ET Germany Newsletter #3 – Editorial

Dear Members of ET Germany,

Over the past months, several important developments have taken place. I am pleased to share a brief overview of significant milestones.

Germany Joins the Board of Governmental Representatives

Germany is now officially a member of the Einstein Telescope’s Board of Governmental Representatives (BGR).

The BGR brings together national representatives — typically from the relevant ministries — of the countries supporting the Einstein Telescope and serves as the central decision-making body for the project.

Until recently, Belgium, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were members, while Austria and Germany held observer status. Germany’s formal admission to the BGR marks an important step forward and strengthens its role within the European governance structure of ET.

Research Infrastructure Prioritisation Process

In 2024, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the Research Infrastructure Prioritisation Process (FIS). The German ET Coordination Team submitted its proposal in October 2024.

In July 2025, the project “ET — Preparatory Phase for the Einstein Telescope” was selected as one of nine successful proposals out of more than 60 submissions. This outcome confirms both the scientific significance of ET and Germany’s strong position in the relevant research domains.

Following this decision, discussions began with the BMBF and continued after the federal elections with the newly structured ministry, the BMFTR. Regular exchanges are now taking place between the ministry and representatives of ET Germany, including: the candidate site teams (EMR and Lusatia), the coordinators of the preparatory programme (German R&D contributions to ET), the coordinators of the two-stage preparatory phase, representatives from astrophysics and astroparticle physics, the German Centre for Astrophysics, and Germany’s representative in the Forum of National Representatives.These discussions focus on shaping the next steps and ensuring a well-coordinated and responsible implementation of the project in Germany, closely aligned with neighbouring research fields and international partners.

All substantive matters are reviewed within the ET Germany Coordination Team, which includes all Research Unit Leaders. Maintaining a transparent and reliable flow of information within the community remains a central priority, with the RU Leaders playing a key role in this process.

Germany has been at the forefront of gravitational-wave research since its earliest days, contributing decisively to the first detection and remaining deeply engaged in all major international initiatives. With this shared legacy and expertise, our community is well positioned to help shape the future of the Einstein Telescope and the field as a whole.