Verein zur Förderung der Epilepsieforschung e.V.

Please help support the successful and internationally renowned epilepsy research of our Department with your generous donation!

On 01.02.2017, the Verein zur Förderung der Epilepsieforschung e.V. (The Association for the Promotion of Epilepsy Research) was declared a non-profit organization and therefore tax deductible; a review takes place every three years.

“The purpose of the Association is to promote epileptological research in Bonn, particularly for individual research projects including those costs incurred for personnel, materials, travel, and the organisation of events. The Association also supports Bonn epilepsy projects which have partners abroad.” (Association statute from 26.10.2017, §2).

The statutes primarily provide membership for doctors who feel especially connected to epilepsy research (Association statute from 26.10.2017, §3). The Board of Directors selects new members based on written requests.

Research funding focuses on co-financing scientific staff and student assistants. Assistance measures for personnel are processed by the University Hospital Bonn; all financially-supported employees are regular employees of the University Hospital Bonn. Assistance measures are determined by the Executive Board or, for larger amounts, the entire board at the request of scientists. Bookkeeping and tax returns are handled by a professional tax consultancy firm.

During the Advent season, the Association sends out its traditional Christmas letter to almost 17,000 friends of the Department throughout Germany to request donations. In this letter, the Director of the Department informs everyone of the research activities and scientific successes of the previous year, while simultaneously requesting financial support for the upcoming year.

The Department of Epileptology in Bonn was an important starting point in developing Bonn as a location for clinical and basic scientific brain research. World-wide renowned workgroups conduct research at the Department of Epileptology.

In 2017, the Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognitive Science (headed by Prof. H. Beck) was formed from the Department of Epileptology. Professor Beck heads one of the current special research centres in Bonn (SFB 1089). In previous years, the Department was always at the forefront of special research areas (particularly SFB-TR3 Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsies, 2001-2013), as well as major European collaborative projects. In the past, other workgroups in the Institute for Neuropathology (Prof. Dr. A. Becker, Prof. Dr. S. Schoch McGovern) and in the Department of Neurosurgery (Prof. Dr. D Dietrich), as well as the Institute for Cellular Neuroscience (Prof. Dr. D. Steinhäuser) have worked intensively on research questions involving epilepsy and, in some cases, they continue to do so today.

The extraordinary scientific success of these workgroups and research associations has certainly helped to ensure that the brain research institute, Life & Brain, as well as the headquarters for the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), were able to move to Bonn; these impressive new buildings are within eyeshot of the Department of Epileptology.

The Bonn Centre activities for European Studies and Research, caesar, also persues a neuroscientific emphasis in its research

Today, Bonn is certainly one of the most important locations for brain research within Germany. In 2019, Bonn University was one of only ten German universities that obtained the title, “University of Excellence”.
Therefore, epilepsy research at the Department of Epileptology in Bonn is embedded in an ideal research environment (i.e., also with regard to recruiting talented young scientists).

Every year, the Department of Epileptology publishes approximately 50 – 60 original- and review articles in distinguished international journals.

The research activities of the Department encompass the following fields of expertise: clinical epileptology (including also clinical studies); neuropsychology: physics of complex neuronal systems; cortical oscillations, extracellular electrophysiology in humans and neurocognition (including single-unit leads); functional and structural MR imaging; neuropsychiatry (including non-epileptic seizure disorders).

All the workgroups within the Department enjoy a high scientific reputation internationally.

The Association supports the scientific workgroup with additional staff (scientific staff, student assistants), materials (i.e., small equipment such as laptops or measuring instruments, software), travel expenses (i.e. young scientists travelling to congresses) and scientific, continuing education events (i.e. Bonn Epilepsy Seminar). The core funding of the projects is guaranteed by the University Hospital Bonn (basic equipment) as well as third party funds that have been raised (i.e. BMBF). This also guarantees quality assurance for all the projects.

The statutes state that funding is limited to scientific activities in Bonn, as well as joint projects between Bonn and foreign partners.

Make a contribution after receiving our annual Christmas letter requesting donations. Would you like to receive our letter? Then please send an e-mail which includes your postal address to Ms. Ruth Bender ().
Make a donation instead of giving a present (for special birthdays and similar festive occasions) - Please do not hesitate to contact us! All donors receive an individual donation receipt.
Make a donation instead of sending flowers (in the event of a death) - Please do not hesitate to contact us! All donors receive an individual donation receipt.
Fund-raising campaign for company anniversaries and similar occasions.
Bequests and inheritances in the event of a death: many long-time sponsors and friends of our Department have also generously taken into account our Association and epilepsy research in their will.

Founded: 22.11.1984
Registration of associations: District Court Bonn VR 5180
Last notice of exemption: 19.05.2020 (Taxation Office - Bonn Centre)
Funding of Bonn research projects for epilepsy with personnel and materials

Board of Directors: