Deutsches Institut fuer Ernaehrungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbruecke. Jahresbericht 1997-1998

This is the first issue of a biennial report, which covers 1997 and 1998. The German Institute of Human Nutrition/Deutsches Institut fuer Ernaehrungsforschung (DIfE) is part of the scientific association 'Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz' (WGL), whose members have been requested to publish biennial reports. Therefore, our biennial reports in alternate years will be addressed additionally to the scientific community and to our friends. In 1997 and 1998, DIfE was evaluated by the Wissenschaftsrat, who summarized in its report dated July 10, 1998: 'Constituted in 1992, DIfE has developed positively by establishing itself scientifically in those areas of research in which it has been working. The combination of basic research, applications and clinical research is a promising, substantial stimulus for nutrition science. The Scientific Committee guarantees the necessary quality control and its continuation by regular and thorough evaluations'. This evaluation by the Wissenschaftsrate encourages us to continue our efforts to become an internationally competitive scientific institution. Two high-priority goals were pursued over the past two years. Where necessary, modernization has led to improved working conditions; two departments, Immunology and Clinical Nutrition, are now in the final stage of being established. On the basis of a cooperative agreement with the clinic 'Benjamin Franklin' of the Freie Universitaet Berlin (July 30, 1997), there has been a joint search to find suitable candidates for heads of the respective departments. It now depends on university and political bodies to make a decision. Cooperation between DIfE and Potsdam University has been reconfirmed twice, by a contract signed on January 19, 1999, and by receiving a grant for a joint project Innovationskolleg 'Mechanismen der gastrointestinalen Bioaktivierung und -inaktivierung' (in its second session from November 11, 1998 until October 31, 1999). At the end of 1998, thirty-one doctoral candidates form different German universities were working to complete their dissertation at DIfE. Six young scientists finished their graduation in the years 1997 and 1998. Eighty-five trainees and scholarship recipients from Germany and foreign countries received professional training there. The proportion of trainess form foreign countries increased: 27 of them are not from Germany, most of them from non-European countries. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman