Chronobiological basis I: Shift work, chronotypes and risks
A metastudy to investigate health risks in shift workers, and related costs to the health care system, will be conducted as a part-project. A further part-project will work on adapting the Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) for determining chronotype amongst shiftworkers. Once this shiftworker MCTQ has been validated, experimental studies will be carried out (in subsequent years of the project) with a view to drafting guidelines and recommendations aimed at ensuring individuals can be assigned to shift systems with fewer negative impacts.
Prof. Dr. Till Roenneberg, Myriam Juda, Susanne Troppmann, Ildiko Meny (Collegium coordination)
Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Institute of Medical Psychology, Department of Chronobiology

Chronobiological basis II: Sleep, Diet, Temperature and Vigilance
This research group will consult with the three groups in Berlin, Tübingen and Munich to work out the best protocols for investigating the influence of circadian rhythm and sleep pressure on language, fine motor skills and executive processes. The questions are: which experiments are best carried out in the researchers’ own laboratory, and which at the “constant routine” laboratory in Basel; where can one use more than one method with the same test subjects and which alternative protocols would it be appropriate to use?
Prof. Dr. Anna Wirz-Justice,  Dr. Christian Cajochen, Dr. Kurt Kräuchi
Psychiatric University Clinic of Basel

Circadian Factors in Task Switching
This project will start with a literature research into executive functions and circadian rhythm with a view to compiling and evaluating an overview of the available information. Various task switching and dual task interference designs will also be adapted, piloted and evaluated. This will be followed by a static power analysis. If possible, certain experiments will be conducted together with the working group in Basel.
Prof. Dr. Rolf Ulrich, Dr. Bettina Rolke, Daniel Bratzke
University of Tübingen, Institute of Psychology

Circadian Factors in Language Processing
This project will investigate whether circadian rhythm impacts on human language processing skills (production and reception). Two test experiments were conducted in February and June 2005: the data collected in the second experiment (Quasi Constant Routine - QCR-Berlin 2005) will be evaluated in conjunction with project 3 (Tübingen) and the findings will be documented in writing. The data on the QCR visual memory component will be recorded in the form of a degree dissertation. It is also hoped that other publishable results on language processing can be made public. These findings will provide a basis for determining the goals of the work to be conducted during the first year of the project. In the long term, it is hoped that these studies will provide recommendations about the assignment of workplace and leisure language activities in relation to the time of day. What are the best times of the day for listening, what are the best times of the day for expressing ourselves?
Prof. Dr. Rainer Dietrich, Maren Peters
Humboldt University Berlin, Institute of German Language and Linguistics

Circadian Factors in Motor Control
Literature researches and pre-experiments will deliver hypotheses on rhythm-sensitive and non-sensitive aspects of sensomotoric performance. In conjunction with the other specialist groups these hypotheses will then be tested using appropriate methods. Technical development work will be required to adapt the methods to the use case. An experimental investigation of subjective reports of intensified circadian fluctuations in motor skills is planned on a group of brain-damaged patients.
Dr. Joachim Hermsdorfer, Isabelle Jasper
Municipal Hospital Bogenhausen-Munich, Clinical Neuropsychology Development Group