Heidelberg Karlsruhe Research Partnership (HEiKA)
The long-standing cooperation of Heidelberg University with the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology and the complementary nature of the two institutions offer optimal conditions for strategic partnership. With the founding of the Heidelberg-Karlsruhe Research Partnership in October 2011, a research institution was created to raise their time-tested collaboration to a new qualitative and quantitative level. HEiKA’s ultimate goal is to become an efficient instrument for strengthening regional cooperation.
As an umbrella institution for cooperation within specific disciplines, HEiKA will enable the partners to coordinate their efforts with respect to appointments and common research applications. The following six subject areas have been identified for the collaboration:
- Advanced Imaging Platform (AIP)
- Medical Technology for Health (MTH)
- HEiKAexplore (since May 2016, former: Nature, Technology and Society (NTS)
- Functional Materials (FM)
- Particle Physics, Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology (PAC)
- Synthetic Biology (SB)
The partnership is particularly committed to the advancement of young postgraduates and the acquisition of major equipment, which is only possible through their combined efforts.
Initial funding for research projects will be allocated by a joint research board based on defined quality criteria. At Heidelberg University, HEiKA particularly strengthens Fields of Focus 1 and 2 as well as the Heidelberg Center for the Environment, with other areas of cooperation open for exploration. Strong cooperation between Heidelberg University and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology already exists in all the aforementioned areas.
