As a fully comprehensive university offering a wide range of disciplines, the University of Freiburg regards the task of pooling research interests across the boundaries of several disciplines to forge new links in research and teaching to be part of its institutional identity. Research at the University of Freiburg is also strengthened by regional partnerships with non-university research institutions such as Max Planck Institutes and Fraunhofer Institutes, which participate actively in several collaborative projects.
By means of a university-wide strategic process, the University of Freiburg has continually sharpened its profile as a research-intensive university with interdisciplinary profile fields and emerging fields as well as outstanding individual research.
The two key factors for identifying profile fields are proven success in attracting third-party funding in national and international competitions (particularly research collaborations with structural significance like Clusters of Excellence and Collaborative Research Centres) and university research institutions and infrastructures that enhance Freiburg’s international visibility and set it apart from other research centres.
Profile Fields
The University of Freiburg has identified these strong, university-wide profile fields:
Biological signalling research addresses the basic communication processes of life and health. It explores how cells react to diverse conditions and cues and communicate to direct development to a functioning organism – whether human, animal or plant. By integrating signalling research with synthetic biology, cutting-edge technologies, and metabolism research, Freiburg scientists are redefining this field and opening up new approaches to global challenges in biomedicine and plant sciences.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- EXC 2189: CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies
- EXC 294: BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies
- SFB1140: Kidney Disease – From Genes to Mechanisms KIDGEM
- SFB 1381: Dynamic organization of cellular protein machineries: From biogenesis and modular assembly to function
- SFB/TRR 130: B cells: Immunity and Autoimmunity
- SFB/TRR 152: TRiPs to Homeostasis. Maintenance of Body Homeostasis by Transient Receptor Potential Channel Modules
- SFB/TRR 167: Development, function and potential of myeloid cells in the central nervous system (NeuroMac)
- GRK 1976: Functional Diversity of Cofactors in Enzymes
- GRK 2202: Transport across and into membranes
- GRK 2344: Exploration of spatio-temporal dynamics of gene regulation using high-throughput and high-resolution methods
- GRK 2606: ProtPath: Structured Doctoral Training in Proteolysis
- FOR 1905: PerTrans – Structure and Function of the Peroxisomal Translocon
- FOR 2743 (Participation): Mechanical stress protection
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Signalhaus Freiburg des EXC BIOSS
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM)
- Institute for Disease Modeling and Targeted Medicine (IMITATE)
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber (Faculty of Biology)
- Prof. Dr. Carola Hunte (Faculty of Medicine)
- Prof. Dr. Maja Köhn (Faculty of Biology)
Since the beginning of mankind, the development and use of natural, nature-inspired and artificial materials as well as the construction of complex systems based on innovative materials have been among the key technologies and have determined human progress. Even today, new functional materials and systems continue to drive the development of technology and contribute to solving key societal problems.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- EXC 2193: Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS)
- SFB/TRR 141: Biological Design and Integrative Structures. Analysis, Simulation and Implementation in Architecture
- IRTG 1642: Soft Matter Science for Advanced Materials
- FOR 2383: Acquisition and Control of Dynamic Local Process States in Microreactors by Latest In-situ Sensors (ProMiSe)
- FOR 2401: Optimization-Based Multiscale Control of Low-Temperature Combustion Engines
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Biology
- Freiburg Centre for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT)
- Freiburg Material Research Center (FMF)
- Sustainability Center Freiburg
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer (Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy)
- Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe (Faculty of Engineering)
The Neurosciences and Neurotechnologies profile area addresses a broad spectrum of scientific issues that include theoretical and experimental basic research on the functioning of the brain from the cellular to the systemic level, the development of neurotechnical systems that can communicate with the brain, and research into methods for their clinical application. The long-term goal is to develop innovative treatment options for patients with neuronal dysfunctions such as Parkinson’s disease, depression or anxiety disorders.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- SFB/TRR 167: Development, function and potential of myeloid cells in the central nervous system (NeuroMac)
- FOR 2143: Interneuron Synaptic Plasticity – From Mechanisms to Functions
- FOR 5159: Resolving prefrontal flexibility
- EXC 1086: BrainLinks-BrainTools
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Engineering
- Intelligent Machine-Brain Interfacing Technology (IMBIT)
- Bernstein Center Freiburg (BCF)
- Department of Psychology
- NeuroModBasics
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Stieglitz (Faculty of Engineering)
- Prof. Dr. Ilka Diester (Faculty of Biology)
- Prof. Dr. Tonio Ball (Faculty of Medicine)
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Vlachos (Faculty of Medicine)
In this profile area, disease-associated genes (e.g., in kidney, skin, blood, or immune diseases) are often the starting point for understanding molecular physiology by elucidating gene functions. This is complemented by study of the epigenetic control of cell development and identity. Interdisciplinary centres like the Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF) or the Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI) provide the infrastructure for translating research findings into patient treatment.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- SFB 850: Control of Cell Motility in Morphogenesis, Cancer Invasion and Metastasis
- SFB 992: Medical Epigenetics – From basic mechanism to clinical applications
- SFB 1160: Immune-mediated pathology as a consequence of impaired immune reactions (IMPATH)
- SFB 1381: Dynamic organization of cellular protein machineries: From biogenesis and modular assembly to function
- SFB 1425: Heterocellular Nature of Cardiac Lesions: Identities, Interactions, Implications
- SFB 1453: Nephrogenetics (NephGen)
- SFB 1479: Onkogen getriebener Immun Escape (OncoEscape)
- SFB/TTR 130: B cells: Immunity and Autoimmunity
- SFB/TRR 167: Development, function and potential of myeloid cells in the central nervous system
- SFB/TRR 179: Determinants and dynamics of elimination versus persistence of hepatitis virus infection
- SPP 1463: Epigenetic Regulation of Normal Hematopoiesis and its Dysregulation in Myeloid Neoplasia
- FOR 1336: From Monocytes to Brain Macrophages – Conditions Influencing the Fate of Myeloid Cells in the Brain
- FOR 2127: Selection and adaptation during metastatic cancer progression
- FOR 2674: Aging-related epigenetic remodeling in acute myeloid leukemia
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM)
- Institute for Disease Modeling and Targeted Medicine (IMITATE)
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics
- Center of Chronical Immunodeficiency (CCI)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF)
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Stephan Ehl (Faculty of Medicine)
- Prof. Dr. Manfred Jung (Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy)
- Prof. Dr. Robert Zeiser (Faculty of Medicine)
Civil security has advanced to become a key topic of societal discussion. The debate focuses on the opportunities, risks, and ambivalence of modern security technologies; uncertainties in view of global economic, social, and political upheaval, as also expressed in new forms of transnational terrorist and criminal threats; and the scope, state, and perception of public security in daily life. A cross-cutting topic of all areas is the opportunities and risks of the digital revolution.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- Stiftung Mercator: ZuRecht – The police in the open society
- BMBF joint project: LEGINOT – Legitimation of the Emergency and in the Emergency
- BMBF joint project: DEFERM – Combating Contamination by Biological Hazardous Substances
- EU Horizon 2020: NoFear – Network Of practitioners For Emergency medicAl systems and cRitical care
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Engineering
- Centre for Security and Society (CSS)
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
- Walther-Eucken-Institut
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Silja Vöneky (Faculty of Law)
- Prof. Dr. Rolf Backofen (Faculty of Engineering)
- Prof. Dr. Oliver Müller (Faculty of Humanities)
The University of Freiburg is among the strongest centres in Europe for research on data analysis and artificial intelligence. It is distinguished by its outstanding work on machine learning (especially deep learning), robotics, computer vision, symbolic AI, and stochastic methods, thus covering all important thematic areas of future intelligent systems – from perception to robotic control.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- SFB 992 – ZO1: Deep-Sequencing/Bioinformatics
- SFB/TRR 167 – ZO1: Genomics and bioinformatics core
- SFB1140 – Z02: Spatio-temporal analysis of confocal microscopic kidney data
- BMBF project: de.NBI – Leistungszentrum: RBC – RNA Bioinformatic (Galaxy Project)
- BMBF project: Deep-PTL: Life-long learning with flexible data modalities for automation
- BMBF project: Deep Topology Learning
- EU H2020: TrimBot – a gardening robot for rose, hedge and topiary trimming
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
- Intelligent Machine-Brain Interfacing Technology (IMBIT)
- Galaxy-Server Freiburg
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modeling (FDM)
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Harald Binder (Faculty of Medicine)
- Prof. Dr. Frank Hutter (Faculty of Engineering)
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Brox (Faculty of Engineering)
The profile area tackles issues discussed in socio-political debates under the heading ‘grand societal challenges’. The core tasks are to develop knowledge-based solutions for a societal transformation towards sustainability, to elucidate the contextual conditions for their implementation, and to provide constructive criticism to accompany processes of societal transformation. This requires a multi- and interdisciplinary approach.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- GRK 2123: Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple-Use Landscapes of Central Europe (ConFoBi)
- SPP 1685: Ecosystem Nutrition – Forest Strategies for limited Phosphorus Resources
- FOR 1451: Exploring mechanisms underlying the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
- BMBF project: AquaMat – Nachhaltige, multifunktionale, wasserbasierte Hochleistungsmaterialien
- BMBF project: SoNaTe – Soziale Nachbarschaft und Technik
- BMBF project: KERNiG – Food Systems of Municipalities as Key To Integrative Sustainability Governance
- BMBF research group: Circulus – Science for a Circular Economy
- Forschungsallianz Oberrhein
- Bioeconomy Research Program Baden-Württemberg – project189: Sustainable biomass supply for the bioeconomy in Baden-Württemberg
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Biology
- Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering – INATECH
- Sustainability Center Freiburg
- Center for Renewable Energy (ZEE)
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Daniela Kleinschmit (Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources)
- Prof. Dr. Michael Pregernig (Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources)
- Prof. Dr. Melanie Arndt (Faculty of Humanities)
- Prof. Dr. Anke Weidlich (Faculty of Engineering)
The profile area arises from strengths in individual and joint research in image/object studies, history, literature, linguistics, social sciences, and philosophy. More than 80 researchers focus in larger and smaller groups on fundamental cultural and political practices, semantics, and media relevant in the present and since antiquity. They treat themes like ‘leisure’, ‘heroisation’, ‘cultural contact and cultural transfer’, ‘identity’, ‘fictionality and facuality’, ‘lists’, and ‘travel’; they edit and annotate Nietzsche’s works and evidence of ancient comedy.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- SFB 948: Heroes – Heroizations – Heroisms. Transformations and Conjunctures from Antiquity to the Modern Day
- SFB 1015: Otium. Boundaries, Chronotopes, Practices
- GRK 1767: Factual and Fictional Narration
- IRTG 1956: Cultural Transfer and ‘Cultural Identity’ – German-Russian Contacts in the European Context
- Volkswagen Foundation research college: New ways to travel – New media
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Philology
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Economics and Behavioral Sciences
- Faculty of Theology
- Center for Popular Culture and Music (ZPKM)
- Humanities Graduate School
- “Nietzsche Commentary” research project
- Commentaries on the Fragments of Greek Comedy
Speaker of the Profile Field
- Prof. Dr. Ralf von den Hoff (Faculty of Humanities)
- Juniorprof. Dr. Eva von Contzen (Faculty of Philology)
In addition to the university-wide profile fields, the faculties of the University of Freiburg have defined their research focus areas in order to highlight their strengths more clearly and to increase their visibility on a national and international level.
Emerging Fields
In addition, the University of Freiburg has singled out three areas with clear potential for development into university-wide profile fields:
The manifold functions of resilient ecosystems ensure our quality of life. They regulate our climate, water and nutrient cycles, sequester carbon, provide habitats for plants and animals and space for recreation, and supply us with biological products. Grasping, maintaining and developing sustainable ecosystems under rapid global change requires innovative, interdisciplinary approaches. This field thus focuses on resilience, adaptability and the role of biodiversity for ecosystem functioning.
Participating faculties and research centers
Speaker of the Emerging Field
- Prof. Dr. Michael Scherer-Lorenzen (Faculty of Biology)
- Prof. Dr. Friederike Lang (Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources)
- Dr. Friderike Beyer (Fakultät für Umwelt und Natürliche Ressourcen)
The emerging field combines research activities in the social sciences, cultural studies and humanities with pronounced spatial-social references. Spaces are not conceptually conceived as fixed and isolated units. Rather, the aim is to understand spaces as the expression of a continuing construction through negotiation processes and to emphasize their mutual connection and penetration through exchange, communication and mobility.
More information on Comparative Area Studies and Transregional Studies
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Philology
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources
- Arnold Bergsträsser Institute for Socio-Cultural Research
- Center for Transcultural Asian Studies (CETRAS)
Speaker of the Emerging Field
- Prof. Dr. Johanna Pink (Faculty of Humanities)
- Prof. Dr. Tim Freytag (Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources)
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Mehler (Faculty of Humanities)
Metabolism research studies the integration of metabolism and its central organelle, the mitochondrion, with specific cellular functions and signal propagation processes. In clinical and fundamental research, Freiburg scientists are investigating how metabolism contributes to both normal cell and body function and the pathogenesis of diverse diseases and developing innovative strategies for the targeted therapeutic manipulation of metabolism.
More information: Freiburg METABOLISM
Participating faculties and research centers
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics
Speaker of the Emerging Field
- Prof. Dr. Olaf Groß (Faculty of Medicine)
- Prof. Dr. Oliver Einsle (Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy)
- Prof. Dr. Ute Spiekerkötter (Faculty of Medicine)
