Jeannette Endres-Becker heads the Global Health team at DLR Projektträger, leading a group of around ten people. How did she come to join DLR? Her path may seem rather unconventional, as the 47-year-old was originally drawn to entirely different fields. In this interview, she explains why she values her role as a scientific officer at DLR Projektträger and why she feels she is exactly where she is meant to be.
This interview was conducted by Manuela Braun.
You studied pharmacy, worked as a pharmacist, earned your doctorate at the Charité Berlin and then worked at the University Hospital of Cologne. How did you make the switch from this very practical work to an administrative role at Projektträger?
Indeed. I used to spend a lot of time in the lab, which I really enjoyed. However, a career in science at German universities is a challenging and uncertain path. You never truly know whether there will be a future for you, and if there is, what it will look like. That uncertainty became too much for me, so I began looking for an alternative. In 2008, I became aware of DLR through the astronaut application process, which later selected Alexander Gerst, among others. As I’m fascinated by aerospace, I seized the opportunity and applied. Unfortunately, I was eliminated early on, but I then came across a job opening at DLR Projektträger. The great thing is that, although I now have an office job, I’m still connected to science. We don’t conduct the research ourselves, but we initiate and support it. Through our work with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), we engage with politics at a higher level. Working at this interface makes the whole experience exciting.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
My working days can vary quite a bit. That's one of the appealing aspects of my job. Often, something unforeseen arises. Much of it reaches us urgently and involves tight deadlines: it might entail preparations for appointments for our clients, project overviews or technical assessments. It could also involve extensive research if, for example, someone wants to know what projects related to influenza are being funded by the Ministry.
Our primary task for the BMBF is to design and manage funding programmes. I oversee funding programmes in the field of infection research, as well as programmes focusing on neglected tropical diseases and cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa. We develop the ideas for such programmes, work on them closely with the Ministry, and formally review the incoming applications from the scientific community. In some cases, we also assess the applications ourselves. If researchers receive a positive response, they can apply for the funds, and we review these applications before any funding decisions are made. A typical research project lasts several years, and we supervise it throughout that period. We regularly receive interim reports, financial statements and the final report.
What, for example, is one of your current projects about?
One of our current projects is the research network TAKeOff. In many cases, we don't supervise individual projects, but rather collaborations and networks where various partners work together in an interdisciplinary way to create added value. The focus of TAKeOff is the treatment of filariasis, an infection caused by parasitic threadworms. This disease is prevalent in certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the neglected tropical diseases. Filariasis is a highly debilitating condition that also stigmatises those affected, as it causes painful, disfiguring swelling in the feet and legs. Although there are existing therapies, they are not sufficiently targeted. The network is investigating whether certain drug combinations might be more effective. An important aspect of the project is also local health education: training and information campaigns aim to help people better understand the disease and learn how to prevent it, such as through regular foot hygiene.
Do you also go to the project location to see for yourselves?
Meeting of a funding programme in Cape Town (2023)
For national initiatives in Germany, we sometimes visit the location during the course of a three-year project. Many funding measures support larger networks that meet regularly to exchange ideas – we are also involved in these. In the case of Africa, the effort is naturally greater, so we are less likely to be on site. For example, in Ghana and South Africa, we have organised events where all the networks met and exchanged ideas. The aim was to bring together scientists and political stakeholders from African countries. The implementation of research results often faces obstacles, and for that we need local political support.
Why are Projektträger and research in Germany dealing with diseases in Africa, for example? What benefits can we derive from this?
There are many diseases that might seem very distant but are actually emerging in Europe due to climate change. For instance, dengue fever is already prevalent in parts of Spain. The coronavirus pandemic, of course, served as a wake-up call: with national thinking and the attitude of "We only fund here, let others fund their research themselves," you will eventually reach a dead end when it comes to infectious diseases. Here, everyone must work together, and science must be globally networked. And we benefit directly from this!
When it comes to infectious diseases, everyone has to work together; science must be networked worldwide.
Your work involves a lot of talking to people. You act as an interface, bringing everyone together and promoting exchange. What skills are needed for such a job?
You need to understand different 'languages' – but not in the sense of foreign languages. We see ourselves as mediators and translators between science and politics. They essentially speak different languages and have very different strategies and interests. Worlds often collide, not only between politics and science but also between science and administration. We aim to bring everyone together and ‘translate’ these different languages. That’s the service we provide.
What professional backgrounds do the employees in DLR Projektträger have?
Most of us come from the natural and social sciences – many are from fields like biology, psychology and medicine. I’m not the only trained pharmacist at DLR Projektträger. A technical background is essential to design funding measures effectively. An understanding of the natural sciences is a great advantage in our work. However, to carry out all our tasks, we also rely on the expertise of our funding managers, who have backgrounds in business or administrative management, and, of course, our colleagues in office management. Only by working together with them can we properly support the funded projects.
How do you balance this work at so many interfaces?
In her free time, Jeannette Endres-Becker enjoys painting with acrylics.
In my free time, I paint with acrylics – something completely unrelated to science or rational thinking. In my paintings, I move between the abstract and the real, between surface and line, between bold and muted colours. For me, painting is about capturing details that often go unnoticed in everyday life.
You can find current vacancies at DLR Projektträger here.
