Excellence Strategy
Heidelberg University has been successful in all funding lines in previous rounds of the Excellence Competition and has been numbered among the Universities of Excellence since 2007. In March 2026, it was once again awarded the title of University of Excellence and will receive funding for another seven years from 1 January 2027.
Building on its self-evaluation report entitled “SEMPER APERTUS – Heidelberg: The Comprehensive Research University”, Heidelberg University will bolster its research strength in the upcoming funding period by connecting tried-and-tested instruments and measures with innovative ones. They are designed to contribute to identifying innovative scientific issues at the interface of disciplinary borders, as well as to securing and expanding on the high quality of research achievements, giving them international visibility.
The prerequisite for applying for funding in the Excellence Universities funding line was two successful Clusters of Excellence, or three in the case of university consortia. In addition to the “SynthImmune” cluster, which is based solely at Heidelberg University, the “3D Matter Made to Order” cluster, together with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, is already entering its second funding phase; the universities of Tübingen, Heidelberg, and Hohenheim are collaborating in the “GreenRobust” cluster.
University of Excellence
The instruments and measures developed and refined as part of Heidelberg University’s Excellence Strategy also form the core of the university’s overall strategy. They consistently build on the diverse dynamics that were initiated and promoted in the previous rounds of the Excellence Initiative since 2007.
In the two funding phases of the Excellence Initiative, four major research fields, the Fields of Focus (FoFs), have emerged, on which research collaboration across institutional and disciplinary boundaries is concentrated. The FoFs make it possible to bring together and specifically promote a large part of the university’s research and teaching on a thematic basis.
The Flagship Initiatives (FIs) provide funding for research areas with great scientific potential and high social relevance for a maximum period of seven years. In the first phase of the Excellence Strategy, the Flagship Initiatives “Engineering Molecular Systems” and “Transforming Cultural Heritage” were established – two fields of research that have been firmly anchored in the university through the founding of the Faculty of Engineering and the Heidelberg Center for Cultural Heritage. Three new Flagship Initiatives will be established as part of Excellence Strategy II. Their topics span all four FoFs and ensure broad interdisciplinary and institutional integration: coAptive Intelligence, Climate-Life-Nexus, and Family Transitions.
As incubators for new research initiatives and scientific bridges between the FoFs, three central interdisciplinary institutions – the Marsilius Kolleg, the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), and the Heidelberg Center for the Environment (HCE) – are being funded as part of the Excellence Strategy. From 2026 onwards, the HCE will be developed into a central scientific institution. The Camilla and Georg Jellinek Center for Ethics was opened in October 2025 as a new interdisciplinary incubator.
Clusters of Excellence
3D Matter Made to Order
“3D Matter Made to Order”, the joint Cluster of Excellence by the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology and Heidelberg University, pursues a highly interdisciplinary approach combining natural and engineering sciences. The cluster concentrates on three-dimensional additive manufacturing techniques, from the molecular level to macroscopic dimensions.
SynthImmune
The SynthImmune Cluster of Excellence – Engineering Immune Function with Synthetic Biology – aspires to decode the mechanisms of this elite immune function, using this knowledge to reconstruct them from synthetic and molecular building-blocks and develop prototypes of new therapies.
Flagship Initiatives (2019-2026)
Engineering Molecular Systems
The development of new materials, methods, technologies, devices and therapies at the molecular level using both natural and synthetically made components is the aim of the Flagship Initiative “Engineering Molecular Systems“, in which scientists from various institutions and disciplines work together.
Transforming Cultural Heritage
With the aim of placing cultural heritage at the centre of research, teaching and transfer in an innovative form, the Flagship Initiative "Transforming Cultural Heritage" brings together the disciplinary and region-specific expertise of the Heidelberg University in the research and management of cultural heritage.
Topics
Heidelberg University International
Heidelberg University is tied into a worldwide network of research and teaching collaborations. The primary aim of further expanding cooperation with partner institutions internationally is to use the various expertise and perspectives to leverage additional research potential and to qualify young scientists for international competition.
Equal Opportunities and Diversity
Semper apertus – always open, that is the traditional motto of Heidelberg University. It is a commitment to the principle of diversity and to equal opportunities for its members, regardless of sex, age, religion or origin. Heidelberg University stands for equal opportunities and the compatibility of professional work and family life.
Research-based teaching and learning
Excellent teaching in Heidelberg is distinguished by the university's unique proximity to research. The international research strength of Heidelberg University is therefore reflected directly in its teaching and the early exposure of young academics to the world of research.
Call for Proposals
Mobility in International Research Collaborations
Within the framework of the Excellence Strategy, funds are available to promote promoting mobility in international research collaborations. Special consideration shall be given to: multilateral cooperation projects with international partner institutions, development of thematic networks, and cooperation projects that are not apt for current funding by DAAD, DFG etc.
International Guest Professors
Within the framework of the Excellence Strategy, funds are available for guest stays by international guest professors. The objective of this funding line is to bring expert knowledge of renowned international academics to Heidelberg University, to increase and complement the research potential in certain fields, and to extend and internationalize the range of research-based teaching.
Bodies and Commissions
Academic Advisory Council
The Academic Advisory Council (AAC) advises the Rectorate on strategic issues. The committee is made up of eminent scholars from international universities and research institutions and high-ranking representatives of industry and senior academics from Heidelberg University.
