Remarkable Findings: Efficient Groups Proven Effective in Study - Outstanding Study Yields Positive Results: These Groups Demonstrate Success
Universities in Northwest Germany Secure Funding for Elite Research Clusters
Two universities in the northwest region of Germany, the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg, have secured funding for seven outstanding research projects as part of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German government's Excellence Strategy.
The funding, which starts next year, will consist of high allocations for the next seven years for the successful research projects. Nationwide, 70 excellence clusters were selected from 98 funding applications, with 45 continuations and 25 new projects announced. The total funding for the excellence clusters amounts to around 539 million euros per year.
Among the successful applications in the northwest region are Hearing4All, which combines the efforts of the University of Oldenburg, the University of Hannover, and the Medical School Hannover to understand hearing loss, develop new technologies, and create a smart hearing device. NaviSense, led by the University of Oldenburg, investigates how animals navigate over long distances and the senses they use. OceanFloor explores the seabed as an archive of Earth's history and a crucial interface for various processes affecting the climate, carried out by the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg.
PhoenixD, based at the University of Hannover, focuses on researching optical systems that seamlessly connect hardware and software to precisely control light and its potential applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and energy-efficient telecommunications. QuantumFrontiers aims to develop new methods for measurements with extreme precision and establish the Hannover-Braunschweig region as a center for quantum technology, with the University of Hannover and TU Braunschweig collaborating on the project.
Researchers at the Medical School Hannover are working on the RESIST project to understand why some people are more susceptible to infectious diseases and to better protect vulnerable groups like newborns and the elderly. The University of Bremen is exploring more efficient processes for material extraction and processing on Mars, which could contribute to sustainable space exploration, while Marsperspective is named to highlight its motivation for “the green change on Earth.”
Multiscale Bioimaging examines the workings of heart and brain cells and the causes of sickness at Göttingen University Medicine, in an effort to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. However, funding for the project is set to end, while SE2A focused on making aircraft more environmentally friendly and efficient is also losing its excellence funding. R-CUBE, which focuses on treatment options for people with severe organ diseases and the improvement of organ healing chances, is also not receiving continued funding.
The University of Hannover, Hannover Medical School, the University of Oldenburg, and the University of Bremen meet the requirement of having at least two excellence clusters to apply to become an Excellence University. Up to five new spots will be awarded in early October 2026, with Oldenburg and Bremen planning to apply together as a consortium. The funding for the existing excellence institutions, including ten already in existence, will be decided in March 2026, with funding for elite universities beginning on January 1, 2027.
References:
[1] "University of Bremen - Homepage." University of Bremen, 15 July 2022, https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/.
[2] "BASH - University of Oldenburg." University of Oldenburg, 25 May 2025, https://www.uni-oldenburg.de/en/.
- The Hearing4All project, collaborating with the University of Oldenburg, the University of Hannover, and the Medical School Hannover, focuses on vocational training in understanding hearing loss, developing new technology, and creating a smart hearing device, falling under the umbrella of health-and-wellness and education-and-self-development.
- NaviSense, led by the University of Oldenburg, conducts research on the science of long-distance animal navigation and the senses they use, giving insight into the field of biology and science.
- OceanFloor, a collaboration between the University of Bremen and the University of Oldenburg, delves into the vocational training of exploring the seabed as an archive of Earth's history and a crucial interface for climate processes, aligning with the science and environment-and-sustainability sectors.
- PhoenixD, based at the University of Hannover, offers vocational training in researching optical systems that seamlessly connect hardware and software for potential applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and energy-efficient telecommunications, linking to health-and-wellness, business, and technology sectors.
