Quo vadis Overarching Goals?!

From Oct. 4-6, 2023, we met with about 60 scientists of the CRC 1487 “Iron, upgraded!” for the annual general assembly meeting at SeminarZentrum Rückersbach, Johannesberg, to discuss the progress and strategy of the project.

Once a year there is the opportunity for all project participants of the CRC to exchange information about the research projects in a format lasting several days. This year, the general assembly meeting was held under the theme “Quo vadis Overarching Goals?!”. The jointly set goals (“overarching goals”) were discussed in different parts of the program. The core of the scientific exchange were two poster sessions on the topics “Methods” and “Collaborations”, each announced by selected flash talks. Here, project leaders, PhD students and postdocs discussed the current state of research, possible challenges and solutions, as well as existing and prospective collaborations, especially with regard to their contribution to the overall goals. In addition, the three research areas “oxidative environment”, “(pseudo)molecular environment” and “metallic environment” exchanged information and ideas with each other in order to strengthen the interdisciplinary collaboration. Furthermore, there was a “Topical Session”, in which each project could optionally present which methods are needed for which problem, or which own methods and expertise can be offered, or to address which open questions exist. This exchange facilitated the “pair finding” in the subsequent open exchange phase to specify collaborations and thus accelerate the establishment of further possible collaborations.

In a strategic meeting, the project leaders discussed future plans and the further procedure for the CRC. At the same time, the PhD students and postdocs were able to consult each other in a so-called “World Café” on the topic of “literature management and literature search”, get to know new tools and receive helpful tips. New insights into our public relations project were given in a lecture. The CRC members were able to work practically during a session on the topic “Management of research data”. Team building was not neglected either: Some of the project participants built a rope course in teamwork, which they then walked and learned to trust each other and to demand support from others. Others enjoyed the nature in the beautiful Spessart during a walk. On the first evening not only knowledge but also ingenuity was in demand at “Nobody is perfect in iron quiz”. For example, there were completely new ideas on how to stop bleeding during first aid, or how neutron activation analysis probably works. Here, the “Orange” team (matching the CRC logo) proved to be extremely creative and prevailed over the competition.

The CRC 1487 started its work on Jan. 1, 2022, and will thus soon reach the halfway point. The general assembly meeting has helped to align the current status, to consolidate existing collaborations, to establish new contacts and to strengthen the sense of community. So we can move into the next half with good motivation.