The Free University Berlin today agreed to new principles for administering the prestigious Dahlem Konferenzen after nearly half the members of Dahlem's scientific advisory board submitted a joint letter of resignation, according to a board member who had been involved in the dispute.

Free University Berlin neurobiologist Randolf Menzel told The Scientist that he and two other scientific board members met this morning (February 14) with Free University President Dieter Lenzen and other university administrators. At the start of the meeting, Menzel said he handed Lenzen a letter of resignation signed by seven of around 16 board members. Three other board members, who had signed an earlier draft of the resignation letter, asked that their names not be on the final letter. Lenzen "obviously did not want to accept the letter, but he had to," Menzel said.

Dahlem, which has organized some 90 international multidisciplinary conferences since 1974, was integrated...