SPOTLIGHTS: Strategies for the future of collaborative research worldwide
Public Engagement at TU Berlin.
Image Credit: Simon Brunel
What does collaborative research look like around the world?
SPOTLIGHTS brings global perspectives to PartWiss 2026 – the largest conference in Germany on participation in science. The SPOTLIGHTS program highlights people, institutions, and support structures making collaborative research possible. Together, we’ll explore how transdisciplinarity, participation, and public engagement are embedded in science systems worldwide.
Let’s move collaborative research forward: Join us online or in Berlin at PartWiss 2026!
An Exploratory Study on Support Structures for Collaborative Research
From training programs and dedicated support teams to funding initiatives or research hubs: The program conducts an exploratory study to identify structures and strategies that support transdisciplinary and collaborative research worldwide.
The SPOTLIGHTS study presents 15 profiles of good practices showcasing diverse approaches to supporting participatory and transdisciplinary research. Together, they provide insights into institutional pathways and enabling conditions for embedding and sustaining participatory and transdisciplinary research within research organisations and science systems.
The study is being conducted on behalf of the Laboratory for Transdisciplinary Research (TD-Lab) of the Berlin University Alliance.
Digital Pre-Programme: “Let’s talk”
Selected examples from the study and beyond will be highlighted in a series of short online talks, where projects can present their work, share insights, and reflect on their approaches. These sessions also provide an opportunity for the PartWiss audience to engage directly with the projects and discuss challenges and opportunities in collaborative research.
The online talks are scheduled between the end of May and mid-July 2026. More information on precise dates, times and speakers will be available soon.
“Let’s talk” is organized by TD-Lab and Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V., and co-hosted by the Gesellschaft für transdisziplinäre und partizipative Forschung (GTPF) and the Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research (ITD).
Fellowship Program: Workshops, Incoming Week, and Action Paper
We offer an inspiring fellowship program for up to ten fellows who will be selected based on the explorator study. Our SPOTLIGHTS fellows will share practices from their own contexts, shedding new light on collaboration, networks, and institutional support.
Fellows are supported with travel and accommodation costs to join the PartWiss 2026 conference, taking place September 2-5, 2026 in Berlin.
The Fellowship Program begins with a digital workshop, where fellows are introduced, study findings are presented, and thematic priorities for the program are discussed.
Ahead of the conference, fellows will participate in the Incoming Week in Berlin with pre-conference activities (August 30–September 6), offering opportunities to get to know each other, prepare their joint panel discussion, and develop key theses for an action paper. The pre-program will also introduce participants to Berlin’s research-supporting structures and institutions, complemented by informal activities and opportunities to explore the city.
During the conference, fellows will have the opportunity to network with key actors, engage with PartWiss participants, and actively contribute to the program, including a panel discussion on September 5, 2026.
Based on this knowledge exchange, an Action Paper will be developed collaboratively, summarizing collective insights on supporting participatory and transdisciplinary research as well as public engagement.
The Fellowship Program is organized in collaboration of TD-Lab and Stifterverband für die deutsche Wissenschaft e.V. and co-funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.
If you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions, we would be happy to hear from you.
Contact persons: Nadin Gaasch, Sorka Tzschabran