Forschungsschwerpunkt

English translation: research unit/centre, main research area, research focus

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	Forschungsschwerpunkt ()
English translation:	research unit/centre, main research area, research focus
Entered by:	David Williams

16:28 Nov 27, 2009

German to English translations [PRO]
Science - Science (general) / Research

German term or phrase: Forschungsschwerpunkt

What is a "Forschungsschwerpunkt" if it is (apparently) used as a (near) synonym for research group?

e.g.

die Projekte im Forschungsschwerpunkt „Interkultur“
http://tinyurl.com/y8q2qk9

Das Netzwerk ergänzt den Forschungsschwerpunkt „Geschichte der europäischen Integration“
http://tinyurl.com/yhwnava

David Williams KudoZ activity Questions: 1642 (4 open) (1 without valid answers) (89 closed without grading) Answers: 485 Germany
Local time: 15:48

research unit/centre

Explanation:
Interdisziplinärer Forschungsschwerpunkt
Risiko und Nachhaltige Technikentwicklung
ZIRN ist ein Schwerpunkt innerhalb des Internationalen Zentrums für Kultur- und Technikforschung (IZKT) an der Universität Stuttgart. Unsere Ziele sind es, die Bedingungen, Voraussetzungen und Folgen nachhaltiger Technikentwicklung sowie die Risiken und Chancen dieser Entwicklungen in Wechselwirkung von Politik, Wirtschaft und Zivilgesellschaft (Governance) systematisch zu erforschen. Die zentrale Aufgabe des Forschungsschwerpunktes besteht in der Anregung, Koordination und Durchführung von Forschungsvorhaben zu folgenden Themenbereichen:

http://www.zirn-info.de/

Interdisciplinary Research Unit on Risk Governance
and Sustainable Technology Development

Ortwin Renn serves as full professor and Chair of Environmental Sociology and Technology Assessment at Stuttgart University (Germany). He directs the Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Risk Governance and Sustainable Technology Development (ZIRN) at Stuttgart University and the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes in environmental policy making.

http://www.zirn-info.de/zirn-em.htm

Selected response from:

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 07:48

Grading comment

Thanks! This definitely seems to be what is meant here, although it is obviously rather context-sensitive and does indeed even demand a different translation in the two different contexts I have before me.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +8

main research area

Jonathan MacKerron

3 +2

research unit/centre

Kim Metzger

3 +1

[main] focus of research

Marga Shaw

3 +1

a) main research area/research program b) research unit

Peter Sass

research topic

Jutta Wappel

Research priority

Donal Murphy-Bokern

Discussion entries: 6

Peter Sass

Germany

The two FSP contexts are different

14:57 Nov 30, 2009

Having pointed to the fact that the (organisational) contexts differ here, I don't agree with using the same term for both (see my suggestion). Yes, FSP 'Geschichte' in the given link refers to a fixed organisational 'unit' (better than 'group'; not a 'centre'). But 'Interkultur' clearly doesn't as it comprises diverse activities (Projektgruppen, internationale Forschungskooperationen, Graduiertenkolleg) which are mainly integrated by the reseach topic. The point is, there's no need provided by the context (like with 'Geschichte') to refer to a logically 'narrower' organisational term here. But if you still want to, the nearest would be 'research program' (problem is, why didn't they use 'Forschungsprogramm' then?).

Barry Rich

Germany

13:45 Nov 30, 2009

Yes - the first link strongly indicates a type of organization; the second, which is where your passage is taken from, would indicate the same thing. Therefore, in this case at least, research program/group/center etc., but not area or field

David Williams

Germany

ASKER

Many thanks!

06:53 Nov 30, 2009

trinniger, do the tinyurl.com links work for you?

Johanna Timm, PhD

Canada

it's a "Forschungsprojekt"

21:15 Nov 27, 2009

or, as the link address implies, a "Projektbereich"

I followed your links and found the following description:
„KlimaKultur
KlimaKultur ist ein transdisziplinärer Forschungsschwerpunkt am Kulturwissenschaftlichen Institut Essen (KWI), dem Forschungskolleg der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, der Technischen Universität Dortmund und der Universität Duisburg-Essen.***Der im Jahr 2008 eingerichtete Forschungsschwerpunkt ist das erste größere kulturwissenschaftliche Forschungsprojekt*** zum Thema des Klimawandels und beschreitet neue Wege der Analyse tiefgreifender sozialer Veränderungsprozesse.“

http://www.kulturwissenschaften.de/home/projektbereich-3.htm...

"research program" might work

Barry Rich

Germany

18:49 Nov 27, 2009

Could be either main research area/field or unit/center, but Germans also often use Forschungschwerpunkt to designate a unit or center within a research organization. Also the use of the word erganzen seems to indicate a unit, group, or center. Still, more context would be helpful...

David Williams

Germany

ASKER

(as opposed to)

16:30 Nov 27, 2009

in the normal sense, i.e. key/core research area//focus for research, cf. http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/medical/477298-f... ?

Answers

8 mins confidence:

research topic

Explanation:
... is what it sounds like to me - a research group focusing on a certain topic.

Jutta Wappel
Germany
Local time: 15:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: German

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

main research area

Explanation:
of "research focus" doesn't do it for you

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2009-11-27 16:51:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

academic research priority

Jonathan MacKerron
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

23 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

research unit/centre

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 07:48
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 11

Grading comment

Notes to answerer

Asker: Yes, I think that works best here. Thanks!

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

[main] focus of research

Explanation:

It can also be assumed that the concepts represent the methodological enrichment that the Sociology of Law has been searching for to achieve a comprehensive understanding of what is Law about, when the main focus of research is the social representation of Law.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:8Bm95_3q_AoJ:www.allaca...

About 20 members of the academic staff have as their main focus of research medieval history, philosophy, literature or language.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:fs1odvAqBkIJ:www.tcd.ie...

The focus of research is on linguistic and cultural contact, the result of phenomena such as migration, colonialism and globalization, and found in multicultural settings around the world.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:cQsFo7JJamUJ:www.tilbur...

This focus of research documents and interprets material culture of the classical world. Research goes beyond identifying and describing artefacts from the past. The things – artefacts and objects - that make up the material culture of the classical past are placed in to their cultural and archaeological contexts and studied as active forces shaping the societies, economies and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:gbrZ4yROaYEJ:www.open.a...

Marga Shaw
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 8

1 day 1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

a) main research area/research program b) research unit

Explanation:
a) 'Interkultur' - main area of research/research area
b) 'Geschichte der europäischen Integration' - research unit

I don't mean to add to possible confusion but having followed your links, I think it more appropiate to differentiate here.
Forsch.schwerpkt. in b) clearly refers to the instutional dimension, i.e. a research unit or group of researchers located at a particular Lehrstuhl/Chair (see quote 1 below).

a) 'Interkultur' does not constitute an institutional 'unit' or the like but "operiert auf verschiedenen Arbeitsebenen: Projektgruppen, internationale Forschungskooperationen, Graduiertenkolleg..." (see 2 below).
So here I would rather refer to main area of res. as the subject matter dimension of FSP which integrates all these diverse activities (the institutional shape resembles a 'research program' rather than research centre/unit I believe).

For diverse translations of FSP, see
http://www.linguee.de/search?query=forschungsschwerpunkt

1: "Das Netzwerk ergänzt den Forschungsschwerpunkt „Geschichte der europäischen Integration“ an dem von Prof. Dr. Wilfried Loth, Mitglied des KWI-Vorstands, geleiteten Lehrstuhl für Neuere und Neueste Geschichte der Universität Duisburg-Essen und fördert damit zugleich die hier entstehenden Forschungsarbeiten von etablierten und Nachwuchs-Wissenschaftlern."
http://www.kulturwissenschaften.de/home/projekt-46.html
http://www.kwi-nrw.de/home/profil-wloth.html

2: „Interkultur“ operiert auf verschiedenen Arbeitsebenen: Projektgruppen, internationale Forschungskooperationen, Graduiertenkolleg, Dialog- und Fellowprogramm, Vorträge, Tagungen und Workshops, Policy-Beratung.(...)
http://www.kwi-nrw.de/home/projektbereich-1.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day2 hrs (2009-11-28 18:37:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To clarify, for a) in your text I opt for main research area with reard to the given context.

Peter Sass
Germany
Local time: 15:48
Works in field
Native speaker of:

German

2 days 3 hrs confidence:

Research priority

Explanation:
The phrase 'research priority' is used in the research strategy community to express areas of work that are a priority for investment. It might suit the context.

Donal Murphy-Bokern
Germany
Local time: 15:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

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