The DFG “should think twice about which train to jump on here,” demanded Josef Pfeilschifter and Helmut Wicht a week ago in their guest article on the “Diversity Standards” of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

It's easy to answer: Yes, the DFG has given careful consideration to the further development of its research-oriented gender equality standard in gender equality and diversity standards, and its member institutions have committed themselves to this this summer with an overwhelming majority.

And it was and is not about jumping on whatever train, but about a contemporary perception of science, about eliminating an obvious problem area in the German science system and about opening up and using perspectives.

To clarify a few facts first: The research-oriented gender equality and diversity standards contain structural and personnel standards that the scientific institutions implement individually.

This measure, which starts at the institutional level, is accompanied by the equality and diversity concept.

In the latter, the DFG looks at its funding activities.

The aim is to remove any barriers in the funding programs and procedures and to expand corresponding individual support measures.

According to paragraph 1 of its statutes, the DFG supports research of the highest quality.

Outstanding science requires, among other things, a broad spectrum of experience, skills and ideas as well as a polyphonic discourse - and it is precisely in this sense that the DFG supports gender equality and diversity in science.

As early as 2008, the Research-Oriented Equality Standards (FOG) were adopted by the DFG members - universities, non-university research institutions, scientific associations and academies - and they agreed to promote them together.

They include, for example, setting up transparent and fair selection processes or actively ensuring that men and women can combine family and academic careers.

For an open academic culture

The text from 2008 already stated that "all personal decisions should be judged strictly according to performance or potential and not according to gender or other social factors such as age, disability or illness, origin, sexual orientation, religion and world view".

This aspect, which is derived from the diversity dimensions of the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), was expanded when the FOG was revised, and the standards have now been renamed “Research-Oriented Equality and Diversity Standards” (FOGD).

The aspect of "social origin" in the sense of the economic situation, origin from a non-academic family or migration history has been added as a further dimension.

These dimensions are not (yet) covered by the AGG,

It is by no means the aim of the FOGD to sort researchers into "identities" or to create a "diversity register".

On the contrary.

In addition to fulfilling legal requirements, in particular from the Basic Law and the AGG, the primary goal of the FOGD is to “sustainably promote the equality of all people with different genders, backgrounds, experiences and characteristics in science”, so that they can use their talents , their potential and their variety of ideas to increase the quality of research and teaching.

Like me, the members of the DFG, which is organized under the law of associations, are deeply convinced that science cannot do without these talents.