Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft

The Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft (IMEW) was a non-profit research institute based in Berlin, Germany, dedicated to biomedical and ethical research with a particular focus on the concerns of people with disabilities and chronic illness. Founded in 2001 by nine disability and social associations, it was established as a gemeinnützige GmbH (gGmbH) to provide scientific support for the work of its member organisations. The founding was closely linked to the bioethics debate of the late 1990s, especially opposition to the Bioethics Convention and to non-beneficial research on people unable to give consent. IMEW's mission was to anchor the perspective of people with disabilities and chronic illness sustainably in science, politics and society. It pursued this through events, specialist publications, research funding and policy advice. The institute maintained a specialised reference library in Berlin, published several series on bioethical topics, and organised the Friedrichshainer Gespräche (public discussions) and Friedrichshainer Kolloquien (academic colloquia). Since 2006 it awarded the IMEW-Preis and the IMEW-Nachwuchspreis for outstanding scientific work on the conditions and consequences of medical practice for disabled and chronically ill people. IMEW was governed by its nine shareholder associations, each sending one representative to the shareholders' meeting, which elected a seven-member board of trustees (Kuratorium). The board elected the scientific advisory council. Katrin Grüber led the institute from 2001. The institute was a member of the Netzwerk Technikfolgenabschätzung (NTA) and the European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics (EACME). IMEW ceased operations on 31 December 2023. Its publications remain accessible, and a statement by the shareholders is available on its website.

The Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft (IMEW) emerged from the bioethics debate of 1998. In that year, four disability associations, with support from the Initiative Selbstbestimmt Leben and the Bundesverband für Körper- und Mehrfachbehinderte, organised a congress in Kassel under the title "Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar" (The dignity of man is inviolable), directed against the "grasp of bioethics on life". This mobilisation led to the founding of IMEW in 2001 by nine disability and social associations, with financial support from Aktion Mensch. The institute was established as a non-profit limited liability company (gemeinnützige GmbH) to provide scientific backing for the associations' work, particularly to resist non-beneficial research on people unable to give consent in the context of the Bioethics Convention debate. From the outset, IMEW focused on medical and bioethical questions, including the social and cultural consequences of biomedical developments. It published several series on bioethical topics and maintained a specialised reference library in Berlin open to all interested parties. It organised two discussion series: the Friedrichshainer Gespräche, aimed at the interested public, and the Friedrichshainer Kolloquien, aimed at a scientific audience. The nine shareholder associations also maintained an ethics forum that produced statements on current ethical issues, sometimes with external experts; by 2011, fourteen such statements had been issued, the most recent in April 2011 on the legal regulation of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PID). Since 2006, IMEW awarded two prizes, the IMEW-Preis and the IMEW-Nachwuchspreis, recognising outstanding scientific work on the conditions and consequences of medical practice for disabled and chronically ill people. The institute collaborated regularly with the Akademie für Ethik in der Medizin, the Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and the German Red Cross, among others, and cooperated with over twenty further scientific institutions and initiatives. It was a member of the Netzwerk Technikfolgenabschätzung (NTA) and the European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics (EACME). Governance rested with the nine shareholder associations, each sending one representative to the shareholders' meeting. This meeting elected a seven-member board of trustees (Kuratorium), which in turn elected the scientific advisory council. At the time of its active period, the chair of the board of trustees was Ute Lindauer, with former Federal Health Minister Andrea Fischer as deputy chair; the scientific advisory council was chaired by the Catholic theologian Dietmar Mieth. Katrin Grüber led the institute as director from 2001. IMEW ceased its activities on 31 December 2023. A statement by the shareholders was published on the institute's website, and its publications remain accessible.

• 2023

  IMEW ceased operations on 31 December; a statement by the shareholders was published.

• 2011

  The most recent ethics forum statement, on the legal regulation of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PID), was issued in April.

• 2006

  IMEW began awarding the IMEW-Preis and the IMEW-Nachwuchspreis.

• 2005

  The ethics forum of the shareholder associations began issuing statements; by 2011 fourteen statements had been produced.

• 2001

  IMEW founded by nine disability and social associations as a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH), with financial support from Aktion Mensch.

• 2001

  Katrin Grüber became director of the institute.

• 1998

  Four disability associations, with support from Initiative Selbstbestimmt Leben and the Bundesverband für Körper- und Mehrfachbehinderte, organised a congress in Kassel titled "Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar" against the "grasp of bioethics on life".

Non-profit research institute providing a scientific forum for the participation of disabled people, combining cultural and social critique with pragmatic solutions in bioethics and disability policy.

• IMEW-Publikationen

  Several publication series on bioethical topics.

• Friedrichshainer Gespräche

  Discussion series on ethical questions aimed at the interested public.

• Friedrichshainer Kolloquien

  Discussion series on ethical questions aimed at a scientific audience.

• IMEW-Preis

  Award for outstanding scientific work on the conditions and consequences of medical practice for disabled and chronically ill people.

• IMEW-Nachwuchspreis

  Early-career award in the same field.

• Fachspezifische Präsenzbibliothek

  A specialised reference library in Berlin open to all interested parties.

1. 1Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft: Startseite/Aktuellesimew.de
2. 2Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft: Über unsimew.de
3. 3Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaft: Testimonialsimew.de
4. 4Wikidata: Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaftwikidata.org
5. 5Wikipedia (de): Institut Mensch, Ethik und Wissenschaftde.wikipedia.org