Research Information System

The following research achievements, linked with the profiles of the scientists and units of TU Braunschweig, are to be prospectively incorporated into the FIS:

• Third-party-funded projects (productive since January 2025)
• Publications (September 2026)
• Spin-offs (with a further phase of expansion)
• Patents (with a further phase of expansion)
• Awards and honors (September 2026)
• Research infrastructures (with a further expansion phase)
• Support for early-career researchers (with a further expansion phase)
• Other activities, such as conference participation (with a further expansion phase)

The data will initially be accessible only within the university, but in the interest of transparency, it will later be made available to the public in an appropriate format.

With the introduction of the FIS, the plan is to establish a comprehensive and up-to-date database of research and knowledge transfer activities at TU Braunschweig. As needed, data will be generated from other established systems or entered directly into the FIS, validated, and published. The added value for all academic and academic support staff at TU Braunschweig is evident in the following objectives of the FIS:

• A comprehensive overview of TU Braunschweig’s research achievements (e.g., publications, projects, awards, activities)
• Transparency in the collection and use of data on research activities and results
• An attractive and controlled presentation of individual and departmental/faculty research profiles over the long term across all career stages
• Optimization and streamlining of research documentation and administration through single data entry  and use for various purposes
• Combined approach of quantitative and qualitative parameters, taking into account the academic culture
• Compliance with legal and policy reporting requirements
• Digital processing and verification of third-party funding declarations

The FIS is aimed at various audiences and dialogue groups, including:

• All members and affiliates of TU Braunschweig engaged in academic research.
• Research support staff in the institutes and faculties of TU Braunschweig
• University management and committees
• Department of the central university administration
• Interested parties within and outside TU Braunschweig (e.g., prospective employees, cooperation partners, funding agencies)

The university community has been actively involved in discussions since the initial planning stages for establishing a Research Information System at TU Braunschweig. Individuals from the following units and departments are playing a key role in the implementation:

• Executive Board (Vice President for Research and Early-Career Faculty, Vice President for Digitalization and Sustainability)
• Research Services
• Gauß IT Zentrum
• Department 21 – Budget Law and Finance
• University Library
• University Controlling
• Project Management Office
• Strategic University Development

Feedback from the decentralized units and researchers, as the primary users, will also be actively incorporated into the implementation and optimization of the system.

The Digital Research Notification (DiFA) was a system developed in-house by the TU Braunschweig to digitally process third-party funding notifications. The research projects themselves were not included. The FIS system incorporates both functions. Funding applications can be submitted, reviewed, and approved for registered research projects. This enables the FIS to take over the functionality of DiFA while also incorporating additional features. The FIS is based on the HISinOne technical application, which is already in use at TU Braunschweig. The provider is HIS eG, a cooperative of universities of which TU Braunschweig is a member. The application is continuously being further developed - taking into account the needs of the cooperative’s members - and adapted to modern requirements. To reduce system diversity and avoid duplication, the FIS has replaced DiFA.

Since January 29, 2025, research notifications have been submitted via the FIS, and at the same time, DiFA has been blocked for new entries. All final-checked and approved notifications were migrated to the FIS in early April 2025 following a grace period and are available there as a basis for any necessary change notifications.

Against the context of increasing reporting requirements, transparency standards, and ongoing competition among universities for external funding, resources, and early-career researchers, the Executive Board of TU Braunschweig decided in December 2022 to launch a project to introduce a Research Information System (FIS). Initial discussions and the initiative for the project developed across departments within a working group comprising representatives from the university leadership, central units, and the administration.

The goal of the project is to gradually implement the relevant data areas to TU Braunschweig into the FIS between January 2023 and December 2026. As part of the implementation project and beyond, the FIS is to be established as a central information platform for research activities at TU Braunschweig and, at the same time, serve as a working tool for various processes in research management.

Further information on the FIS project can be found on the project page.

After evaluating various providers, the HisinOne-RES application from HIS eG was selected for the implementation of a research information system at TUBS.

As a cooperative of universities, HIS eG, unlike commercial providers, allows for close involvement in the development process and a say in key decisions regarding product development, budget, and strategic direction. The cooperative model ensures stability and continuity, unlike other providers, which may disappear from the market depending on economic conditions. Additionally, HIS eG ensures compliance with current legal requirements and the creation of the Core Research Data Set (KDSF).

RES is a module of the overall HisinOne system, whose other modules already support other administrative and management processes at TUBS. The system is therefore already familiar to many users, and synergies in data collection are expected. HISinOne-RES is the most widely used solution for a research information system (FIS) at public universities in Germany. This promotes intensive exchange and a learning process among universities. Last but not least, in addition to implementing a research information system, the software also enables the mapping of research management processes, such as the display of third-party funding.