12.10.2014, 18:43

[Die deutsche Fassung erhalten Sie in einer separaten Mail, da die Anzahl der Zeichen pro Mail begrenzt ist.]

Dear supporter of the online-petition „Perspektive statt Befristung“,

the recent weeks have brought quite a number of positive developments. I would like to summarize them in this mail, which this time is a little longer.

Around 1.700 people have participated in the online survey which was started towards the end of the petition. This is a very large number concerning the „obstacles“ for a participation: the need to register, the survey being in German only, the time investment required for filling in the questionnaire. I would like to thank all participants!
The survey is now being evaluated by a highly qualified group of volunteers. We expect the evaluation and the visualization of the results to be ready for publication on the internet towards the end of novembre. Please note that we will not publish intermediate results.

This year, the German part of the European Researchers' Night took place in the city of Braunschweig. Our petition had the opportunity to present itself on that occasion - more than 170 visitors spontaneously signed the petition! Also from Goettingen new lists with signatures arrived – thanks a lot! Our petition now has collected around 25.300 signatures. Please note that you can send in further lists while the petition is not handed in yet (please ttry to make sure, though, that people do not sign the petition twice, i.e. it is either online or on paper).

You can find an article on the Researchers' Night here:
kulturblog38.net/2014/09/29/european-researchers-night/ (German)

Signature lists waiting to be filled in can be downloaded here:
www.perspektive-statt-befristung.de/Unterschriftenliste_leer_Perspektive_statt_Befristung.pdf

On septembre 24 the Green party in parliament has started a „Kleine Anfrage“ (request for information) to the federal government, requesting detailed information on the numbers of fixed-term contracts in the non-universitarian research institutions. The request effectively fills the gap of information with respect to these institutions. This lack of available information has also become apparent during the first survey we did within the framework of the petition. The request actually incorporates main points of suggestion 5) of our petition.

The text of the request (the answer is still pending) can be downloaded here:
dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/18/026/1802638.pdf


Early on, the text of the petition has been sent to members of parliament of the ruling parties. Following an invitation by the spokeswoman on national science policy of the social democrats, Dr. Simone Raatz (MP), I met Dr. Raatz in Berlin to give her a detailed overview over the petition and your commentaries to it.

Also on the European scale things are moving. In the latest issue of „Nature“, Spanish astrophysicist Dr. Amaya Moro-Martín is giving an overview of the state of European science referring to an open letter to the European public. The article naturally concentrates on the situation in Southern Europe, but it explicitly points out the fixed-term employment policy in Germany as well.

The Nature article can be found here:
www.nature.com/news/a-call-to-those-who-care-about-europe-s-science-1.16086?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20141009

I would like to invite you to sign this European letter, which has roused great interest by the general media already, including El Pais, Le Monde, La Repubblica and Ta Nea:
openletter.euroscience.org/open-letter/

Concering our petition, I have very recently written a letter to professor Dr. Johanna Wanka, the federal minister of education and research, asking her for a date to hand over the petition to the federal government. I have not yet received an answer, but realistically this will not be possible before the end of the year (more likely at the beginning of 2015).

Finally here are some articles on our petition and the situation in Germany, which you are welcome to share:
www.phdnet.mpg.de/cms/news/single-news-record/view/researchers-rally-for-reform-25000-sign-petition-for-more-permanent-positions/
blog.euroscientist.com/scientists-germany-well-funded-well-employed/


I would like to thank you for your kind support,
best wishes and warm regards
Sebastian Raupach