The journalist Teresa Arrieta talking to Prof. Barbara Kofler, head of the Laura Bassi Centre THERAPEP.

What does it mean for you to head the new Laura Bassi Centre “THERAPEP”?

I think it’s brilliant! As far as my scientific career is concerned, it’s the project for me to do, and I’m very pleased that my work is being recognised. And it also makes me more visible on the research scene. I get a lot of response from the scientific community and from politicians. Since I have been in charge of the Laura Bassi Centre I have realised that, as a woman in science, you still tend to have too little self-confidence. Men are usually more sure of themselves, they definitely beat us in this regard.

So the Laura Bassi Centre has made you more self-confident.

It was a big step for me to submit an application for a Laura Bassi Centre. Then I called my industrial partner and was invited to give a talk. What followed was a tough interrogation, but after three weeks I got a positive answer. The fact that we have convinced a global player to join us proves to me that we are on the right track.

The Laura Bassi Centres of Expertise impetus programme encourages a “new research culture” with a special focus on the applicants’ management skills. How do you assess the new requirements?

Science still pays very little attention to management. Correspondingly, management criteria were new to me. At first this made me a little insecure. But then I completed a course in project management, which was helpful. I was surprised to find, however, that my industrial partner objected to all too strict project management, because they were worried that research might become inflexible. But I am glad that I was required to deal with such things. It has provided me with new stimuli. My employees and the operational structure even outside the Laura Bassi Centre will profit from this. My employees welcome the fact that there is a specific to-do list to go by. In basic research you are generally prone to losing track of things, and this new structure helps us to be efficient.

An important objective of the Laura Bassi Programme is to boost equal opportunities, such as for female researchers with a family. Do you have any concrete plans to implement this strategy?

I draw mainly from my own experience in this regard: on the one hand, I got my husband to take paternity leave. I strongly recommend that female researchers remember to also fight for their rights in their personal sphere. Furthermore, I placed our son in a day-nursery already at the age of one-and-a-half. I want to support my female employees in this regard as well. They must not let reproaches like that of being an uncaring mother get to them. You must not let other people make you feel guilty. Our son has turned out to be completely normal, in spite of changing attachment figures. On the other hand, I am all the more attentive when I spend time with my child in the evening. People are sometimes surprised at the many things we do together. It is not so much the amount of time but whether or not it is quality time that you spend with your child. I want to pass on this insight to the women and men on the Laura Bassi team.

How do you deal with the area of tension between science and industry? How do you manage the topic of intellectual property rights?

The cooperation so far has been a great surprise. I was worried that I might be knocked in a cocked hat and gagged during the negotiations on intellectual property rights. But we now have a very fair contract, and we can continue to publish papers as scientists. This is a clear sign that our industrial partner intends to cooperate with us in a productive manner.

What, in your opinion, is the added value of the Laura Bassi Programme compared to other research programmes?

The scope and the term of the project are extraordinary. It allows us to concentrate on our work, and we don’t have to keep wasting our time trying to raise new funds. This creates a stable working environment that allows me to promote my employees’ professional development. Furthermore, this is the first time that a large research project supplies me with a sufficient budget to hire someone else to do the administrative tasks. This is completely new to me and makes my working life much easier. I can devote myself entirely to tutoring students and doing research. Another innovative aspect of the Laura Bassi Programme is the strong support it gets from the FFG – even as regards the public presence. This enhances the positive image of the Laura Bassi Centres, and that’s beneficial for me, too.

How do you assess the new concept of the Laura Bassi Programme? Do you think it has the potential to establish a higher degree of equal opportunities in research?

I think the programme is marvellous. It proves that excellent research is done in large part by women and that women with a family can also be highly qualified scientists at the same time. 

Interview: Teresa Arrieta