A "Sonderforschungsbereich" (SFB) is a programme of the "Deutsche For schungsgemeinschaft" to financially support a concentrated research effort of a number of scientists located principally at one University, Research La boratory or a number of these situated in close proximity to one another so that active interaction among individual scientists is easily possible. Such SFB are devoted to a topic, in our case "Deformation and Failure in Metallic and Granular M aterialK', and financing is based on a peer reviewed proposal for three (now four) years with the intention of several prolongations...

A "Sonderforschungsbereich" (SFB) is a programme of the "Deutsche For- schungsgemeinschaft" to financially support a concentrated research effort of a number of scientists located principally at one University, Research La- boratory or a number of these situated in close proximity to one another so that active interaction among individual scientists is easily possible. Such SFB are devoted to a topic, in our case "Deformation and Failure in Metallic and Granular M aterialK', and financing is based on a peer reviewed proposal for three (now four) years with the intention of several...