Let's talk about UBAUT is one of the winning concepts of the 2016 Idea’s Competition for International Research Marketing by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The competition was initiated to enhance the international visibility of research in Germany and attract highly qualified scientists. The awarded UBAUT program was developed under the lead of Goethe University Frankfurt, additional participating partners are Mainz University, the Institute of Molecular Biology in Mainz, the MPI for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim and the Georg Speyer Haus in Frankfurt.
Over the past decade, a strategic focus on UBiquitin and AUTophagy (UBAUT) research emerged in the Rhine-Main area which is in its compactness unique in Germany. This process culminated in the establishment of two networks which form the heart of UBAUT: the LOEWE program “Ubiquitin Networks”, funded by the HMWK, and the Collaborative Research Cluster 1177 on Autophagy (SFB 1177), established by the DFG.

The UBAUT programs aim to utilize the strengths of these two research networks to build a strong reputation on an international level. The award of 100,000 € enables the partners now to initiate several innovative programs. Activities comprise ambassador visits to renowned research institutions in the US as well as short stipends for international scientists wishing to pursue a career in Germany. Initially, activities will concentrate on the San Francisco Bay area and the Boston area, as these cities form hotspots of biomedical research within the US.