Menu

Foundation of the Helmholtz Institute Mainz

Signing of the Memorandum Foto: JGU/Stefan Schmidt

The German Bundestag has suggested the establishment of joint institutes of the Helmholtz Association with universities in such federal states where the Helmholtz Association is not present so far. This is intended to consolidate the close cooperation of non-university research institutions and universities.

Such an institute should be founded in 2009 jointly by the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz: The Helmholtz Institute for Structure, Symmetry and Stability of Matter and Antimatter, Mainz.

 

Main mile stones and the time line of the foundation process:

  • December 1, 2008: Call for ideas for the foundation of an Helmholtz Institute in the state of Rhineland Palatinate by the Helmholtz association.
  • December 23, 2008: Submission of a two page draft proposal to found a Helmholtz Institute Mainz: Structure, Symmetry and Stability of Matter and Antimatter.
  • March 13, 2009: Submission of a hundred page proposal to found a Helmholtz Institute Mainz: Structure, Symmetry and Stability of Matter and Antimatter.
  • April 16, 2009: First Session of the HIM Scientific Council
  • April 16, 2009: Signature of the cooperation contract between GSI and JGU Mainz on the operation of a Helmholtz Institute Mainz: Structure, Symmetry and Stability of Matter and Antimatter.
  • April 26 - 28, 2009: Evaluation of the proposal to found and Helmholtz Institute Mainz: “Proposal excellent in all aspects. Program aligned with Strategy of GSI, FAIR and JGU Mainz”.
  • April 28 - June 02, 2009: Development and negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding („Eckpunktepapier“) of important cornerstones of HIM, based on questions during evaluation and based on the evaluation report.
  • June 5, 2009: Evaluation report passes Helmholtz Senate with strong recommendation to found the Helmholtz Institute Mainz.
  • June 6, 2009: Foundation of the Helmholtz Institute Mainz by the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding by federal undersecretary of state, Storm, state research minister, D. Ahnen, GSI scientific director Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. H. Stöcker, Mainz university president Prof. Dr. G. Krausch, and President of the Helmholtz Association Prof. Dr. J. Mlynek.
  • July 1, 2009: Helmholtz Institute starts operation
  • October 15, 2009: Official notification from federal and state ministry on funding, full support by GSI and JGU Mainz.
  • November 21, 2009: Approval of the HIM budget plan by the GSI board of directors.
  • April 16, 2010: Kick-off event of the Helmholtz-Institute Mainz with 180 invited guest from Germany, Europe and the US, keynote speakers: Prof. Dr. Stan Brodsky, Stanford linear accelerator centre (SLAC) and Stanford University, federal undersecretary of state, H. Braun, state undersecretary of state M. Ebling, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. H. Stöocker, Director of GSI, and Prof. Dr. G. Krausch

 

Download Memorandum on the foundation of HIM Mainz (in German)