Collaborative research centers (CRCs) are some of the most sought-after funding programs for researchers at German universities. They are long-term projects that are assessed every four years in order to be extended by the DFG. That is why the University of Bremen is extremely happy that research in two of said CRCs can be carried out in the coming four years. A trans-regional marine sciences collaborative research center involving the universities in Bremen and Hamburg was extended; a new CRC at the University of Hannover is integrating the renowned Bremen expertise in the field of space travel technology.
Twelve Million Euros for Marine Sciences CRC
A second funding phase for a CRC involving the universities in Hamburg and Bremen, as well as further partners, was granted: The Transregio-CRC (TRR) 181 “Energy Transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean” will receive around 12 million euros by June 2024. The CRC includes the locations Hamburg, Bremen, and Rostock and will be coordinated by the Center for Earth System research and Sustainability (CEN) at the University of Hamburg. Further partners include the Jacobs University Bremen, Hamburg University of Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Alfred Wegener Institute – Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University Rostock, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde at the University Rostock, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, and the Helmholtz Center Geesthacht.
University of Bremen Leads 10 Subprojects
The University of Bremen is involved in this CRC/TRR with nine project leaders from MARUM, the Institute for Environmental Physics, and the Faculty of Mathematics / Computer Science. They are leading a total of ten subprojects. “We are all very happy about the further four-year funding phase,” says the oceanographer and co-spokesperson of the CRC, Professor Monika Rhein from the University of Bremen. “Thanks to this CRC, we are furthering the climate and marine research at the University of Bremen with another important area of research that spans from methods for the evaluation and further development of climate models to technologically advanced ocean measuring methods.”
Researchers from the fields of oceanography, meteorology, and mathematics are working closely together on the research. They already investigated the turbulent processes and wave cycles in the atmosphere and ocean during the first funding phase. Even these physical processes on the smallest scale are closely related to the global winds and currents on the largest scale. That is why they must be shown together in climate models. The second funding phase is to mainly deal with the aspect of improving climate models and their forecasts based on consistent observation of processes.
More Than 1 Million for ZARM Space Travel Research
More than one million euros of funding money is going to the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen in the frame of a CRC at the University of Hannover. ZARM is involved in the “TerraQ” CRC 1646 at the university in Hannover as a partner. “In this way we are funding four PhD positions at our institute,” states Professor Claus Lämmerzahl, Director of Space Science at ZARM happily. “With these positions we will, on the one hand, be able to secure the qualification of our early-career researchers and, on the other hand, contribute our expertise in technological aspects of space travel to this CRC.”
The CRC in Hannover intends to develop new sensors, measuring techniques, analysis methods, and modelling approaches for gravimetric Earth observations. In this way, the newest findings, especially from the fields of quantum and gravitation physics, are to help to significantly increase the precision of geodetic measurements. The CRC hopes to make an important contribution to climate research – with enormous effects on the entire discipline of geosciences.
PhD Students Involved in 4 Projects
The PhD students at ZARM are involved in four projects. On the theoretical side, two projects are developing a strong universal-relativistic formalism for geodesy. This is necessary as measuring processes that are based on universal-relativistic effects (clock comparison) are implemented. On the other hand, measurements in space are so precise that one has to consider the relativistic corrections. Additionally, work is being carried out on a high-precision model of satellite and satellite-supported measuring processes, which is necessary based on the high-accuracy of measurements, the inclusion of relativistic effects, and the analysis of geodetic concepts, e.g. satellite swarms. Finally, new laser interferometric methods for the high-precision measuring of the space between satellites are being developed.
“Only the broad positioning of ZARM in terms of space science makes these diverse contributions to the highly interesting and innovative CRC possible. The results will help to enable more precise measurements of the Earth’s gravitational field,” explains Claus Lämmerzahl. One could then, for example, identify water cycles across the world, which is of particular importance for climate research.
Further Information:
www.trr-energytransfers.de
https://www.ocean.uni-bremen.de/eng/
https://www.zarm.uni-bremen.de/en/research/space-science.html
www.uni-bremen.de/en/
Contact:
For the CRC/TRR “Energy Transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean”
Prof. Dr. Monika Rhein
Institute for Envirnmental Physics IUP
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences
University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-62160
Email: mrheinprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
For the CRC “Relativistic and Quantum-Based Geodesy”
Prof. Dr. Claus Lämmerzahl
Director of Space Science
ZARM – Center of Applied Space technology and Microgravity
University of Bremen
Phone +49 421 218-57834
Email: claus.laemmerzahlprotect me ?!zarm.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
