Coronavirus updates Coronavirus updates

The postponement of upcoming research and practice semesters due to the corona pandemic, and the interruption of research and practice semesters that are currently underway, is generally possible. However, this requires clarification of how the teaching requirements for the current semester will be fulfilled and how the courses that will not be taught during the replacement research or practice semester can still be offered. Applications should be submitted to the Executive Board via the faculties.

HAW Hamburg is currently consulting with the Hamburg Ministry of Science, Research, Equality and Districts (BWFGB) about the possibility of extending projects funded with state research funds and LoM funding in response to the corona crisis. The aim is to extend current projects and also to secure coverage for additional costs resulting from the corona crisis. HAW Hamburg has also requested that the BWFG work to secure a similar arrangement at the level of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) for projects supported by other funders (e.g. other Hamburg ministries, the German Research Foundation [DFG], federal ministries and the EU).

Due to the current situation, the academic fixed-term labour contract act (WissZeitVG) was supplemented with a temporary regulation via the law to support academia and students (WissStudUG) in May 2020. Because of the pandemic-related constraints on university and academic operations, the maximum limit for fixed-term contracts for academic and artistic staff in the qualifying phase of their education was extended. It was thus permissable to extend employment relationships for the purpose of academic qualification that took effect between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2020 for an additional six months.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) was also authorised to extend the maximum limit for fixed-term contracts for a maximum of six additional months via legal ordinance should the Covid-19 pandemic persist, dependent on the length of the crisis and subject to approval from the upper house of the German parliament.

The BMBF has now made use of this authorisation, as there are still significant restrictions on university and academic operations as a result of the pandemic. Against this backdrop, the maximum length of fixed-term contracts for academics in the qualifying phase of their education has been extended for a further six months. This six-month extension now also applies to employment relationships initiated between 1 October 2020 and 31 March 2021. The upper house of parliament approved the ordinance on 18 September 2020 and it took effect on 1 October 2020.

Such an extension is only possible, however, if the necessary funds are available. The first point of contact regarding the financing of such an extension is the supervising professor. Additional information can be obtained from the relevant department or faculty or the funder of the particular qualification project.

In response to the corona crisis, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has made temporary adjustments to the funding and selection criteria for its Research at Technical Universities programme.

Questions and answers about BMBF research funding during the corona crisis (in German only)

The European Commission has compiled a presentation containing questions and answers about carrying out projects under coronavirus-related constraints: Grant Management under COVID-19. The staff at the BMBF's EU office and at the NKS-Netzwerk are available to answer your questions. If you have questions in the area of EU funding, please contact eu-forschung (@) haw-hamburg.de as usual.

In order to compensate for corona-related delays and stoppages in research projects, the following graduated procedure is recommended.

• Please first assess whether it is possible to restructure the project process in order to at least partly compensate for delays and stoppages. Ideally this can be done without a noteworthy reduction in the planned project scope. This measure should generally be agreed with the project funder, and the Finance and Accounting Department should be involved where necessary.
   
• Additionally, a cost-neutral extension together with savings in the project could be a possible way of compensating. This should therefore be negotiated and agreed with the project funder in a timely manner before the project completion date. Please also involve the External Funding Team from Finance and Accounting at an early stage.
   
• If cost-increasing measures are ultimately the only way to compensate for the remaining corona-related delays and stoppages, this should be communicated to the project funder in a timely manner. Where possible, an application should be made to the funder for additional funding to cover these measures. You will likely need to present the additional costs in a comprehensible and concrete way. You will probably also need to demonstrate that you have already exhausted the two options listed above.

The External Funding Team from Finance and Accounting is available to advise you on these options. Unfortunately, HAW Hamburg does not have any central funds to compensate for increased expenditures in the research projects. HAW Hamburg is therefore in discussion with the BWFGB and the relevant funders.