Questions about the Excellence Strategy

In 2019, the University of Hamburg was named a University of Excellence in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments grant competition—one of only eleven German universities and/or university alliances to receive the honor. It may use the title until 2026.

All Universities of Excellence receive annual funding of up to €15 million in addition to their standard budgets. The money should be used to expand the international reach of their core top research profiles and to strengthen their institutions and alliances.

The University of Hamburg’s grant concept

The University of Hamburg applied for the grant with its flagship-university concept. This concept is based on the idea that the University, the largest research institution in northern Germany, plays a significant role in both the City of Hamburg and in the entire German university system. This role is especially clear in the numerous links to university and nonuniversity partner institutions.

Sustainability leitmotif

Universität Hamburg—University of Excellence based its grant application on a comprehensive understanding of sustainability and in line with its motto “Innovating and cooperating for a sustainable future.”

Innovation capability, cooperation, and digitalization are major spheres of activity. The University aims to critically reflect upon, exploit, and further develop these activities.

The funds received by Universität Hamburg—University of Excellence are used to fund the most various research projects, create new professorships and degree programs, and intensify knowledge-exchange activities, which benefits researchers, students, and the public at large.

When applying, the University already had to clarify the earmarking of funds connected with the excellence designation. It named roughly 20 measures in research, teaching, knowledge exchange, internationalization, and infrastructure.

The University is now realizing these measures step by step. Other measures, such as covering running costs or refurbishing buildings, may not be financed from the money granted in the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments.

There are 4 clusters of excellence at the University of Hamburg. Clusters of excellence are interdisciplinary and cross-institutional research collaborations in which researchers work together in internationally competitive fields.

In September 2018, the German Research Foundation announced that these 4 research alliances under the aegis of the University of Hamburg had been selected on the basis of various funding criteria (PDF).

The German Research Foundation’s decision means that the University of Hamburg can use the additional funding to continue with research on 4 major issues until 2025. Its clusters of excellence center on

• the future of the world’s climate
• the origins of the universe
• the development of new materials
• and understanding written artefacts

Every cluster of excellence receives funding of up to €10 million per year over 7 years.

The University of Hamburg’s research profile is distinguished by core research areas and emerging fields.

Core research areas at Universität Hamburg—University of Excellence Research

The core research areas are at the center of all research that takes place at the University of Hamburg. They are clusters of major research projects on specific topics with a common theme. They are characterized by internationally outstanding quality with longer-term results and strong cooperation with other universities and nonuniversity institutions.

Clusters of excellence have emerged from 4 of the 5 core research areas at the University of Hamburg:

• Climate, Earth and Environment—Cluster of Excellence Climate, Climatic Change, and Society (CLICCS)
• Photon and Nanosciences—Cluster of Excellence The Hamburg Center for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI)
• Manuscript Cultures—Cluster of Excellence Understanding Written Artefacts
• Particle, Astro- and Mathematical Physics—Cluster of Excellence Quantum Universe
• The fifth core research area at the University of Hamburg is Infection Research.

Emerging fields at Universität Hamburg—University of Excellence

Emerging fields are research areas that should ideally develop into University core research areas, becoming the clusters of excellence of tomorrow.

The emerging fields at the University of Hamburg are:

• Health Economics
• Neurosciences and Cognitive Systems
• Law in Global Contexts
• The Early Modern World
• Grounds, Causes, Reasons

The Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments is a national grant competition that promotes top research at German universities and lifts Germany as a locus of scholarship, improving its international competitiveness.

With a funding volume of roughly €533 million annually, the program is a heavyweight among Germany’s funding programs. In the past, it was called the Excellence Initiative.

First funding line: German Research Foundation selects clusters of excellence

The competition had 2 phases divided into 2 funding lines. In September 2018, the German Research Foundation granted funding to support clusters of excellence. The University of Hamburg was exceptionally successful.  It received grant money for 4 clusters of excellence. 

Second funding line: German Science Council names Universities of Excellence

Universities and university alliances that received grants for 2 or more clusters of excellence were eligible in the second phase or funding line for University of Excellence status. On 19 July 2019, the German Science Council selected 11 universities and university alliances based on various funding criteria (PDF). The deciding committee, which also granted the University of Excellence title to the University of Hamburg, consisted of 39 researchers, the science ministers of the federal German states, and the then federal minister for research and education, Anja Karliczek.