Aid organisations have to react rapidly and effectively in crisis situations. Logistics is a crucial aspect of such action. A research project of the FWF is focused on how private logistics companies and humanitarian organisations can intensify their cooperation and work more effectively. Economists develop optimal pricing and contractual forms for this purpose. Continue reading “Humanitarian logistics – when help is effective”
The sociologist Hilde Weiss talks about the specific Austrian context, the salient features of a good society, and why one needs a thick skin in the world of science. Continue reading “Enemy stereotypes: collective problem-solving”
Modified “good” cholesterol (HDL) and the activation of specific genes are causes of damage to the vascular system in chronic renal disease. These fundamental findings are the result of a recently completed project supported by the FWF and could facilitate new approaches to prevention. Continue reading “Why kidney disease damages the vascular system”
Human interventions increasingly threaten the habitat of many plant and animal species. A project funded by the FWF now aims to provide fundamental insights for countering the loss of biodiversity and preserving ecosystems in agrarian regions. Continue reading “Corridors to enhance biodiversity”
Children of Turkish migrants with low levels of education find it particularly hard to get a higher education in Austria. This was demonstrated by a social science study comparing the country with France and Sweden. The significant findings have now been published in book form. Continue reading “Children of Turkish migrants disadvantaged in Austria”
Life as a shift-worker, far from home, is usually considered problematic and often described in such terms. An interdisciplinary project funded by the FWF focuses on the Russian petroleum industry to study the complex interconnections in long-distance commuting and reconstituting the normality of a life between extremes. Continue reading “At the far end of the pipeline – Long-distance commuting as a way of life”
How dangerous are environmental chemicals and what is their effect on human health? In a project funded by the FWF, the pharmacist Daniela Schuster is currently developing a computer-based “early warning system” for potentially dangerous substances. Continue reading “A ranking of environmental chemicals”
Thanks to the first high-resolution structural analysis of the muscle protein α-actinin, scientists now have a better understanding of how muscles work. The analysis provides crucial information about the structure and function of this complex muscle protein and could lead to the development of new treatments for major muscular disorders. The results of the project, […] Continue reading “Scientists gain insight into the function of a key muscle protein”
The generation of electrical charges in response to mechanical deformation is a distinctive feature of piezoelectric materials. This property can be used to avoid mechanical stresses in special materials. A project currently funded by the FWF will make a key contribution to the optimisation of these “intelligent materials”. Continue reading “Piezoelectric effects for the suppression of material stresses”