Bamberg University launches center for gender-sensitive research!

Bamberg University launches center for gender-sensitive research!

The Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg has founded a new Center for Gender-Sensitive Research (ZGF), which will be ceremoniously opened on Friday, July 18, 2025. The FZS was founded as part of the project “Using gender potential – changing society” (GENIAL-forschen+), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) until 2029. The goal of the FZS is to systematically take gender aspects into account in all phases of scientific work, which strengthens the basis for sustainable and inclusive science.

The initiative is led by Prof. Dr. Astrid Schütz, who also acts as the university equal opportunities officer. She highlights the importance of gender sensitivity in research and points to the existing gender data gap, which leads to a structural underrepresentation of gender-specific data in many scientific disciplines. She shows that the symptoms of a heart attack, for example, can be different in men and women, which makes gender-sensitive research essential.

Interdisciplinarity as key

The FZS pursues an interdisciplinary approach and will pool competencies and offer methodological further training. All of the university's faculties are represented in the FZS, including the humanities and cultural sciences, empirical social research, computer science and the human sciences. In order to promote young scientists, events such as science slams, poster competitions and method workshops are organized. An expert advisory board is intended to support the FZS as a bridge between science and society and ensure that scientific findings also find their way into politics, education and business.

Another important aspect of the FZS is the development of target group-specific networking and training offerings. This project is supported by 29 interested companies, associations and universities who also want to support the transfer of knowledge. Establishing advisory processes for researchers and providing a toolbox and guidelines for integrating gender sensitivity into research processes are central elements of the FZS.

The financial resources for the “GENIAL-forschen+” project amount to a total of 850,000 euros, provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The successful concept phase, which was completed in February 2023, provides a solid basis for the planned gender-sensitive research activities. The founding ceremony of the FZS will take place from 11 a.m. in room U7/01.05 and includes a poster exhibition with 13 contributions and a science slam with four scientists who will present their research.

Long-term perspectives and comparisons

As part of interdisciplinary research, the center is a response to the urgent need for diversity in science. The Interdisciplinary Center Gender - Difference - Diversity (IZGDD) at FAU, which was founded in 2017, pursues similar goals by bundling and promoting gender, difference and diversity issues in research. These two initiatives demonstrate the growing awareness and urgency to integrate gender-sensitive approaches in science.

The importance of diversity was also emphasized by Prof. Dr. Sabine Vogt, Vice President of the University of Bamberg, emphasizes. She emphasized that diversity is essential for sustainable science. The FZS is therefore not only a significant step forward for the University of Bamberg, but could also serve as a model for other universities that want to address similar challenges in the area of ​​gender sensitivity. Further information is available on the FZS and the GENIAL-forschen+ project websites.

uni-bamberg.de reports that the FZS, as an interdisciplinary institution, pursues the vision of establishing gender sensitivity as an integral part of the research process. In the long term, the initiative could not only change the scientific landscape in Bamberg, but also beyond.

The blog of the University of Bamberg highlights the relevance of the project, which aims to promote gender-sensitive research in relevant disciplines through innovative approaches. The foundations for sustainable progress in gender studies nevertheless also expose existing gaps in this important area.

The FAU With its IZGDD, has made an important contribution to the visibility of gender theoretical research, which underlines the importance of such initiatives within academic discourse.