Hamburg-MIT/Boston Network

With financial support of the Hamburg Ministry of Science, Research and Equality (BWFG), PIER helps to establish and strengthen research collaboration between Hamburg researchers and their colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The activities focus on the PIER research and competence fields Infection and Structural Biology, Photon Science, Nanoscience, Particle and Astroparticle Physics, Accelerator Research and Theoretical Physics. The medium term goal is to build up joint structured research (training) programs in research fields carrying a particularly high future potential for both sides.

During the two-year-long initial phase of the project, the PIER Office carries out different activities in order to establish contacts and intensify collaboration between researchers from Hamburg and MIT/Boston. The following activities have already taken place:

On 6 September 2018, researchers from DESY, Universität Hamburg (UHH) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) presented potential joint research topics at a mini symposium at MIT. More information...

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On 21-22 January 2019, a Hamburg-MIT/Boston Network Workshop took place in Hamburg. It was open to all Hamburg and MIT researchers from the PIER research and competence fields who are interested in joint research activities with colleagues from the respective partner institution(s) overseas. The aim of the workshop was to define a pool of possible joint research projects of high common interest where joint applications for external funding will be most promising. More information...

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Following the initial workshop in January, PIER invited DESY and UHH researchers planning to intensify collaboration with their MIT/Boston colleagues to apply for seed funding for joint projects. In May 2019, the PIER Executive Board selected ten HH-MIT/BOS Seed Projects for funding.

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PIER Hamburg/MIT Boston seed project collaboration

"The stay was a great opportunity" - Felix Ritzkowsky about his experience at MIT
As part of the PIER Hamburg-MIT/Boston Seed Project “Fabrication and Characterization of Field Emitter Arrays for FEL-like-X-ray Sources” led by Franz Kärtner, PhD student Felix spent several months as a research fellow at MIT. During an interview, he talked with us about his experience. Read more

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PIER Hamburg - MIT-Germany Program Collaboration

For the years 2019 and 2020, PIER has received funding from BWFG to support short-term research stays of MIT undergraduate students in Hamburg research groups. Four slots per year can be filled with highly qualified MIT students who are interested in gaining experience in the dynamic reserarch environment of Hamburg Bahrenfeld.

"Hamburg is a great place to come for research"

Cannon Vogel, 22, recently completed his bachelor's degree in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), specializing in theoretical and computational particle cosmology. Read more...