I have blogged in the past about an imminent threat to the Erwin Schrödinger Institute (ESI) in Vienna, Austria. The Austrian Ministry of Science had informed the ESI on November 8, 2010, that the institute’s funding would be terminated on January 1, 2011, which essentially coincides with the 50th anniversary of Schrödinger’s death.
News spread among the world’s scientific community and sparked off a large number of messages to the Austrian Minister of Science and Research, in support of the ESI.
We got notice recently that the institute has been granted a reprieve. Details and the list of scientists who wrote in support can be seen here.
The ESI will continue operation in its present form until May 31, 2011. Thereafter it will form a ‘Research Platform’ of the University of Vienna with the (unchanged) name ‘Erwin Schrödinger Institute for Mathematical Physics’.
Funding of the ESI research programmes and workshops in 2011 and 2012 seems assured. Unfortunately the Junior Research Programme of the ESI has to be suspended until further notice due to lack of financial support. This suspension does not affect current Junior Research Fellowships.
The Directors of the ESI would like to take this opportunity to express their gratitude to the scientific community for their overwhelming support of the ESI during these difficult negotiations.
Together, we can make a difference!
Piece of Mind 
Well, that’s great news! I wrote a very strong letter in support of the ESI, but being the cynic that I am, I assumed that nothing would come of it. It’s great to see that sometimes, if enough people complain, things can happen.