Whether it's climate change, coping with the effects of the pandemic, education reforms, international conflicts or sustainable energy supply: Scientists can use their expertise to support politics and administration in taking and implementing evidence-based decisions. The vehicle to facilitate this is scientific policy advice. Policy advice covers varios forms and formats, from preparing brief analyses to taking part in hearings and expert talks to participating in extensive studies and standing expert committees. 

However, the interface between science and politics/administration is also where different goals, expectations, paradigms of action and timeframes collide: How can Scientists position themselves in this area of conflict, interact with politics/administration and harmonize their engagement with their obligations in science and teaching? 

With "Science Meets Policy", the RMU offer their scientists a service format for targeted preparation for an engagement in scientific policy advice: 

Date: 23 January 2026, 09:00 am to 1:15 pm
(Participants are highly welcome to stay for a joint lunch afterwards)

Format: in-person workshop

Speaker: Tome Sandevski, coordinator of the interdisciplinary dialogue projects of the Rhine-Main Universities, Goethe University Frankfurt. The workshop is organized as part of the Erasmus+ ENGAGEgreen and the Mercator Science-Policy Fellowship Program of the Rhine-Main Universities. 

Content: How can scientific expertise reach politics and administration? What do parliaments, ministeries/subordinate authorities and the European Commission actually do? What do they need scientific expertise for? How can the exchange with politics and administration be integrated into every-day work life of professors and the implementation of research projects? What written or interactive formats are suitable in this regard? 

Following an internal part for RMU researchers, Florian Ismaier (head of the division for regional planning and development, Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas) and another guest from a Hessian ministry (tba) will use the last hour of the workshop to speak about their experiences regarding the exchange between science and politics/administration. 

Registrations via: ines.schiefke@tu-darmstadt.de, 06151 1620048