Team DGM and "Research in Germany" at the TMS 2023 © DAAD

"It never rains in Southern California, but don't they warn you, it pours, it pours" - Albert Hammond's song lyrics from 1973 could not have been more relevant in 2023: During the annual meeting of "The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society" from 19 to 23 March 2023 in San Diego, Southern California, the weather was very Californian-unusually rainy-stormy. However, even this uncomfortable weather did not harm the first joint booth appearance of the German Society for Materials Science (DGM) and the "Research in Germany" initiative (RiG). At the joint information booth in San Diego's impressive exhibition hall, numerous international scientists were given comprehensive advice during the conference on research and funding opportunities in Germany in the field of materials science and engineering. RiG informed on programs of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Centres for Research and Innovation, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and the German Research Foundation. In addition, the DGM raised awareness of the materials science network in Germany, supported its own members in their activities and attracted new members to Germany as a research location.

Highlight:  „Meet the Scientist at the booth”

A special highlight of the joint booth appearance was the "Meet the Scientist at the booth" event. Over snacks and drinks, visitors to the booth had the opportunity to ask scientists from various career stages in Germany directly about working and living conditions in Germany. Two young talents, Michéle Scholl and Martin Müller from the German materials science community, who responded to the joint call for participation by RiG and the DGM, met with particular interest. Read their report. They assisted as contact persons for international scientists at the booth, using the example of their institutions to describe how research works in Germany and what research opportunities are available. RiG accompanied them in their role as advocates for Germany as a research location medially.

All in all, the joint appearance of RiG and the DGM at the annual meeting of the TMS met with a very good response and showed once again that cooperation between research sponsors and representatives of the scientific community is of great value.

Participating institutions:

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde
• German Academic Exchange Service, San Francisco
• German Centres for Research and Innovation, San Francisco
• Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
• Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Washington and Bonn