This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Europäisierung
verblendmetallkeramikkrone

Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Forschungsschwerpunkt ()

English translation:

research unit/centre, main research area, research focus

Added to glossary by David Williams
Nov 27, 2009 16:28
14 yrs ago
3 viewers *
German term

Forschungsschwerpunkt

German to English Science Science (general) Research
What is a "Forschungsschwerpunkt" if it is (apparently) used as a (near) synonym for research group?

e.g.

die Projekte im Forschungsschwerpunkt „Interkultur“
http://tinyurl.com/y8q2qk9

Das Netzwerk ergänzt den Forschungsschwerpunkt „Geschichte der europäischen Integration“
http://tinyurl.com/yhwnava
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 research unit/centre
3 +8 main research area
3 +1 [main] focus of research
3 +1 a) main research area/research program b) research unit
3 research topic
3 Research priority

Discussion

Peter Sass Nov 30, 2009:
The two FSP contexts are different Having pointed to the fact that the (organisational) contexts differ here, I don't agree with using the same term for both (see my suggestion). Yes, FSP 'Geschichte' in the given link refers to a fixed organisational 'unit' (better than 'group'; not a 'centre'). But 'Interkultur' clearly doesn't as it comprises diverse activities (Projektgruppen, internationale Forschungskooperationen, Graduiertenkolleg) which are mainly integrated by the reseach topic. The point is, there's no need provided by the context (like with 'Geschichte') to refer to a logically 'narrower' organisational term here. But if you still want to, the nearest would be 'research program' (problem is, why didn't they use 'Forschungsprogramm' then?).
Barry Rich Nov 30, 2009:
Yes - the first link strongly indicates a type of organization; the second, which is where your passage is taken from, would indicate the same thing. Therefore, in this case at least, research program/group/center etc., but not area or field
David Williams (asker) Nov 30, 2009:
Many thanks! trinniger, do the tinyurl.com links work for you?
Johanna Timm, PhD Nov 27, 2009:
it's a "Forschungsprojekt" or, as the link address implies, a "Projektbereich"

I followed your links and found the following description:
„KlimaKultur
KlimaKultur ist ein transdisziplinärer Forschungsschwerpunkt am Kulturwissenschaftlichen Institut Essen (KWI), dem Forschungskolleg der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, der Technischen Universität Dortmund und der Universität Duisburg-Essen.***Der im Jahr 2008 eingerichtete Forschungsschwerpunkt ist das erste größere kulturwissenschaftliche Forschungsprojekt*** zum Thema des Klimawandels und beschreitet neue Wege der Analyse tiefgreifender sozialer Veränderungsprozesse.“

http://www.kulturwissenschaften.de/home/projektbereich-3.htm...

"research program" might work
Barry Rich Nov 27, 2009:
Could be either main research area/field or unit/center, but Germans also often use Forschungschwerpunkt to designate a unit or center within a research organization. Also the use of the word erganzen seems to indicate a unit, group, or center. Still, more context would be helpful...
David Williams (asker) Nov 27, 2009:
(as opposed to) in the normal sense, i.e. key/core research area//focus for research, cf. http://www.proz.com/kudoz/german_to_english/medical/477298-f... ?

Proposed translations

+2
23 mins
Selected

research unit/centre

Interdisziplinärer Forschungsschwerpunkt
Risiko und Nachhaltige Technikentwicklung
ZIRN ist ein Schwerpunkt innerhalb des Internationalen Zentrums für Kultur- und Technikforschung (IZKT) an der Universität Stuttgart. Unsere Ziele sind es, die Bedingungen, Voraussetzungen und Folgen nachhaltiger Technikentwicklung sowie die Risiken und Chancen dieser Entwicklungen in Wechselwirkung von Politik, Wirtschaft und Zivilgesellschaft (Governance) systematisch zu erforschen. Die zentrale Aufgabe des Forschungsschwerpunktes besteht in der Anregung, Koordination und Durchführung von Forschungsvorhaben zu folgenden Themenbereichen:

http://www.zirn-info.de/

Interdisciplinary Research Unit on Risk Governance
and Sustainable Technology Development

Ortwin Renn serves as full professor and Chair of Environmental Sociology and Technology Assessment at Stuttgart University (Germany). He directs the Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Risk Governance and Sustainable Technology Development (ZIRN) at Stuttgart University and the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes in environmental policy making.

http://www.zirn-info.de/zirn-em.htm
Note from asker:
Yes, I think that works best here. Thanks!
Peer comment(s):
agree Jim Tucker (X) : Program is better, I agree
56 mins
agree Helen Shiner : or perhaps just a little more loosely - research programme.
6 hrs
neutral Peter Sass : Is this fair grading? Strangely I happen to be the only one arguing - with some effort - for the two different contexts + res. unit..
4 days
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks! This definitely seems to be what is meant here, although it is obviously rather context-sensitive and does indeed even demand a different translation in the two different contexts I have before me."
8 mins

research topic

... is what it sounds like to me - a research group focusing on a certain topic.
Something went wrong...
+8
9 mins

main research area

of "research focus" doesn't do it for you

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2009-11-27 16:51:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

academic research priority
Peer comment(s):
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X)
16 mins
agree SusanneM
1 hr
agree John Speese : I agree with main or key research area, or research focus; this term can be a little hard to translate sometimes.
1 hr
agree AC0
1 hr
agree Rolf Keiser
1 hr
agree CArcher
2 hrs
agree Nicole Backhaus
3 hrs
agree British Diana
19 hrs
neutral Jim Tucker (X) : Is no one looking at the context? This won't work here.
2 days 1 hr
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

[main] focus of research


It can also be assumed that the concepts represent the methodological enrichment that the Sociology of Law has been searching for to achieve a comprehensive understanding of what is Law about, when the main focus of research is the social representation of Law.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:8Bm95_3q_AoJ:www.allaca...

About 20 members of the academic staff have as their main focus of research medieval history, philosophy, literature or language.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:fs1odvAqBkIJ:www.tcd.ie...

The focus of research is on linguistic and cultural contact, the result of phenomena such as migration, colonialism and globalization, and found in multicultural settings around the world.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:cQsFo7JJamUJ:www.tilbur...

This focus of research documents and interprets material culture of the classical world. Research goes beyond identifying and describing artefacts from the past. The things – artefacts and objects - that make up the material culture of the classical past are placed in to their cultural and archaeological contexts and studied as active forces shaping the societies, economies and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean.
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:gbrZ4yROaYEJ:www.open.a...
Peer comment(s):
agree CArcher
1 hr
Many thanks Claudia!
Something went wrong...
+1
1 day 1 hr

a) main research area/research program b) research unit

a) 'Interkultur' - main area of research/research area
b) 'Geschichte der europäischen Integration' - research unit

I don't mean to add to possible confusion but having followed your links, I think it more appropiate to differentiate here.
Forsch.schwerpkt. in b) clearly refers to the instutional dimension, i.e. a research unit or group of researchers located at a particular Lehrstuhl/Chair (see quote 1 below).

a) 'Interkultur' does not constitute an institutional 'unit' or the like but "operiert auf verschiedenen Arbeitsebenen: Projektgruppen, internationale Forschungskooperationen, Graduiertenkolleg..." (see 2 below).
So here I would rather refer to main area of res. as the subject matter dimension of FSP which integrates all these diverse activities (the institutional shape resembles a 'research program' rather than research centre/unit I believe).

For diverse translations of FSP, see
http://www.linguee.de/search?query=forschungsschwerpunkt

1: "Das Netzwerk ergänzt den Forschungsschwerpunkt „Geschichte der europäischen Integration“ an dem von Prof. Dr. Wilfried Loth, Mitglied des KWI-Vorstands, geleiteten Lehrstuhl für Neuere und Neueste Geschichte der Universität Duisburg-Essen und fördert damit zugleich die hier entstehenden Forschungsarbeiten von etablierten und Nachwuchs-Wissenschaftlern."
http://www.kulturwissenschaften.de/home/projekt-46.html
http://www.kwi-nrw.de/home/profil-wloth.html

2: „Interkultur“ operiert auf verschiedenen Arbeitsebenen: Projektgruppen, internationale Forschungskooperationen, Graduiertenkolleg, Dialog- und Fellowprogramm, Vorträge, Tagungen und Workshops, Policy-Beratung.(...)
http://www.kwi-nrw.de/home/projektbereich-1.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day2 hrs (2009-11-28 18:37:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To clarify, for a) in your text I opt for main research area with reard to the given context.
Peer comment(s):
agree Jim Tucker (X) : Program or unit; *not* research area here.
23 hrs
Thanks Jim!
Something went wrong...
2 days 3 hrs

Research priority

The phrase 'research priority' is used in the research strategy community to express areas of work that are a priority for investment. It might suit the context.
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search