Framework Programme for the Promotion of Empirical Educational Research

Neurosciences and Research on Learning and Instruction / Neuroscience - Instruction - Learning (NIL)

Calls:	20.07.2007 (phase 3) 10.05.2006 (phase 2)
Duration of funding:	2008 - 2011 (phase 3) 2006 - 2008 (phase 2) 2005 - 2006 (phase 1)
Projects:	10 research projects (phase 3) 18 research projects (phase 2) 4 pilot studies, 3 workshops (phase 1)

1. Objectives of the funding measure

A systematic acquisition of knowledge in institutions for elementary education and care, schools, universities, and vocational education and training centres as well as adult learning centres provides human beings with opportunities for their future lives and for employment. Growing demands from society and the economy render it necessary to put the resource of institutionalised learning to an optimal use.

The research initiative "Neuroscience – Instruction – Learning" (NIL)" aims to assess institutionalised ways of acquiring knowledge by means of conducting neuroscientific research. By extension of the promotional measures, the bases of a rational and efficient transfer of knowledge within the framework of institutionalised settings for learning shall be improved in the mid-term. At the same time the intention is to link results from learning and instruction research with neuroscience in a sustainable manner.

Zur Förderbekanntmachung "Förderung von Studien zur Lehr-Lern-Forschung unter neurowissenschaftlicher Perspektive" (call: promotion of studies on learning and teaching research, neuro-scientific perspectives - phase 3)

Zur Förderbekanntmachung "Förderung von explorativen Projekten zur Lehr-Lern-Forschung unter neurowissenschaftlicher Perspektive" (call: promotion of explorative projects on learning and teaching research, neuro-scientific perspectives - phase 2)

2. State of the funding measure

Since November 2005 the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has supported interdisciplinary research in the field of neuroscience and research on learning and instruction within the framework of the funding programme "Neuroscience – Instruction – Learning (NIL)". To provide an incentive to an exchange of ideas among these disciplines, four piloting studies and three workshops were financed in the first phase of the funding programme. Phase 2 comprised funding for 18 explorative research projects and the current phase "NIL 3" supports ten large, interdisciplinary research projects.