Federal Ministry of Education and Research focuses on digital health
22nd November 2021 — Digital methods in health research are helping to understand diseases ever more precisely. With this knowledge, doctors can further optimise prevention and treat patients more appropriately. For this, research and care must be better networked. With the help of digital innovations, research and care are to make common use of their data treasures in order to gain and share knowledge more quickly. At the same time, digital transformation in the healthcare system must be carried out extremely carefully. After all, health data is sensitive and requires special protection. BMBF relies on the expertise of DLR Projektträger and Projektträger Jülich for advice in these complex fields of action and for the implementation of funding activities.
Successful bidding consortium – important tasks
"We look forward to continuing to support BMBF in this future-oriented thematic area – together with our colleagues from Projektträger Jülich", says Dr Rainer Girgenrath, Head of the Clinical Research and Digital Medicine Department in the DLR-PT Health Division. Dr Bernhard Gilleßen, Head of the Life Sciences and Health Research Division at Projektträger Jülich, adds: "Digitisation and personalisation are the cornerstones of forward-thinking health research. Supporting this process in proven cooperation is an extremely interesting and important task for us."
With the new mandate, BMBF is focusing not only on basic research but even more strongly on the application of findings in the healthcare system and on societal dialogue. In doing so, the ministry is relying on a proven collaboration scheme: the project management for eHealth, Data Science and Bioethics is a continuation of the successful cooperation between DLR-PT and Projektträger Jülich in the BMBF project management programme "Basic Research in Life Sciences " from 2012 to 2021.
A wide range of expertise
The BMBF-area "eHealth, Data Science and Bioethics" integrates a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, such as medical informatics and systems medicine. A particular focus is set on sharing and exchange of data, mathematical and computer-based modelling, and the use of AI methods for biomedical research. The mandate is particularly linked to the major tasks of health and medical research. The primary goal of data-driven research is to raise the quality of life for patients by improving diagnostics, therapy and care. Bioethical questions complement the research area. "With the bidding consortium of DLR Projektträger and Projektträger Jülich, we provide BMBF with a cumulative competence with complementary expertise in all thematic areas of project management", Girgenrath sums up.