The CRC 1597 Small Data gathered on March 12–13 for its annual retreat at Schloss Reinach. Over two days, members reflected on scientific achievements of the CRC, explored new ideas within the small data landscape, and discussed the strategic direction of the CRC.
Day 1
The retreat opened with welcoming remarks from our CRC speaker Harald Binder, who introduced the program and shared his vision for small data research in the era of agentic AI.
Inspired by this outlook, researchers moved into the first series of project presentations. Throughout the day, principal investigators from the project areas of Similarity, Transfer, and Uncertainty presented their latest progress and outlined their plans for the coming year. These sessions encouraged lively discussion, with participants exchanging ideas and exploring connections, both new and old, between projects.
Following the presentations, doctoral researchers participated in an interactive session designed to foster creativity, experimentation, and peer learning around the use of AI agents. At the same time, senior scientists convened for the General Assembly, moderated by Harald Binder. During the meeting, members voted on new associated researchers, received an in-depth update on the academic curriculum from our SMART PI Nadine Binder, and learned about ongoing equity and diversity initiatives from Meropi Karakioulaki, spokesperson for Equity and Diversity, who closed the session by announcing the winners of the “Outstanding Women in SmallData” award.
We extend our warmest welcome to the newly accepted associated researchers, Aljaž Godec and Evelyn Ullrich, and send our most enthusiastic congratulations to the recipients of the “Outstanding Women in Small Data” award, Julia Hindel, Carola Heinzel and Maren Hackenberg.
The first day concluded with a shared dinner, giving participants the opportunity to reflect on the day’s discussions and enjoy relaxed networking.
Day 2
The second day began with a short introduction from Harald Binder, setting the stage for a series of collaboration-focused parallel sessions.
The first set of parallel sessions divided our team into project areas, arranging individual meetings between projects that had previously expressed interest in working together, allowing teams to explore concrete opportunities for collaboration.
On the second set of parallel sessions, the group gathered around the three different cross-cutting topics that will define future research. Researchers held discussions to achieve a common understanding of these topics and addressed how different projects could tackle them jointly.
After lunch, the final set of parallel sessions focused on datasets of particular relevance for the CRC which can be used for the development of joint methodologies. Experts introduced key datasets, explained their characteristics and accessibility, and answered questions from researchers interested in their use.
The retreat concluded with a final plenary session in which moderators summarized the key insights from each discussion and highlighted all new potential collaborations. Harald Binder closed the event with uplifting remarks, reinforcing the community’s shared energy and commitment for the year ahead.
We thank all participants for their engagement and contributions to a productive and inspiring retreat. We look forward to seeing how the ideas and collaborations sparked during these two days will shape the CRC’s work in the coming year.
Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics,
Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center –
University of Freiburg
