About Mercator Research Groups (MRG)
In a joint project with Stiftung Mercator, the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) is currently establishing two “Mercator Research Groups”. In each Mercator Research Group three to four young professors will form an independent research team supplied with state-of-the-art infrastructure, PhD students and generous funding. Each group will be accompanied by a senior investigator of their own choice, who through his/her extensive experience can act as a mentor and advisor for the independent research of the young professors. The leadership of the MRG, however, will remain exclusively in the hands of the young professors.
The first Mercator Research Group "Structure of Memory" started work in January 2010 and focusses on research in the neurosciences. Composed of experimental and theoretical neuroscientists as well as philosophers, the team investigates episodic and semantic memory processes and their relation to other cognitive functions.
The second Mercator Research Group “Spaces of Anthropological Knowledge – Production and Transfer” started its work at RUB in summer 2010 with a research focus on the humanities and social sciences.
The total funding volume for the two Mercator Research Groups amounts to 10 million Euro over a period of six years.
About the Ruhr-Universität Bochum
The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of Germany’s leading research universities. The university draws its scholarly strengths from both the diversity and the proximity of scientific disciplines on a single, coherent campus: the Life Sciences, the Natural Sciences, Engineering, the Social Sciences and the Humanities. The highly dynamic setting enables national and international students and researchers to work closely together in studying, teaching and research, and across traditional boundaries of academic subjects and departments. Host to 32,600 students and 4,700 staff, the university is a vital institution of the Ruhr area, which has been selected as European Capital of Culture for the year 2010 and one of the pillars of the University Alliance Metropolis Ruhr (UAMR).
About the Stiftung Mercator
Stiftung Mercator is one of Europe's largest foundations. It initiates and funds projects that promote better educational opportunities in schools and universities. In the spirit of Gerhard Mercator, it supports initiatives that embody the idea of open-mindedness and tolerance by intercultural encounters, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and culture. The foundation provides a platform for new ideas to enable people - regardless of their national, cultural or social background - to develop their personalities, become involved in society and make the most of the opportunities available to them. Stiftung Mercator takes an entrepreneurial, international and professional approach to its work. It has a particular affinity with the Ruhr area, the home of its founding family.
