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Joint Research Cooperation between Germany & Canada

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Vancouver, April 8, 2023 – Germany welcomes researchers, especially from Canada. Germany & Canada are celebrating 50 years of science and technology cooperation which have helped solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since the 1971 signing of the Canada-Germany Science and Technology (S&T) Agreement it is estimated more than 1000 joint research projects have materialized, including in priority areas such as space technologies and earth observation, fuel cells, sustainable energy, nanotechnology, photonics, metrology, ocean science, health and genomics, and Arctic science.

“Research in Germany” is the central marketing of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for Germany as a location for research and innovation. The aim of the initiative is to make Germany even better known and more visible as an attractive country for education, research and innovation. They make it easy for Canadian scientists to apply

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Fraunhofer Society and the DLR project management agency implement the initiative and carry out global communication measures and events. “Research in Germany” is a partner of “Kooperation international” and regularly publishes information about events promoting Germany as a research location.

If you are a Canadian researcher hoping to spend some time in Germany, here are some places you can turn to:

  1. University of Bonn – Established in October 1995, the German-Canadian Centre is the result of a successful collaboration of the North American Studies Program at the University of Bonn, the German-Canadian Association (DKG), and the Canadian Embassy which has generously supported the centre ever since. The German-Canadian Centre acts as a forum for the discussion of current cultural, political, and economic issues involved in German-Canadian relations while at the same time aiming to intensify German-Canadian relations through its contacts to a variety of Canadian institutions and partner universities. In part by way of its cooperation with the German-Canadian Association we encourage an interested public from outside the university to engage in this particular intercultural and transatlantic exchange.: https://www.nas.uni-bonn.de/research/german-canadian-centre
  2. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – (International Collaboration) Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – An agreement between NSERC and the German research foundation, the This link will take you to another Web site Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), has been concluded to establish a formal mechanism for supporting a bilateral training program that involves an exchange of students between Germany and Canada. To be considered for this opportunity, Canadian candidates should follow these steps: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/professors-professeurs/grants-subs/create-foncer_eng.asp
  3. German-Canadian Herzberg Network – The Herzberg Network is an online community and resource hub for researchers, academics, research institutions, industry members, and innovators in Canada and Germany. By facilitating German and Canadian networking opportunities and providing a platform for sharing critical information and resources, we aim to support members’ development within their fields of study and industries across disciplines. https://canada.diplo.de/ca-en/vertretungen/generalkonsulat2/-/2482478
  4. NFERC & DFG – Canada and Germany enjoy long-standing cooperation in science and technology. Recognizing the importance of international collaboration in promoting scientific discoveries, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on research cooperation. The MOU provides an overarching framework to enhance opportunities for collaborative activities between Canadian and German research communities and sets out the principles for developing jointly supported activities: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/innovate-innover/DFG-DFG/index_eng.asp
  5. German Canada Hydrogen Alliance – The Participants will advance collaborative bilateral and multilateral Research, Development, & Demonstration (R, D&D) efforts that will support hydrogen production, infrastructure, and supply chains, based on the existing, long-lasting collaboration networks in R, D&D between both countries in energy- and hydrogen-related research: https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/EN/Downloads/J/joint-declaration-of-intent-on-establishing-a-germany-canada-hydrogen-alliance.html
  6. Clean Energy Process – The topic of hydrogen is prominently represented at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), especially in research-related courses of study in the Department of Chemical and Bio-engineering. Starting in the winter semester 2021/22, new English-language bachelor’s and master’s degree courses in Clean Energy Processes (CEP) will be offered. Studies will focus on the sustainable production, distribution and use of renewable energy for the chemical industry and on changes in chemical processes: https://www.cep.study.fau.eu/
  7. Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy Technology – The department of Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy Technology (WKET) at Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) offers elective modules on hydrogen as an energy carrier. Students of the diploma course in energy technology can expand their knowledge of nuclear energy technology, including dismantling power plants. The production and application of hydrogen as well as safety issues relating to hydrogen technologies are a second focus: https://tu-dresden.de/ing/maschinenwesen/iet/wket/studium?set_language=en
  8. Renewable Energies – Wind, water, sun: energy-efficient technologies of the future play an important role at the Institute for Regenerative Energy Systems (IHRES) at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences. The bachelor’s degree course in Renewable Energies teaches which technologies are available and how they can be integrated into energy supply networks. Hydrogen technology is a compulsory module in the 5th semester: https://www.hochschule-stralsund.de/reb/
  9. International Renewable Energy Agency – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a
    centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity: –
  10. Research Units – Research Units funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) bring together specialists from various disciplines to work on a common research project, and often contribute to the creation of new areas of investigation and new research collaborations: https://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/programmes/coordinated_programmes/research_units/index.html
  11. Institute of Oceanography – The Institute of Oceanography (IfM) is part of the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), which was founded in June 2011 and has the objective to promote research in the earth system and sustainability fields, expand interdisciplinary cooperation and to connect research with education. Our institute is also part of numerous national, European and international research projects and an essential element of the KlimaCampus Hamburg, which was funded with the beginning of the DFG Excellence Initiative Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction (CliSAP): https://www.cen.uni-hamburg.de/
  12. Exzellenzcluster Cliccs – „CLIMATE, CLIMATIC CHANGE, AND SOCIETY (CLICCS)“ ist ein Exzellenzcluster der Universität Hamburg, an dem gemeinsam mit starken Partnerinstitutionen geforscht wird. Er wird von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) gefördert. CLICCS ist ein zentrales Forschungsprojekt am CEN und wird vom CEN koordiniert: (https://www.cliccs.uni-hamburg.de/)

There is also a University in Saarland that has set up a “Forum Canada” – Scholarly inquiry focuses on comparative perspectives on Canadian culture, operating with a transnational consciousness that offers a global perspective on Canada. In particular, the researchers in Forum Canada examine specific literary, historical, political, geographic, and cultural conditions of Canada’s multicultural society. Research and teaching activities pay attention to relations between Canada and Europe, focusing on the mutuality of the relations and their embeddedness in a global, hemispheric and transatlantic context with a strong focus on regional studies.

Finally, here are some links that could be useful for researchers from Canada:

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