DLR - Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt EV - German Aerospace Center

The Project Management Agency (PT) at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) assists several German Federal Ministries in i) planning and implementing national research programmes in various thematic areas, ii) providing political analysis and recommendations and iii) giving support for public relation and communication activities. PT‐DLR manages an overall annual research budget of 1 billion EUR (i.e. 10,200 projects) on behalf of governmental authorities (i.e. national ministries, EU). Since 2001 PT‐DLR has been granted DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 certification for quality management.

The department European and International cooperation as part of the Project Management Agency includes the International Bureau of the BMBF (PT‐IB), the EU Bureau of the BMBF (EUB) and hosts the German EUREKA/ COST Bureau. Having a strong background in R&D strategy and policy implementation with particular emphasis on international relations, PT‐IB is especially dedicated to international cooperation activities. It supports the Federal Ministry’s bilateral cooperation in science, technology and education with about 50 countries worldwide in an effort to facilitate the preparation and implementation of international cooperation activities.

The EUB coordinates the German Network of National Contact Points (NCPs) and hosts NCPs for Research Infrastructures, ERC, INCO, Legal & Financial Issues etc. Laying special emphasis on the development of the European Research Area and its international dimension, the PT‐IB and EUB provides strategic and operational assistance to the BMBF with respect to the international dimension of the ERA. In this context, DLR supports the Ministry especially in its participation in the Strategic Forum for International Cooperation (SFIC), a high‐level political advisory body of Member States and the Commission.

Germany has a very active role in this forum, which defines a strategy towards more coherent STI activities and policies within Europe towards third countries. Moreover, the DLR has a wide experience in coordinating and participating in EU‐funded Coordination and Support Activities, focusing on international ERANETs, INCONETs, BILATs activities.

Website: http://www.dlr.de/pt/en/desktopdefault.aspx#gallery/26469 and http://www.internationales-buero.de/en/index.php

Activities

DLR will mainly contribute to the project as leader of WP2 and contributor to all WP2 tasks, and to a lower degree to WP 4 (in the communication activities).

People

  • Mr Stefan A. Haffner, Senior Scientific Officer in the Department for European and International Cooperation, graduated with a diploma in Geography. He is CAAST‐Net partner since 2010 and continues his work currently as co‐leader of the WP4 for the support of policy dialogues. Mr Haffner has worked as scientific staff member at the Water Initiative Strategy Office at the DLR, for the UN‐Water, Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW‐DPC) and at the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at the University of Bonn, Germany, within the GLOWA Volta Project. Furthermore he has worked as a consultant and project manager for different institutions like the government of North Rhine Westphalia and the Federal Government of Germany, as well as for institutions of development cooperation like InWEnt (now GIZ) and others.
  • Mr Dr. Stefan Wagener is Head of Division ‐Africa/Middle East/Turkey in the Department for European and International Cooperation. He is responsible for overseeing the strategy support and implementation of political and funding activities between the BMBF and European and African partners. He supports BMBF in the HLPD‐bureau activities and has a solid experience in international cooperation, also on the African continent. As a virologist by training Dr. Wagener worked for PT‐DLR’s Health Research branch, as Seconded National Expert at the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP; Art. 185)), at the EC, DG RTD (Health Directorate); and was employed at the World Health Organisation (WHO). His activities had a focus on programme development and implementation measures in communicable and non‐ communicable diseases, encompassing many activities with a focus on Africa.