Research question/goal:

The coordination and networking of the DeZIM research community aims to encourage cooperation between the members of the DeZIM research community and the DeZIM institute. The networking and coordination staff in all research institutes of the DeZIM research community ensure an intensive and systematic exchange between the institutions involved (e.g. with regard to communication and organization of scientific conferences and workshops).

The German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM) was founded in July 2017 and is headed by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). It aims to strengthen, connect and advance existing structures in migration and integration research. Furthermore, it addresses crucial questions of migration and integration research while attempting to close research gaps. DeZIM consists of two cooperating pillars: the DeZIM institute in Berlin, providing departmental research, and the DeZIM research community, comprising seven established research institutes for migration and integration research, among them the MZES.

Current stage:

During the reporting year, the systematic consolidation of network activities was further advanced, with a primary focus on strengthening inter-institutional cooperation within the DeZIM Research Community. The programmes DeZIM.Co-Work (a travel fund supporting joint research projects among consortium institutes) and DeZIM.Mentoring were successfully continued in 2025.

The annual DeZIM Conference was held in 2025 at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) in Nuremberg and was dedicated to PhD students. It once again served as a key platform for methodological and thematic exchange among early-career researchers within the DeZIM Research Community. The FG-Wednesday continues to rank among the most well-attended and well-established exchange formats in the community. To further enhance knowledge transfer, a podcast format for the projects in the Research Community is currently under development, with its conceptual and organisational design coordinated in close cooperation with the DeZIM Institute and the BMFSFJ. Furthermore, the cooperation project PoMigDem, comprising two subprojects at the MZES, was launched in June 2025 and is ongoing.

The 2025 milestone plan is progressing according to schedule; all objectives and programmes planned for the reporting period have either been completed or are currently in active implementation.