunities round off this offer.

What new collaborations were entered into in 2024 to tackle global challenges?

Reidl: A flagship project of international cooperation is "BioDiMoBot", led by Ronald Thenius, which deals with innovative methods for analysing water quality and is funded by the EU with 2.5 million euros. At the same time, the European research alliance ARQUS is an essential platform for building long-term networks and preparing for future EU funding programmes. The long-standing collaboration with Leipzig University, which enables us to further expand interdisciplinary projects at an international level, is particularly noteworthy.

How important is it to overcome borders - especially in science?

Reidl: The future of research lies in consciously overcoming disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Our profile areas consistently promote collaboration between researchers from different disciplines, which is particularly evident in key topics such as climate change, sustainability and demographic change. Our long-term goal is to establish the University of Graz as an international hub for excellent research. The success of our academics is based not only on their expertise, but also on their willingness to pursue innovative and interdisciplinary approaches. This is how we shape a research culture that is characterised by visionary thinking and social relevance.

Konstantin Tzivanopoulos

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