The Ombuds Blog: German BioImaging Appoints First Ombuds

April 21, 2026

German BioImaging Appoints First Ombuds

Gesellschaft für Mikroskopie und Bildanalyse e.V. (GerBI-GMB), the scientific society for light microscopy and image analysis across Germany, has appointed its first Ombudspersons for good scientific practice. Christian Feldhaus and Nina Schulze, were appointed at the 2026 General Assembly for three-year terms. The move follows the organization’s alignment with the German Research Foundation’s Code of Conduct and the adoption of internal Ombuds regulations as part of its governance framework.

Feldhaus is a BioOptics Facility Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen and also serves as Secretary of GerBI-GMB. Schulze is the Core Facility Manager at The Center of Medical Biotechnology at the University of Duisburg-Essen. (GerBI-GMB Ombuds.)

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany/Austria -- Ombudspersonen and Ombudsleute

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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April 21, 2026

German BioImaging Appoints First Ombuds

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