Organization and framework of EC²/BIG-NSE

Executive Board

 

The BIG-NSE is hosted by the TU Berlin and was a part of the organizational structure of the UniCat cluster until the end of 2018.
Since January 2019, the BIG-NSE has been an integral part of the "Einstein Centre for Catalysis" (EC2) financed by the Berlin Einstein Foundation.
The new center (EC2/BIG-NSE) is likewise hosted by the TU Berlin. Its bond with the follow-up cluster of UniCat, called UniSysCat, remains very strong.
The members of the Executive Board of EC2/BIG-NSE are all part of UniSysCat. All PhD students at the center/school continue to perform most of their PhD in the research labs of a UniSysCat project group leader. These project leaders are also strongly involved in the program of the center/school.

Until the end of 2018, the BIG-NSE remained under the direction of its own administrative board (now dissolved). On January 11, 2019, a new Executive Board for EC2/BIG-NSE was nominated by the members of the UniSysCat Board.

Research group leaders in UniSysCat
Executive Board of EC2/BIG-NSE
Managing Director

The managing director of EC2/BIG-NSE, Dr. Jean-Philippe Lonjaret remains the same as that of BIG-NSE. Dr. Lonjaret is supported in his task by Mrs. Dorit Schönnagel (finance officer) and his part-time secretary, Mrs Anja Hertzberg.

Dr. J.P. Lonjaret
Managing Director of EC2/BIG-NSE
Recruitment Committee

The Recruitment Committee of EC2/BIG-NSE consists of the Executive Board and a few additional members:

- Prof. Dr. Arne Thomas, Chair of UniSysCat,

- Dr. Frank Rosowski, Director of the BASF/UniSysCat joint lab called BasCat,

- Dr. J.P. Lonjaret, Managing Director of EC2/BIG-NSE,

- and a representative of the EC2/BIG-NSE student body, currently Mr. Avijit Roy.

 

EC2/BIG-NSE is an international doctoral program, and the working language of the committee is therefore English.

Prof. Dr. Arne Thomas
Chair of UniSysCat
Supervisors

Since January 2019, PhD students accepted by EC2/BIG-NSE have had a primary supervisor (from one of the UniSysCat universities) and one or two additional supervisors (who should be a member of one of the following Berlin Networks*: see table below). This individual advisory committee has the task of advising, guiding, and supporting the PhD candidate in all aspects related to the thesis and the student's professional and scientific career. However, legally the doctorate is issued by one of the participating UniSysCat universities, and the student has to fulfill the requirements of the respective institutions's bylaws.

Scientific Advisory Board

In order to guide our Einstein Center, our joint Scientific Advisory Board with UniSysCat (see composition here) regularly visits us and meets with our Chair and Vice-Chair, our Managing Director, and our PhD students. The next such meeting is planned on Oct. 13, 2023.

Berlin networks associated with UniSysCat, to which further supervisors might belong (The inclusion of further networks and initiatives not yet listed in the table requires the approval of the Executive Board of EC2):

Consortium/Graduate SchoolHost institutionDiscipline
CoE Math+ / Berlin Mathematical School (BMS)TU, FU, and HU BerlinMathematics
CoE Neurocure/ Einstein Center for Neurosciences (ECN)Charité BerlinMedicine
CRC1078 “Protonation dynamics in protein function” and its IRTGFU BerlinBiophysics
Berlin International Graduate School in Model and Simulation based Research (BiMoS)TU BerlinData science, simulation and modeling
IMPRS "Functional Interfaces in Physics and Chemistry"Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-GesellschaftPhysical chemistry
RTG2473 SynPepBio “Bioactive Peptides – Innovative Aspects of Synthesis and Biosynthesis”TU BerlinChemistry/Biology
School of Analytical Sciences Adlershof (SALSA)TU BerlinChemistry/Biology

Abbreviations: CoE, Cluster of Excellence;  CRC, Collaborative Research Center; IMPRS, International Max Planck Research School; IRTG, Integrated Research Training Group; RTG, Research Training Group