195 Application Outlines for Clusters of Excellence – Seven Cluster Initiatives from Heidelberg

5 April 2017

Within the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments, the preselection for the new clusters of excellence can now begin. In all, 195 project outlines have been sent to the German Research Foundation (DFG). Heidelberg University is represented with seven cluster initiatives, reflecting the full breadth of its subject range. Three outlines were submitted in cooperation with partners. According to the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, all nine universities in the state are represented with a total of 37 draft applications.

According to the DFG, 63 universities from all 16 federal states will be represented in the “cluster of excellence” funding line, with one or several outlines. Of the 195 application outlines, 47 came from partnership projects, including six jointly from three universities. Most of the application outlines are multidisciplinary. 27 percent of them present research areas from the natural sciences, 25 percent from the humanities and social sciences; 24 percent are from engineering disciplines and another 24 percent come from the life sciences.

After the review process in the international commissions, 28 September 2017 will see the decision on the outlines to be expanded for the final call for proposals. By September 2018 it will be clear which clusters of excellence will be funded in future. The funding for the chosen 45 to 50 clusters of excellence will start on 1 January 2019. The decision on the clusters of excellence is a precondition for the call for proposals for the second “universities of excellence” funding line organised by the German Council of Science and the Humanities. In December 2018 universities with at least two clusters of excellence can apply to become universities of excellence. After the review process, the decisions will be made known in summer 2019.