Media information on the decision in the Excellence Strategy
FAQ on the Excellence Strategy
What is the Excellence Strategy?
- Objectives: to promote research excellence in internationally competitive areas, to strengthen German universities institutionally and to further develop the German higher education system.
- The federal and state governments provide funding in two funding lines: Clusters of Excellence and Universities of Excellence.
- In the upcoming funding period (starting in 2026), 687 million euros in funding will be available annually as part of the Excellence Strategy: 539 million euros for Clusters of Excellence and 148 million euros for Universities of Excellence.
- 75 per cent of the costs for a cluster of excellence are borne by the federal government, 25 per cent by the federal state in which the cluster is located.
- The Excellence Strategy is the permanent successor programme to the Excellence Initiative (2005/06 to 2019).
What are the Clusters of Excellence?
- Clusters of Excellence are alliances of outstanding scientists who work together in a specific field of research - also across universities and with non-university partners.
- Funding period: seven years.
- In addition to the 57 Clusters of Excellence already funded in the previous phase (2019-2025), which were allowed to apply for a continuation, 41 potential new Clusters of Excellence are in the running, having prevailed against 102 other initiatives in the first round.
- A total of up to 70 Clusters of Excellence from the 98 applications are to be funded with a total of 539 million euros per year. Each cluster will receive between 3 and 10 million euros per year.
- The selection procedure is organised by the German Research Foundation.
What criteria do clusters of excellence have to fulfil?
- The quality of research is also characterised by originality and innovation in an international comparison.
- The research objectives of a cluster have a noticeable influence on future developments within the research field or favour the discovery of new research areas.
- The researchers involved are recognised experts in their field and work together on an interdisciplinary basis.
- Clusters of Excellence contribute to research-orientated teaching at universities and have the necessary resources to transfer the results of research to society.
- They also offer development opportunities for researchers at the beginning of their careers and contribute to equality and diversity.
- Your research topic has convincing development prospects.
- The collaboration between the individuals and institutions involved offers particular added value.
What is a university of excellence?
- This funding line serves to permanently strengthen the universities as institutions or an association of a maximum of three universities and to expand their leading international position in research on the basis of successful clusters of excellence.
- Individual universities and university alliances can apply for funding. For an individual application, the applicant university must have at least two clusters of excellence that it has acquired alone or as a co-applicant. At least three clusters of excellence are required for a joint application; each university must be a co-applicant in at least one of these three clusters of excellence.
- Universities of Excellence are funded on a permanent basis - but must undergo an evaluation every seven years.
- In the previous phase, ten universities and one network were funded as Universities of Excellence. In the next funding phase, up to four more locations are to be funded.
- The federal and state governments are funding Universities of Excellence with a total of 148 million euros per year in the 2027-2033 funding period. This means that individual universities will receive between 10 and 15 million euros in funding each year, and up to 28 million euros for alliances.
- The selection procedure is carried out by the German Council of Science and Humanities.
Who decides which institutions are funded as Clusters of Excellence or Universities of Excellence?
The Gemeinsame Wissenschafts Konferenz (GWK) of the federal and state governments has appointed a panel of experts with 39 members who are recognised in various scientific fields of research. Together with the federal and state science ministers, they form the Excellence Commission, which decides on both funding lines (Clusters of Excellence and Universities of Excellence).
What is the further schedule?
- Following the announcement of the clusters of excellence to be funded in future on 22 May 2025, funding will begin for them on 1 January 2026.
- Universities and university alliances that are eligible to apply for funding as a University of Excellence after the decision of 22 May 2025 must submit a letter of intent by 27 June 2025 and a corresponding application by 12 November 2025. The Excellence Commission will decide on the new applications between 29 September and 2 October 2026. The funding period begins on 1 January 2027.
- Existing Universities of Excellence and the existing network that continue to fulfil the requirement of two or three (in the case of the Excellence Network) funded Clusters of Excellence after the decision on 22 May 2025 must submit self-reports by 1 August 2025. On 10 and 11 March 2026, the reviewers will make a recommendation to the Excellence Commission as to whether funding should be continued.
- The timetable at a glance.
Media information on the decision in the Excellence Strategy
On this website you will find the press release, factsheets, photos and video material on the approved Clusters of Excellence at the University of Oldenburg. We will continue to update you with photos and video from the press conference on 22 May.
Press release
Excellence Strategy: University of Oldenburg celebrates sensational success after securing funding for three Clusters of Excellence
Oldenburg. A resounding victory for the University of Oldenburg: all three top-level research projects that submitted proposals to be Clusters of Excellence in the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments have been approved and will receive funding for seven years.
This is already the third time the hearing researchers of the Hearing4all Cluster have succeeded with their application. The total requested funding amount was 53.5 million euros. The Oldenburg team had once again joined forces with hearing researchers from Hannover to compile their application. The NaviSense initiative led by the Oldenburg experts in animal navigation research will receive funding as a Cluster of Excellence for the first time, after applying for a total of 54.7 million euros. And in the field of marine research, the University of Oldenburg can also celebrate after jointly applying with the University of Bremen and receiving approval for a total of 54.2 million euros in funding for the Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence.
"As a young university, we are especially proud to see that all the Clusters of Excellence we applied for were able to convince the international. This proves once again that top-level research is conducted at the University of Oldenburg," said University President Prof. Dr. Ralph Bruder. "Our scientists are achieving outstanding research results and will now continue their work in research fields with high social relevance under excellent conditions."
Today's successful performance in the Cluster of Excellence funding line also paves the way for the University of Oldenburg to receive funding as a University of Excellence from 2027 onwards. The Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen have decided to apply jointly as partners for this funding line.
"Our two universities have a tradition of close collaboration and have set themselves the goal of further boosting their impact and appeal at the national and international level. We are now underscoring this mission by submitting a joint application for the University of Excellence funding line, and thus forging ahead with our ambitious plans in a targeted manner," University President Bruder explained. As recently as the beginning of this year, the Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen founded the Northwest Alliance, a joint research and transfer centre in Germany's northwest region.
The Clusters of Excellence
Hearing Research: Hearing4all
The Cluster aims to improve the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss. Hearing4all (H4a) has already achieved significant results over the course of two previous funding periods since 2012. Now, under the new guiding theme Hearing4all.connects, the research alliance encompassing the University of Oldenburg, Hannover Medical School, and Leibniz University Hannover will expand to include additional disciplines, enabling an even more comprehensive investigation of hearing loss. In the coming years, researchers will pursue new genetic approaches to predicting, diagnosing, and treating hearing loss. They will also explore how artificial intelligence can enable hearing aids and cochlear implants to distinguish more effectively between important and irrelevant sound sources.
Another key area of research involves the development of shared data standards. These standards will enable the training of AI-based systems that can predict an individual’s probability of hearing loss. Researchers also aim to transform hearing aids into comprehensive hearing health systems, using sensor data collected at the ear to provide long-term health data and early indicators for declining health.
Hearing4all also seeks to better understand the real-life challenges people with hearing loss face. Researchers will investigate the role of multilingualism in hearing, conduct studies outside the lab in real-world environments, and explore the importance of hearing in social interactions. Close collaboration with non-university partners remains a central component of the cluster’s work, supporting the rapid transfer of research findings into practical applications.
Cluster spokesperson Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel: “Over the past 13 years, the three participating universities and external partners have built a unique ecosystem for hearing research. This now enables us to apply new technologies – in areas such as genetics or AI – to achieve hearing restoration that comes as close as possible to natural hearing and empowers those affected to fully participate in diverse communication settings. Together with our outstanding team, I’m excited to initiate a new era of hearing health research, one that addresses hearing holistically: from ear, to brain, to society.”
Research Team:
Around 350 researchers from diverse disciplines, including medical physics, neuroscience, psychology, ear, nose and throat medicine (ENT), engineering, and linguistics.
Participating Schools at the University of Oldenburg:
School III - Linguistics and Cultural Studies
School VI-Medicine and Health Sciences
Applicant Universities:
University of Oldenburg (coordinating institution), Hannover Medical School (MHH), Leibniz University Hannover
Other Partner Institutions:
Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology, IDMT, Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HAS, Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven / Oldenburg / Elsfleth, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel
Phone: +49 (0) 441 798-3641
Email:
Animal navigation: NaviSense
The mission of the NaviSense team is to gain a thorough understanding of how animals navigate over long distances. Its findings will be incorporated into nature conservation strategies and technological innovations such as quantum technologies and autonomous navigation systems. The team's research is divided into four research foci: in the first, the underlying mechanisms of magnetoreception and other senses that animals use to navigate are investigated. The magnetic and celestial compass as well as the processing of sensory information in the brain are also studied in detail. As the magnetic sense of birds seems to be based on a quantum effect, the second research focus is on quantum physical phenomena – in particular phenomena which occur at ambient temperature, like magnetoreception. Most of today's quantum technologies can only be implemented at extremely low temperatures. Therefore, it would be a major step forward if we can understand how quantum physical processes can be controlled at higher temperatures.
In the third research focus, the team aims to use the findings from navigation biology research in nature conservation. Migratory animal species are particularly affected by climate change and habitat loss, however, efforts to rewild endangered species in new and suitable locations often fail. The goal is to develop better, science-based conservation strategies. In the fourth research focus, the NaviSense scientists will develop and test models and algorithms for virtual and real-world robotic systems that are inspired by animal navigation, for instance sensors or autonomous navigation systems.
Cluster spokesperson Prof. Dr Henrik Mouritsen: "I am very happy that our research has been evaluated to be world class. The new Cluster of Excellence "NaviSense" will enable us to perform cutting edge research with major impact on science, society and conservation. Animal migrations move millions of tonnes of biomass across the globe, making navigating animals essential for global ecosystems. Thus, understanding how they use their senses to navigate over long distances is therefore of vital importance. The positive cluster evaluation also confirms that the decade-long strategic planning and hiring of world class scientists from a wide range of fields has paid off. What I am personally most proud of is the very special Oldenburg interdisciplinary and collaborative spirit we have developed and which was an essential part of this success. Now we can take the next big steps together as a team."
Around 80 people from a variety of disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, computer science and the social sciences work in the Cluster.
Participating schools at the University of Oldenburg:
School V - School of Mathematics and Science
School II - School of Computing Science, Business Administration, Economics and Law
School VI - School of Medicine and Health Science
Applicant university:
University of Oldenburg
Other participating institutions:
University of Bayreuth
Institute of Avian Research (IAR) in Wilhelmshaven
Contact for inquiries:
Prof. Dr. Henrik Mouritsen
Phone: 0441/798-3081
Email:
Marine research: Ocean Floor
Oldenburg researchers have been involved as a partner in the University of Bremen's Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence ("The Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Interface") since 2019. The Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen jointly submitted the current application for renewal of funding. In the Cluster, they will pool their expertise with the aim of further advancing our understanding of the role of the ocean floor in biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity under changing climatic conditions. With its research, the Cluster will contribute to a scientific basis for the protection and sustainable use of the oceans.
The ocean floor acts as a dynamic interface and fulfils wide-ranging functions for the entire Earth system. The researchers in the Cluster investigate the processes that control global matter fluxes towards, above and in the ocean floor. This involves deciphering the processes that regulate the transport of biogenic particles to the ocean floor and their transformation under changing environmental conditions, analysing the transfer of carbon and other elements between the ocean floor and seawater, and understanding how ecosystems on the ocean floor react to environmental changes. In view of the scientific and technological complexities, these objectives can only be achieved in the context of an interdisciplinary research network.
The Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence has been based at the University of Bremen's MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences since 2019. While Bremen focuses on the geology and paleoecology of the ocean floor, including a strong focus on technology development for investigating these environments, the University of Oldenburg contributes primarily expertise in the areas of biodiversity research, biogeochemistry, modelling and microbiology.
In total, around 160 scientists at various stages of their careers and from a variety of disciplines such as marine and geosciences, palaeoclimatology, palaeoceanography, micropalaeontology, marine (bio)geochemistry, geobiology, palaeoecology, petrology, hydrology, data science and statistics will conduct research in the Cluster.
Spokesperson for the Cluster (University of Oldenburg) Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand: "Processes on the ocean floor play a key role in the Earth's climate and all important biogeochemical cycles. We very much look forward to shedding further light on these exciting processes together with our partners from Bremen and Bremerhaven over the next seven years in the prolonged Cluster of Excellence. The University of Oldenburg's expertise in the fields of marine biodiversity, data science and Earth system modelling contributes decisively to completing the Cluster of Excellence's interdisciplinary profile."
Applicant universities:
University of Bremen (Managing University)
University of Oldenburg
Participating institutions:
Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Constructor University in Bremen, Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study (HWK) in Delmenhorst, Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) at the University of Oldenburg, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI-MM) in Bremen, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen
Contact for inquiries: Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand (HIFMB and University of Oldenburg) Phone: (04421) 944 102 or (0471) 4831 2542Email: helmut.hillebrand@uni-oldenburg.de
Photos & videos of the press conference (Updated on 22 & 23 May)
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250522_uni_exzellenz032.JPG Joy about the sensational success (from left to right): University President Prof Dr Ralph Bruder, Prof Dr Christiane Thiel, spokesperson Hearing4all, Prof Dr Henrik Mouritsen, spokesperson NaviSense, and Prof Dr Helmut Hillebrand, Oldenburg spokesperson Ocean Floor. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Markus Hibbeler 8 MB -
250522_uni_exzellenz034.JPG Delighted about the sensational success (from left to right): Prof Dr Andrea Strübind (Vice President for Studies and Teaching), Prof Dr Katharina Al-Shamery (Vice President for Academic Career Paths, Equal Opportunities and International Affairs), University President Prof Dr Ralph Bruder, Prof Dr Christiane Thiel, (Spokesperson Hearing4all), Prof Dr Henrik Mouritsen (Spokesperson NaviSense), Prof Dr Helmut Hillebrand (Oldenburg Spokesperson Ocean Floor) and Prof Dr Ralf Grüttemeier (Vice President for Research and Transfer). Photo: University of Oldenburg / Markus Hibbeler 12 MB -
H4A-Jubel-1.jpg Great joy among the researchers of the Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all: their project ‘Hearing4all.connects’ will be funded for seven years. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 11 MB -
H4A-Jubel-2.jpg Great joy among the researchers of the Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all: their project ‘Hearing4all.connects’ will be funded for seven years. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 11 MB -
NaviSense-Jubel.jpg Great joy at the ‘NaviSense’ Cluster of Excellence: The animal navigation researchers, who have been successful for years, were able to score points with their new application and will be funded for seven years. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Izabela Mittwollen 12 MB
Hearing4all
The Cluster aims to improve the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss. Hearing4all (H4a) has already achieved significant results over the course of two previous funding periods since 2012. Now, under the new guiding theme Hearing4all.connects, the research alliance encompassing the University of Oldenburg, Hannover Medical School, and Leibniz University Hannover will expand to include additional disciplines, enabling an even more comprehensive investigation of hearing loss.
Factsheet Hearing4all
Title: Hearing4all.connects – Innovating Hearing Health Technology from Ear to Brain to Society
Applicant universities: University of Oldenburg (UOL, Managing University), Hannover Medical School (MHH), Leibniz University Hannover (LUH)
Participating institutions: Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology (Fraunhofer IDMT/HSA), Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfleth, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
Duration of funding and funding amount applied for: 2026 – 2032 / 53.5 million euros
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel (UOL), Prof. Dr. Andrej Kral (MHH), Prof. Dr. Holger Blume (LUH)
Number of principal investigators: 25, 13 of whom are at the University of Oldenburg
Number of participating researchers: Around 350 from the fields of engineering, medical physics, ear, nose and throat medicine (ENT), psychology, neuroscience and linguistics, among others
Background: More than 30 years of hearing research in Oldenburg | Funded as a Cluster of Excellence with partners from Hannover since 2012 | Renewal of the Cluster of Excellence in 2018 | Cluster is the driver of the "Auditory Valley" research and development network, which has grown through the founding and integration of institutions focused on hearing in the region | Many years of research on biomedical and technical solutions for hearing loss | Currently almost every hearing aid worldwide contains innovations based on Hearing4all research.
What it's all about: The Hearing4all scientists focus on five research areas:
1. Genotypic and phenotypic measures for a generalised auditory profile
Comprehensive hearing tests will be combined with genetic information to create individual hearing profiles. Researchers will study genetic causes of hearing loss, among other methods, using fruit flies that are bred to carry human disease genes.
Objectives: To develop new and improved diagnostics, predictions and treatments for hearing loss | To better understand genetic, physiological, psychological, physical and cognitive factors linked to hearing loss.
2. Advanced hearing devices
Artificial intelligence can be used to help hearing device and implant technologies distinguish more effectively between relevant sound and background noise, adapt to users' individual preferences and better process speech. Researchers are also exploring to what extent the function of cochlear implants in particular can be improved by, for example, combining them with neuromodulatory approaches (e.g. externally triggered nerve impulses) or supplementary biological therapies.
Objective: To improve hearing outcomes for users of hearing aids and implants.
3. Data-driven personalisation of hearing support
Containing the information of more than 10,000 patients, the Hearing4all database is one of the world's largest hearing research data repositories. The scientists plan to integrate this wealth of information in a comprehensive database and establish a global standard for audiological data. These large data sets can be used to train artificial intelligence models. A central component is the Virtual Hearing Clinic (VHC), an app that accompanies users in daily life and provides valuable data on their hearing situation.
Objectives: To establish an international data standard for audiology | To use AI to predict hearing loss probabilities and make recommendations for treatment
4. Hearing health technology
The ear is a good location for placing sensors that gather information about health factors such as gait speed, speech behaviour and vital signs. Hearing4all researchers aim to equip hearing devices with such functions, turning them into early-warning systems for diseases. For example, a sudden decline in gait speed, can be an early indication that a person will develop dementia at a later stage.
Objective: To develop hearing devices that go beyond improving hearing and act as comprehensive hearing health systems on the ear"
5. From hearing to understanding for participation in society
In this area, the researchers plan to investigate the importance of hearing in more realistic contexts than has previously been the case, for example by using mobile technology to conduct hearing research in locations beyond the lab, such as the workplace or public spaces. To gain access to people and everyday acoustic environments they will convert a van into a "Hearing4all-connects-lab". The scientists will also investigate the impact of multilingualism on hearing comprehension and how hearing loss affects social interactions.
Objective: To bring hearing research closer to the real-life environments beyond standardised lab situations.
The research areas are supported by the Translational Research Centre, which ensures that scientific discoveries can be transferred into clinical and practical applications.
Cooperation partners: Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg – Institute for Advanced Study, Delmenhorst; HörSys GmbH Hannover, KIZMO GmbH, Oldenburg; Hearing Institute, Institut Pasteur (Paris, France); Ear Institute (University College London, UK); Australian Hearing Hub, Macquarie University (Australia); Department of Microelectronics and Electronic Systems of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)
Contact
Photos Hearing4all
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H4a_Gesture_Lab_close.jpg The hearing researchers in Oldenburg investigate very different facets of hearing and use highly specialised laboratories. To find out which sound sources a person focuses their attention on, for example, they have set up a gesture lab in which hearing tests can be carried out in a virtual environment that is as lifelike as possible. Photo: Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH 3 MB -
H4a_Gesture_Lab_wide.jpg The hearing researchers in Oldenburg investigate very different facets of hearing and use highly specialised. laboratories. To find out which sound sources a person focuses their attention on, for example, they have set up a gesture lab in which hearing tests can be carried out in a virtual environment that is as lifelike as possible. Photo: Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH 4 MB -
H4a_Kind.jpg The researchers at Hearing4all are conducting research into good hearing for everyone. Among other things, they are working on improvements for wearers of hearing aids and cochlear implants. Photo: Hearing4all 5 MB -
H4a_Reflexionsarmer_Raum.jpg Hearing research has a long tradition at the University of Oldenburg and its success story continues: its joint cutting-edge research in a Cluster of Excellence with Hannover Medical School and Leibniz Universität Hannover has been conducted without interruption since 2012 and will continue in the third funding phase which starts in 2026. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 9 MB -
H4a_Reflexionsarmer_Raum_2.jpg Hearing research has a long tradition at the University of Oldenburg and continues its success story: uninterrupted since 2012, the joint cutting-edge research with Hannover Medical School and Leibniz Universität Hannover will be funded as a Cluster of Excellence from 2026 in the third funding phase. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 11 MB -
H4a_Spokesperson_thiel-christiane_UOL.jpg Prof Dr Christiane Thiel, Professor of Cognitive Neurobiology at the University of Oldenburg, is the new spokesperson for the Hearing4all cluster and successor to long-time spokesperson Prof Dr Dr Birger Kollmeier. Thiel is investigating the interplay between hearing and perception processing in the brain. Photo: Izabela Mittwollen 19 MB -
H4a_Spokesperson_blume-holger_LUH.jpg Prof Dr Holger Blume from Leibniz Universität Hannover is the cluster spokesperson for Hearing4all. He conducts research into microelectronic systems. Photo: Izabela Mittwollen 17 MB -
H4a_Spokesperson_kral-andrej_MHH.jpg Prof Dr Andrej Kral from the Hannover Medical School is the cluster spokesperson for Hearing4all. He conducts research into ENT/audio neurotechnology. Photo: Izabela Mittwollen 19 MB
Videos Hearing4all
The goal of Hearing4all is to understand the causes of hearing loss and develop innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for millions of people of all ages.
The Virtual Hearing Clinic is designed to combine hearing tests, personalised treatment options and health tracking on a smartphone.
In the coming years, Hearing4all researchers want to investigate new approaches for genetic treatment options for hearing loss, among other things. To this end, they are analysing the properties of fruit flies that carry human disease genes.
NaviSense
The scientific goal of NaviSense is to gain a deep, interdisciplinary understanding of the senses and mechanisms that animals use to navigate – and to find out how these mechanisms can inspire new technologies and how they can be used for the benefit of society, the environment and biodiversity.
Factsheet NaviSense
Title: NaviSense: International Cluster of Excellence for the Sensory Basis, Mechanisms, and Impacts of Animal Navigation
Applicant university: University of Oldenburg (UOL)
Participating institutions: Institute of Avian Research (IAR), Wilhelmshaven, University of Bayreuth
Duration of funding and amount applied for: 2026 – 2032 / 54,728,000 euros
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Henrik Mouritsen
Number of scientific project leaders: 36, including 35 at the University of Oldenburg of which six are international researchers who will become members of the University of Oldenburg for the project
Number of participating researchers: around 80 from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, computer science and the social sciences, among others
Background: Research into animal navigation at the University of Oldenburg began more than 20 years ago with the "Neurosensorics / Animal Navigation" research group headed by Henrik Mouritsen | The University has since become a leading institution worldwide in the field of animal navigation and magnetoreception research thanks to strategic professorial recruitments and a strong interdisciplinary and collaborative spirit | Milestones: funding for the Research Training Group "Molecular basis of sensory biology" (DFG / 2013-2023); funding for the Collaborative Research Centre "Magnetoreception and Navigation in Vertebrates: from Biophysics to Brain and Behaviour" (DFG / since 2019); European Research Council Synergy Grant for the "Quantum Birds" project (Henrik Mouritsen and Peter Hore (University of Oxford) / since 2019).
What it's all about:
The scientific goal of NaviSense is to provide a deep, interdisciplinary understanding of the senses, mechanisms, and behaviours used by animals to navigate, and how these mechanisms can inspire technology and impact society, ecology, and biodiversity.
The structural goal is to root a long-term “International Centre for Animal Navigation” at the University of Oldenburg for decades to come and thereby strengthen UOL as an internationally leading institution for interdisciplinary research in this field.
The collaborative goal is to unite leading scientists across all experience levels from an exceptionally wide range of fields in a stimulating environment. This is essential to be able to answer the scientific questions posed in NaviSense.
Research foci (RF):
1. Animal navigation mechanisms and their underlying senses
The focus here is on basic research. The goal is to understand the senses and mechanisms that enable animals to orientate and navigate over middle to long distances – often with an accuracy that remains unattainable for human navigators without GPS. This encompasses highly interdisciplinary research in areas such as the underlying sensory mechanisms of magnetoreception and the visual sense, on the celestial, wind and magnetic compasses, path integration and how animals define “home”, etc. Studies on various organisms are planned, including magnetotactic bacteria, bogong moths, ants, monarch butterflies, dung beetles, krill, migratory birds and bats.
Objective: To gain a better understanding of the sensory systems and mechanisms that enable animals to navigate over long distances. Among other things, the aim is to clarify which of the animals under investigation can perceive the magnetic field (as far as not yet known), which mechanisms play a role here (quantum effects and/or magnetic particles) and whether the magnetically sensitive protein cryptochrome (identified by the UOL) really is the long-sought magnetic sensor in migratory birds.
2. Quantum effects at ambient temperature in model systems and biology
In this research focus, a team of chemists and physicists will work to gain a better understanding of how the above-mentioned quantum effects can influence processes at ambient temperature. In order to understand the exact chemical, physical and quantum mechanical principles underlying magnetoreception, the proteins and model compounds produced in the first research focus will be analysed using state-of-the-art spectroscopic methods (developed in Oxford and Oldenburg).
The background to this is that the mechanisms on which the Cluster focuses are based on very similar physical laws to certain forms of recently developed quantum technologies. However, the latter generally function only at extremely low temperatures. Understanding how these quantum mechanisms can function in the wet, warm and "noisy" environment of a cell in a bird's eye therefore would have enormous potential for technological advances.
Objective: The team plans to use for example model systems to understand whether qubits (basic information unit used to encode data in quantum computing) can remain stable over a longer period of time at room temperature in systems inspired by the radical pair mechanism.
3. Ecological and conservation consequences of animal navigation
Migratory animal species are particularly affected by climate change, environmental pollution and loss of habitat. The populations of many migratory species are in sharp decline. Attempts to rewild endangered species in suitable locations often fail because the animals reject these places as “home” and simply navigate away.
Objectives: To find out how animals define "home"; investigate the influence of human-made stress factors on the ability of animals to navigate; develop better, science-based conservation strategies for migratory species.
4. Linking biological and technical systems through models, algorithms, and devices
Animal navigation is highly reliable and energy-efficient. However, the system that makes this possible works in a very different way to human navigation systems, which often rely on just a few sensors, GPS and powerful computers. Animal systems are usually based on a large number of relatively imprecise sensors and they combine information from different senses. This makes them very resilient against disturbances and malfunctions.
Objective:
Based on findings from animal navigation, biological and physiochemical navigation hypotheses will be developed and tested with the aim of providing concepts for highly robust technical navigation systems that are less sensitive to disturbances than current technologies (such as autonomous flying). These systems and principles will be tested in virtual and real robotic systems, for example.
Contact
Photos NaviSense
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NaviSense_Monarchfalter.JPG The migration of monarch butterflies in North America is one of the most fascinating spectacles in the animal world. Their navigational skills will be studied in the new Cluster of Excellence. Photo: Basil el Jundi 2 MB -
NaviSense_Steinschmatzer-Helgoland.jpg Like many other small songbird species, wheatears migrate alone at night to their wintering grounds in Africa. They often make a stopover on the German island of Helgoland. The NaviSense researchers plan to investigate their migratory behaviour in more detail. Photo: Heiko Schmaljohann 2 MB -
NaviSense-Rauhautfledermaus-Pipstrellus-nathusii.jpg In autumn, tens of thousands of Nathusius's pipistrelle bats migrate south along Latvia's Baltic coast. There is much evidence that they use the earth's magnetic field to navigate. The NaviSense Cluster of Excellence is investigating this sensory perception. Photo: Christian Giese 4 MB -
NaviSense_Feline-Plateo_Pauline-Fleischmann_Ameisen-Arena.jpg Biologist Pauline Fleischmann (right, with Bachelor student Feline Plateo) is investigating the orientation in desert ants. The small insects are excellent navigators. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Matthias Knust 3 MB -
NaviSense_Miriam-Liedvogel_Henrik-Mouritsen_Ilia-Solovyov.jpg Miriam Liedvogel, Henrik Mouritsen and Ilia Solov'yov (from left) are the team of spokespersons for the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 5 MB -
NaviSense_Henrik-Mouritsen.jpg Henrik Mouritsen is the spokesperson for the new Cluster of Excellence and heads the Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation working group at the Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Oldenburg. He is also the spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Centre ‘Magnetoreception and Navigation of Vertebrates’. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 5 MB -
NaviSense_Ilia-Solovyov.jpg Physicist Ilia Solov'yov will be part of the spokesperson team for the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence. He came to the University of Oldenburg in 2019 with a Lichtenberg Endowed Professorship and heads the Quantum Biology and Computational Physics working group. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 4 MB -
NaviSense_Miriam-Liedvogel.jpg Ornithologist Miriam Liedvogel will be part of the spokesperson team for the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence. She heads the Behavioural Genomics working group at the University of Oldenburg and is Director of the Institute for Avian Research (IfV) in Wilhelmshaven. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 4 MB
Videos NaviSense
The goal of NaviSense is to create a thorough, interdisciplinary understanding of the senses and mechanisms used by animals for navigation and how these mechanisms can inspire technology and impact society, ecology and biodiversity.
Henrik Mouritsen and his team use complex laboratory techniques to study proteins called cryptochromes, which are very likely to play a role in magnetic perception.
The magnetic sense of fish and other animals could be based on magnetic minerals such as magnetite. A team led by Michael Winklhofer is working on finding magnetic particles in tissue samples.
NaviSense researchers want to study animal navigation under natural conditions to understand how to better protect migratory animals, such as common terns, which are long-distance migrants. A colony on Lake Bant near Wilhelmshaven has been the subject of in-depth research by the Institute for Avian Research since 1984.
Ocean Floor
Researchers from Oldenburg have been involved in the Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bremen since 2019. In a future joint cluster, the universities want to pool their expertise in order to further decipher the role of the seabed for material cycles and biodiversity under changing climatic conditions. The aim is also to provide a scientific basis for the protection and sustainable use of the oceans.
Factsheet Ocean Floor
Title: The Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Interface
Applicant universities: University of Bremen (Managing University), University of Oldenburg
Participating institutions: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven; Constructor University in Bremen; Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg Institute for Advanced Study (HWK) in Delmenhorst; Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) at the University of Oldenburg; Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen; Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI-MM) in Bremen
Research field: Marine, polar and climate research
Funding period and total amount requested: 2026 – 2032 / 54.2 million euros
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Heiko Pälike (MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen); Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand (Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) & HIFMB; University of Oldenburg); Prof. Dr. Gesine Mollenhauer (AWI, University of Bremen)
Number of principal investigators: The individual research topics in the Cluster will be led by 25 principal investigators, of whom 18 conduct research at the University of Bremen, six at the University of Oldenburg and one at Constructor University.
Number of participating researchers: The scientific team will also include ten internationally renowned leading researchers (EXC Key Collaborators) as well as other researchers from the applicant universities and participating institutions who will be involved in the management of individual projects. In total, around 160 scientists from all career levels and various disciplines, such as marine and geosciences, palaeoclimatology, palaeoceanography, micropalaeontology, marine (bio)geochemistry, geobiology, palaeoecology, petrology, hydrology, data science and statistics, will conduct research in the Cluster.
Background/Preliminary work:
Since its founding in 2001, the MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen has established itself as an internationally renowned hub for marine research. The current Cluster "The Ocean Floor – Earth's Uncharted Interface" has been based at MARUM since 2019. The preceding Cluster "The Ocean in the Earth System" received funding from 2012 to 2018. For the upcoming second funding phase, a cross-location team is applying together with the University of Oldenburg, whose expertise in biodiversity research, biogeochemistry, modelling and microbiology will contribute to achieving the Cluster's objectives.
A key focus at MARUM is the development and refinement of technologies that are used in the deep sea. These include remotely operated and autonomous underwater robotic systems and mobile seafloor drill rigs. The infrastructure also includes one of the three core repositories worldwide for the international Ocean Drilling Programme as well as the PANGAEA research data library.
What it's all about:
The scientists investigate the exchange processes on the ocean floor as an important and dynamic interface that fulfils far-reaching functions for the entire planet and climate system.
Scientific objectives to be addressed over the next seven years:
- To understand the processes that transform the properties and fluxes of biogenic particles on their transit to the ocean floor, we are investigating how the chemical composition of organic matter and biological processes influence the biological carbon pump.
- New insights into lateral transport will enable us to quantify fluxes of carbon and other elements to and from the ocean floor under current and past Earth system conditions.
- Analyses of environmental conditions across spatial and temporal transformations will help to identify the ways in which biodiversity and biogeochemistry are coupled.
- Comprehensive decoding of environmental and biodiversity signals from current and previous warm climate states will facilitate the development of warmer world scenarios.
- A new SYNTHESIS HUB invites (inter)national researchers to work with the Cluster in order to implement the integration of data and modelling results required for exchange between science and policy makers.
- The Cluster will exploit the full research potential of partner institutions and establish new structures to advance equal opportunities, inclusion and integration as well as the training and recruitment of outstanding researchers among the partners in the region.
At the scientific level, the Cluster is divided into three Research Units: RECEIVER, which studies water-column processes; REACTOR, which analyses processes on and beneath the ocean floor; RECORDER, which uses the ocean floor as a continuous record of record of environmental and climatic conditions from the Earth's past.
Research in the Cluster is based on sea-going expeditions, in-situ experiments and underwater technologies developed at MARUM, as well as chemical analysis methods and comprehensive modelling systems.
Transfer potential and significance for the region:
In the upcoming second phase of the Cluster, the existing disciplinary strengths in the marine sciences in North-West Germany will be integrated to form a region of excellence with potential for major scientific breakthroughs. Findings from basic research are of vital importance for understanding and comprehending "warmer world" scenarios.
Transfer and scientific communication take place in a context of dialogue, and we develop participative formats for specific interaction groups. MARUM offers UNI school lab courses for school classes and curriculum projects such as "Climate – I'm changing", researchers exchange ideas at the "Ocean Floor Symposium", local politicians, associations and NGOs discuss at "MARUM in dialogue" events, and families can experiment at "Explore Science" events.
The marine technology team cooperates closely with regional and national industrial partners, particularly in the area of technology development.
Cooperation partner: Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Texel (Netherlands), University of Copenhagen (Denmark)
Contact
Photos Ocean Floor
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Ocean_Floor_Tauchroboter-MARUM_QUEST_Nordatlantik.jpg The new diving robot MARUM-QUEST 5000 after its first dive in the North Atlantic. Photo: MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen / M. Schröder 6 MB -
Ocean_Floor_Tauchroboter-MARUM_QUEST-5000.JPG The ocean floor covers approximately 71 percent of Earth's solid surface and is located at an average of 3,700 metres below sea level. Investigating it requires sea-going expeditions and the use of highly specialised underwater technologies such as the diving robot MARUM-QUEST, pictured here taking samples at a depth of 270 metres on the Azores Plateau on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Photo: MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen 2 MB -
Ocean_Floor_NMR_Analyse.jpg The researchers in the cluster have access to a unique infrastructure at the University of Oldenburg. For example, they can use a new, particularly powerful nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to identify organic substances contained in seawater. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Marcus Windus 5 MB -
Ocean_Floor_Heiko-Paelike.jpg Heiko Pälike is the spokesperson for the new Cluster of Excellence and heads the Palaeoceanography working group at the Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen (MARUM). His team analyses climate change over periods ranging from thousands to millions of years. Photo: University of Bremen / Annemarie Popp 2 MB -
Ocean_Floor_Gesine-Mollenhauer.jpg Gesine Mollenhauer is also part of the cluster's spokesperson team. She is deputy head of the ‘Marine Geochemistry’ section at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). She is also the scientific director of the 14C laboratory ‘MICADAS’. Photo: Kerstin Rolfes 7 MB -
Ocean_Floor_Helmut-Hillebrand.jpg Helmut Hillebrand is one of the three members of the cluster's spokesperson team. The biodiversity expert is the founding director of the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB) and has been head of the Planktology working group at the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) since 2008. Photo: University of Oldenburg / Daniel Schmidt 9 MB
Videos Ocean Floor
On expeditions with the research vessel SONNE, marine researchers gain insights into the deepest trenches of the world's oceans thanks to innovative marine technology such as high-quality echo sounders and research winches (cables up to 12 kilometres long). Several diving robots, such as the Quest 4000 shown here, can simultaneously scan the seabed and bring valuable sample material on deck.
The MARUM-SQUID is a powerful, lightweight, remote-controlled underwater vehicle (diving robot) with a maximum diving depth of 2000 metres. It can also be deployed from smaller research vessels. The vehicle has three cameras, a sonar and two Line-Lasers for measuring objects on the seabed. A fully proportionally movable gripper arm with seven degrees of freedom is available for sampling.
The remotely operated vehicle MARUM QUEST collects biological samples, rock and ore samples, and even samples of hot solutions from underwater volcanoes in the South West Pacific. The samples are analysed directly on board and later in laboratories at home.