Clusters of excellence
Clusters of excellence
The University of Oldenburg conducts cutting-edge research at the highest national and international level: starting in January 2026, three clusters of excellence will be located at the university: Hearing4all.connects (cooperation with the University of Hannover and the Hannover Medical School), Ocean Floor (cooperation with the University of Bremen) and NaviSense.
NaviSense – International Cluster of Excellence for the Sensory Basis, Mechanisms and Impacts of Animal Navigation (EXC)*
The NaviSense cluster of excellence researches the sensory basis, mechanisms and impacts of animal navigation. This includes how animals navigate over long distances, the senses they use (e.g. magnetic or celestial compass) as well as the quantum physical processes and neural mechanisms in play. The goal is not only to gain a deeper understanding of these skills, but also to apply them. This project makes use of conservation strategies for migratory species as well as bio-inspired technical systems such as sensors and autonomous navigation algorithms.
Funding: excellence strategy of the German Federal Government and the States
Contact: contact Us – NaviSense
Hearing4All.connects (H4A.connects) – The future of hearing (EXC)*
The cluster of excellence Hearing4All.connects – “Innovating Hearing Health Technology from Ear to Brain to Society” with interdisciplinary research in the areas of medicine, engineering, neuroscience and computing science focuses on the development of data-driven solutions for hearing aids, the research of genetic causes of hearing loss with a focus on new therapeutic options and highlighting the social-communicative factors of hearing understanding.
Funding: excellence strategy of the German Federal Government and the States
Contact: contact – Hearing4all
Ocean Floor – The Ocean Floor, Earth’s Uncharted Interface (EXC)*
The joint cluster of excellence of the universities of Oldenburg and Bremen “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface” (Ocean Floor) investigates the ocean floor as a dynamic interface at which geological, chemical, physical and biotic processes are intertwined. The aim is to quantify the carbon and material transport between seawater and sediments, to understand the reactions of benthic ecosystems to environmental changes and to make the climate archive within the ocean floor usable for forecasting in a “warmer world”.
Funding: excellence strategy of the German Federal Government and the States
Contact: team