LAUSR

The Max Planck Society (MPG) is Germany9s powerhouse when it comes to basic research, with an annual budget of €1.8 billion and 18 Nobel Prizes since it was founded in 1948. But between now and 2030, about 200 of the 300 director posts at the 84 MPG institutes will become vacant. The flood of retirements is a chance to hire more women and open up entirely new fields of research. But finding more female directors is a challenge as institutions around the world compete for top talent. And some researchers argue that MPG9s independent institutes are outdated and the society should work much more closely with universities.