Activities of the Review Boards  
The review boards are the point of contact for the further development of funding programs and funding policy issues. They manage the financial resources and proposals to the DFG and distribute them in a three-stage process of assessment, evaluation and decision. The first step is to assess the projects submitted for funding. This is followed by an evaluation based on various criteria. Finally, the most worthy projects in terms of future relevance and prospects are identified and funded with the available funds. The process ensures uniform compliance with the DFG's standards and ensures that the most promising projects receive funding.  

The framework for the work of the review boards is set by the DFG Senate's rules of procedure. At least two representatives are elected for each subject; the number of additional representatives depends on the number of funding proposals submitted to the respective review board and the resulting scope of work. After the review board election, each board elects its own rules of procedure, spokespersons and their deputies.  

The New Spokesperson of the Review Board for Materials Engineering
Prof. Dr. Thomas Niendorf from the University of Kassel and his deputy Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Bodo Fiedler from the Technical University of Hamburg will take over the post until 2028. Prof. Niendorf represents the subject of “Materials and Materials of Sintering Processes and Generative Manufacturing Processes”.  Since 2015, he has headed the Department of Metallic Materials at the University of Kassel, which is part of the Institute of Materials Science. His focus here is on researching the microstructure-property relationship of metallic materials.  

Involvement in the DGM  
Prof. Niendorf has been a member of the German Society for Materials Science (DGM) since January 2006 and is still active today. He is involved in numerous committees, including the Scanning Electron Microscopy in Materials Testing working group, the Materials Behavior under Mechanical Stress expert committee and the associated Deformation and Fracture working group. He is also regularly involved in the organization of the MSE Congress and is currently on the board of the DGM Young Investigators Committee. 

Prizes and Awards  
In 2008, Prof. Niendorf received the DGM Young Researcher Award, which is aimed at doctoral students and recent graduates.  
A few years later, in 2012, the DGM awarded him the Georg Sachs Prize, which is jointly awarded by the Stifterband Metalle and the Austrian Nonferrous Metals Industry Association. It is also a prize that honors scientific work that is closely related to the practice of materials science and materials engineering.  
Prof. Niendorf will also be presented with the DGM Prize at this year's DGM Day in Darmstadt. This is awarded to an excellent scientist for outstanding scientific achievements that have achieved a breakthrough in the field of materials science and engineering.