08.08.2008
Universität Konstanz researchers put their noses to the grindstone
Olfactory researchers in Germany can breathe easier after receiving the green light for a three-year focal programme to be financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to the tune of two million euros a year. The project will let scientists devote their full attention to exploring various facets of olfaction. It will be co-ordinated by the neurobiologist and zoologist Prof. Giovanni Galizia of the
Universität Konstanz.
The programme will focus on the in-depth study of the sense of smell and the brain activity of animals associated with the olfactory process. Its goal is to understand the mechanisms of scent encoding, thus paving the way to a “dictionary of scents”. Thanks to their interdisciplinary communication, the researchers anticipate methodical and conceptual advances into previously unexplored territory. In addition to producing new research findings, the DFG focal programme is designed to provide a foundation for new scientific networks and interdisciplinary discourse.
Funding will start in spring 2009, and scientists from all over Germany are invited to submit applications to the DFG programme. Potential participants must meet stringent requirements – the proposed work must cover new ground and have clearly defined short and medium-term research goals. The projects to be funded will be selected by an international panel of experts.
More:
http://www.uni-konstanz.de/http://neuro.uni-konstanz.de/SPP
