Structural conditions at the science location Germany
Structural conditions for research in Germany were assessed in the BSS with few dimensions that are frequently discussed in public discourse or that were identified by discussions prior to the study as relevant topics for the respondents. It turns out that aspects that are sometimes stylised as problems in the media are not seen as problematic in the same way by scientists (see Figure 1). In particular, the academic freedom (81.6%) and the perception of science in the public sphere (70.7%) are assessed as “somewhat good” or “very good” by a large majority. By contrast, the financing system and career opportunities in science are viewed extremely critically, with three quarters of respondents rating them as “somewhat bad” or “very bad”. The financing system is rated as “very bad” by 29.9% and as “somewhat bad” by a further 44.8%. Career opportunities in science are rated as “very bad” by 28.4% and as “somewhat bad” by 51%. The attractiveness of a professorship also fails to convince the majority. 17.4% rate it as “very bad”, and a further 39.8% as “somewhat bad”. Only a minority of 42.8% consider the attractiveness of a professorship to be “somewhat good” or “very good”.
When comparing the status groups, it is striking that the assessments improve with increasing status (see Figure 2). For example, the professors themselves are still mostly convinced of the attractiveness of a professorship, whereas postdocs and predocs are significantly less so. This creates the risk that early career researchers will turn away from a professorship as a career goal and pursue different career goals instead. This is examined in more detail in Chapter 4.
The topic of “career opportunities in science” reflects a high level of frustration among postdocs. Only 16.5% of postdocs rate them as “somewhat good” to “very good”. Postdocs are even more critical than predocs on this point, while on all other topics their assessments fall between those of predocs and professors (see Figure 2).
Figure 3 compares the assessments of the structural conditions of the respondents from the BUA institutions with those of non-university research institutions in Berlin and a comparison sample of respondents from other universities of excellence in Germany. It becomes clear that the structural conditions in the German scientific system are assessed very similarly by all scientists surveyed, regardless of which institution they come from. This means that these are systemic problems that affect all of them in Germany and not only the Berlin research area.
The aim of the Excellence Strategy, and previously of the Excellence Initiative, is to make the German science location more internationally competitive and visible. To this end, federal funds are distributed to selected universities through a competitive process, in addition to their basic funding from the federal states. The “performance spiral” that has been set in motion is deliberately not intended to promote a large group of institutions, but rather to create a leading group (Hornbostel and Möller 2015). Proponents hope that the upgrading of the location will ultimately also benefit the non-funded universities. However, critics fear that, following the example of the USA, a deepening divide between funded and non-funded universities will emerge (Münch 2014).
The BSS asked how the respondents position themselves here (see Figure 4). On the one hand, more than half of the respondents believe that the excellence strategy makes Germany more competitive internationally. On the other hand, the majority (64%) of respondents doubt that this improvement in location will also have a positive effect across the board, i.e. on non-funded universities as well. Rather, the vast majority of respondents (81.6%) see a risk that the gap between funded and non-funded universities will widen. Figure 5 shows the assessment in a comparison of institutions. Here, too, it is apparent, as previously, that the assessments of scientists are largely independent of the type and location of the institution.
