The Excellence Strategy
In the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments, the University of Freiburg aspires with two approved Clusters of Excellence to the status of University of Excellence. The purpose of the Excellence Strategy is to permanently strengthen Germany as a research hub and to further improve its international competitiveness. It consists of the Clusters of Excellence and Universities of Excellence funding lines.
“With our two approved Clusters of Excellence, we aim to uncover new horizons of knowledge for pressing social challenges – in the fields of signalling research and forest research. In addition, we aim to achieve the status of University of Excellence.”
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Krieglstein
Rector
Clusters of Excellence funding line
The Clusters of Excellence funding line supports interdisciplinary collaborative projects in internationally competitive research fields. Important funding criteria for Clusters of Excellence are: excellence of research, track record of participating researchers, high quality of the university’s supporting structures in the Cluster of Excellence, supportive and high-performance environment for the Cluster of Excellence.
The existing Cluster of Excellence CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies will continue to receive funding for another seven years. In addition, the Cluster of Excellence Future Forests – Adapting Complex Social-ecological Forest Systems to Global Change will be established at the University of Freiburg on 1 January 2026. This was announced by the German Research Foundation and the German Science and Humanities Council on 22 May 2025. The two successful Clusters of Excellence are thus among the 70 clusters nationwide to be selected for seven years of funding. Altogether, 98 proposals were reviewed – 57 renewal proposals and 41 new proposals. A total of 539 million euros are available each year – three to ten million euros per Cluster of Excellence.
The two clusters CIBSS (Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies) and livMatS (Living, Adaptive, and Energy-Autonomous Materials Systems) already began work in 2019 and submitted renewal proposals. In addition, the University of Freiburg submitted two new proposals: ConTrans (Constitution as Practice in Times of Transformation) and Future Forests (Adapting Complex Social-Ecological Forest Systems to Global Change).
Universities of Excellence funding line
All universities receiving funding for at least two Clusters of Excellence are also eligible to submit a proposal for the second funding line: for the status of University of Excellence. This status substantially strengthens the university as an institution and enables it to consolidate its international top position in research. This has far-reaching positive effects on all areas of the university: research, studies, teaching, operations, and service.
The overarching funding criteria for Universities of Excellence are: objectives and long-term sustainability of the institutional strategy with regard to improving the positioning of the university in regional, national, and, especially, international settings; effectiveness of governance and management; capacity for institutional renewal.
The University of Freiburg will submit its proposal on 12 November 2025. The proposal will draw in part on results from the University’s overall strategic process.
All proposals are to be reviewed by July 2026, and on 2 October 2026 the Excellence Commission will announce which institutions can call themselves Universities of Excellence starting on 1 January 2027.
Contributing with creative ideas: Unicorn Fund
University members from science and research as well as research management can get involved in the University of Freiburg’s proposal for the Universities of Excellence funding line in a very special way: They’re invited to apply for the University’s internal Unicorn Fund by 31 May 2025 – with creative ideas that renew individual areas of the University from the ground up and have the potential to radiate throughout the University. They can receive up to 300,000 euros over three years to work out and implement their idea if the University is successful in the Universities of Excellence funding line.
