Institute of Science and Technology, Austria Forced A Step Back. (July 25, 2008)

Having  just last week reported that Austria's fledgling Institute of Science and Technology had moved closer to reality with the announcement of Tobias Bonhoeffe to be its foundation head, Science has now published the following retraction:

German neuroscientist Tobias Bonhoeffer has declined an offer to become the first president of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria. In a 21 July statement, the institute said that Bonhoeffer told the heads of the search committee and the institute's governing board that personal reasons and "a desire to continue his research in his current position" led him to this "difficult decision." Bonhoeffer, now at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, declined comment. The institute will reopen its search and hopes to have a new president in place by autumn 2009.

A Three Q's with Bonhoeffer in last week's Newsmakers page (Science, 18 July, p. 323) failed to note that he had not yet made a decision.

TFW made the observation at the time that Professor Bonhoeffe was taking on a Labor of Hercules.

He appears to have thought better of it.