Research Funding in German Higher Education: Universities between Knowledge Economy and Academic Autonomy

In accordance with the single market programme, EU-research policy aims at a stronger orientation towards the economy. Its core instruments are the 'Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development' that emphasize a economic logic and challenging the traditional structure of the German academic field. European research policy is guided by the discursive model of a global knowledge economy. German research policy, however, is substantially shaped by the German Research Foundation, which represents the model of academic autonomy, financing diverse research topics and universities. Based on the latest data, this paper observes how the 7th Framework Programme's focus on economics and 'Global Research Universities' opposes the more pluralistic logic of the German Research Foundation. Tracing this tension empirically, fundamental questions are touched concerning the future of German higher education: While big and technical universities profit from European competition, smaller universities and especially those focusing on social sciences and the humanities are losing ground.