Interfaculty Research Focus “Science Studies”
The faculties of psychotherapy science and psychology are already characterized by active research activities in the cultural sciences and humanities on the methodology and history of the disciplines of psychology and psychotherapy science. The special orientation of the SFU towards the humanities offers the scientific staff of the faculties the opportunity to carry out basic research. The special orientation of the SFU towards the humanities offers the scientific staff of the faculties the opportunity to conduct basic research on the self-reflexive aspects of science in four disciplines at once. So far, there is highly specialized research in this area at the individual research institutes, but no joint research initiatives yet.
The desideratum of the Faculty of Psychotherapy Science for the next six years is to strengthen collaboration within the faculty (Institute for Hermeneutic Therapy Research and Therapy Dialogue, Institute for Transcultural and Historical Research, Institute for Futures Research in Human Sciences) and to establish joint research groups. There is a desire on the part of the Faculties of Psychology and of Law to conduct joint interdisciplinary science research. For this purpose, there has been an exchange of the Vice-Deans for Research of the faculties (Ass.-Prof. Dr. Nora Ruck for the Faculty of Psychology, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Konrad Lachmayer for the Faculty of Law and Assoz. Prof. Dr. Kathrin Mörtl for the Faculty of Psychotherapy Science) since June 2020,
which aim to start initial activities with the relevant scientists at SFU from 2021 onwards. An open exchange of experts is needed here from 2021 to 2023
in order to initiate first interfaculty bottom-up research activities from 2023. The goal of this first stage is to network the expertise that is found in our institution in order to jointly develop
establish innovative science research that will be visible nationally and internationally. Since the individual institute directors of these areas (at the Faculty of
Psychotherapy Science are the internationally renowned scientists Univ.-Prof. Dr. Kurt Greiner, Ass.-Prof. Dr. Martin Jandl, Univ.-Prof. DDr. Bernd Rieken, Univ.-Prof.
Prof. Dr. Reinhold Popp, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Johannes Reichmayr and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Stephan Steiner) are very well anchored in the scientific community, the bundling of expertise in this interfaculty research focus. This interfaculty research focus will be able to progress productively. The first joint research publications and research funding applications are expected by 2026.