LEAD Graduate School & Research Network

About

The LEAD Graduate School & Research Network (Learning, Educational Achievement, and Life Course Development) brings together more than 100 scientists from twelve research fields and more than ten nations. With our research, we make a significant contribution to understanding and improving educational processes that are equally relevant to science and practice.

Our mission is to contribute to the evidence-based approach in educational policy and to train highly qualified educational experts for research and practice.

Our goal is to use our research to create a reliable foundation for evidence-based education policy. We also train experts in the areas of learning, achievement, and lifelong development.

You can learn more about our work in the LEAD Brochure.


This is how we work

Interdisciplinary

Within LEAD, researchers from different research fields collaborate, e.g.:

  • Biology
  • Computer Sciences
  • Economics
  • Education Sciences
  • Empirical Educational Research
  • Language and Linguistics
  • Mathematics
  • Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Sport Sciences
  • Physics

Also involved in LEAD are the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM) in Tübingen and the German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning (DIE) in Bonn. In addition, we cooperate closely with the Tübingen School of Education – a central scientific institution for teacher training at the University of Tübingen.

Innovative

We want to contribute to empirically based knowledge about education-related topics. Therefore, we deal with our research questions within the framework of long-term projects and bring together researchers from different backgrounds with their approaches, study designs and methods of data analysis. We work with state-of-the-art research designs that adequately take into account the complexity of the research subjects. Technical opportunities are used in an innovative way for our research (e.g. virtual reality to simulate different learning environments, eye tracking to capture attention of teachers and learners).

International

At LEAD, researchers from over ten nations work together. The following long-standing and internationally renowned scientists belong to LEAD as Distinguished International Professors:

Our guest professors are not only involved in LEAD research projects, but they also work as co-mentors for our doctoral candidates and give seminars and lectures.


From a Graduate School to an Internationally Leading Research Network

2025

LEAD now comprises six Core Research Areas (to the research areas), more than 200 members (to the member list), and over 40 partner schools.

2024

LEAD celebrates its 100th doctoral graduation (to the overview of alumni and their dissertations).

2019

50 successfully defended dissertations; LEAD will be continuously funded as a graduate school and research network

2018

About 50 professors belong to the research network

2017

26 LEAD PhD candidates have graduated by the end of 2017

2016

Enlargement from a graduate school to a research network

2015

First dissertation within LEAD.

2014

Foundation of the Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology and the Tübingen Postdoctoral Academy for Research on Education (PACE) at the University of Tübingen

2013

21 professors from six research fields supervise 22 doctoral candidates

2012

Foundation of the LEAD Graduate School in the framework of the Excellence Initiative of the federal and state governments


Funding

Funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts Baden-Württemberg as part of the sustainable financing of the projects of the Excellence Initiative II.


Boards and Bodies

Management

Gender and Diversity Board

The Gender and Diversity Board ensures a family-friendly and equal opportunity environment within LEAD and addresses the individual needs of our members with mentoring programs, special coaching or dual career opportunities.

Advisory Board

The “Schule & Wissenschaft” Advisory Board has supported and advised LEAD since 2021 in implementing its research and training program, as well as in the strategic development of the “Schule & Wissenschaft” cooperation program. Successful collaboration between educational research and schools requires many voices to be heard. The board brings together perspectives from LEAD partner schools, educational administration, and university-based teacher education.
 

The Advisory Board Webiste

LEADing Research Center

The LEADing Research Center (LRC), headed by Prof Ulrich Trautwein, supports all LEAD members to conduct studies at schools (via the cooperation program ‚Schools & Research’) and to disseminate their research findings in practice, politics, administration and the public (via professional scientific communication).