The Research Training Group (RTG) aims to promote an open-minded, simultaneously critical and engaged attitude: scientists who are aware of the potentials and limits of science as well as their responsibility toward society, and who are able to recognize different scientific approaches and communicate across disciplines or discourse communities including the public. The new RTG program responds to the experiences and evaluations in the first funding period mainly by a more targeted focus on the preparing for and implementing interdisciplinary work. This focus additionally emphasizes values, attitudes, and practices. The RTG also widens its scope to include prevention of the conflicts that may arise from differences between disciplines by offering low-level individual consultation, a regular schedule for its activities, and a new program for postdoctoral researchers that provides strong means for individual profile building.

The specific environment the RTG provides consists of systematic writing support; a specific support for interdisciplinarity; training of scientific, personal, and professional skills; and international networking—all bound together by reflective specialization. The RTG integrates its activities with those by career and graduate programs at Paderborn and Bielefeld University, also providing input to their graduate institutions.

Finally, the RTG will continue to study how interdisciplinary competences develop in large research networks.