DFG Project Group "Medical Technology"
Medical technology is a prime example of a multidisciplinary research field with exceptional developmental potential. Research findings from the relevant areas of medicine, engineering, computer science and the natural sciences are constantly opening new fields of application for medical technology in health care and lead to rapid growth in the importance of this discipline.
In the years 2003 to 2009, the "Medical Technology" project group worked to eliminate hurdles that can be attributed to the high degree of interdisciplinarity and the associated communication difficulties. This led to a systematic dialogue between researchers from the aforementioned disciplines. In addition to holding strategy workshops and further roundtable discussions, so-called excellence academies for early career researchers were established as a new format for providing targeted funding for young researchers in a specific area. This special measure for involving young researchers in research projects was so successful that it was quickly adopted by other subject areas and has now established itself as its own funding format for all fields called “workshops for early career investigators”. The establishment of the interdisciplinary Medical Technology Review Board by the project group was a very important step.
As an interdisciplinary link between medical researchers and engineers, the Medical Technology Review Board works to satisfy the special requirements for evaluating interdisciplinary medical technology proposals. The delegated representatives from a wide range of Review Boards are still involved in the evaluation of the proposals assigned to the respective Review Boards. In addition, they are responsible for the evaluation and discussion of medical technology proposals in the interdisciplinary Medical Technology Review Board.
The achievements of the Medical Technology project group are thereby anchored in the DFG and continued. Strategic and thematic expert meetings continue to be encouraged and held by the Medical Technology Review Board. The coordination of programmes and projects in the area of medical technology with other research funding bodies, particularly the BMBF, takes place in periodic discussions and through reciprocal guest status at Review Board meetings.
