University of Marburg: Two clusters in the race for promoting excellence!

University of Marburg: Two clusters in the race for promoting excellence!

The Philipps University Marburg has established itself in the important final round of the federal and state excellence strategy. According to the information from op-marburg.de Two out of three submitted proposals for excellence clusters made it into the final round. If the decision on cluster funding is expected in May 2025, Vice President Professor Gert Bange expressed optimism about the opportunities of the university.

The two clusters that are in the final round bear the titles "Microbes for Climate (M4C)" and "The Adaptive Mind" (TAM). The M4C cluster comprises over 20 researchers from the Philipps University and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrical Microbiology, whereby the focus on the microbes in the carbon cycle and its influence on greenhouse gases. The goal here is the development of new approaches to coping with the climate crisis through synthetic biology. In the Cluster Tam, psychologists and neuroscientists from the universities of Gießen and Marburg work together to research human perception and behavior.

preparation for future excellence

An important aspect of the excellence strategy is the planned application from the University of Marburg for the title of the Excellence University in 2031/2032. However, this will only be possible if the university successfully participates in at least three clusters of excellence. Bange plans to submit projects from the humanities and social sciences to expand the selection. Potential candidates for cluster applications can be topics such as conflict research and religious studies. In addition, a planned “Loewe” center in cooperation with the University of Frankfurt is highlighted in preparation for the cluster applications.

The university has also demonstrated its research strength, which is underpinned by the successfully raised third -party funds, graduation colleges as well as research groups and special research areas. According to bmbf.de In the future, the excellence strategy will be equipped with 539 million euros annually for the promotion of so -called excellence clusters, which is equipped with a remarkable increase in funds represent. Funding could have a sustainable influence on the research institutions and their international reputation.