The Excellence Initiative of the German Council of Science and Humanities and the German Research Foundation (DFG) aims to promote cutting-edge research and to create outstanding conditions for young scholars at universities, to deepen cooperation between disciplines and institutions, to strengthen international cooperation of research, and to enhance the international appeal of excellent German universities. It is the result of lengthy negotiations between the federal government and the German states.
Overview Since almost all German universities are public (most private universities do not have the official German "Universitätsstatus"), and therefore mainly paid by taxes and generally egalitarian, there is no German Ivy League of private higher education institutions. However, the Excellence Initiative aims to strengthen some selected public universities more than others in order to raise their international visibility. Thus, the German "Universities of Excellence" are sometimes considered the German Ivy League of public institutions, and these universities are commonly referred to by the media as "elite universities". The initiative is conducted by the DFG together with the German Science and Humanities Council (WR). More than 30 universities in total received funding. It includes three lines of funding: The establishment of more than 40 research schools for young scientists and PhD candidates, which will receive €1 million each per year. The creation of thirty so-called Clusters of Excellence, that connect universities with leading German research institutes and businesses. Annually, these clusters will receive around €6.5 million each to fund their work. The selection of 11 Universities of Excellence, which will be funded highly for their "future concepts", i.e., institutional strategies to promote top-level university research. Particularly this third line of funding has drawn appreciable international attention, both in academia and media.
Altogether €2.7 billion (€1.9 billion for 2007–2012) of additional funds have been distributed over the course of five years, most of this coming from the federal government. The WR is responsible for the third line of funding, and the DFG is responsible for the first and second lines of funding.
Results
Winners: Future Concept 2019–2026 (current projects)
11 future concepts across 13 universities were selected for funding in 2019. Six universities retained their status for a third time: RWTH Aachen, FU Berlin (as part of the Berlin University Alliance), Heidelberg University, University of Konstanz, LMU Munich, and Technical University of Munich. Three further universities retained their status for a second consecutive time: HU Berlin (as part of the Berlin University Alliance), TU Dresden, and the University of Tübingen. The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology returned to excellence status for a second time after having been funded in the first round (2006). The three first-time excellence universities are the University of Bonn, University of Hamburg, and TU Berlin (as part of the Berlin University Alliance).
University Motto Year of Award RWTH Aachen University The Integrated Interdisciplinary University of Science and Technology: Knowledge, Impact, Networks 2007/2012/2019 Berlin University Alliance Crossing Boundaries toward an Integrated Research Environment 2007/2012/2019 University of Bonn WE invest in people – WE foster networks – WE create impact 2019 TU Dresden TUD 2028 Synergy and beyond 2012/2019 University of Hamburg A Flagship University: Innovation and Cooperation for a Sustainable Future 2019 Heidelberg University The comprehensive research university Heidelberg: The future since 1386 2007/2012/2019 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology The Research University in the Helmholtz Association: Living the Change 2006/2019 University of Konstanz creative.together 2007/2012/2019 LMU Munich LMUexcellent – A new perspective 2006/2012/2019 Technical University of Munich TUM. The Entrepreneurial University: Innovation by Talents, Excellence, and Responsibility 2006/2012/2019 University of Tübingen Research – Relevance – Responsibility: Open to New Challenges and a Global Scope of Action 2012/2019
Winners: Future Concept 2012–2019 (completed projects)
Out of the 140 universities in Germany 11 universities were chosen, among them five new winners (HU Berlin, University of Bremen, University of Cologne, TU Dresden, University of Tübingen) and six title holders: RWTH Aachen, FU Berlin, Heidelberg University, University of Konstanz, LMU Munich, and Technical University of Munich. As in 2006 and 2007, also other universities were awarded for special clusters of excellence and renowned graduate schools.
University Title Year of Award RWTH Aachen University RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges 2007 Freie Universität Berlin International Network University 2007 Humboldt University of Berlin Education through science 2012 University of Bremen AMBITIOUS AND AGILE 2012 University of Cologne Meeting the Challenge of Change and Complexity 2012 TU Dresden The synergetic university 2012 Heidelberg University Heidelberg: Realizing the Potential of a Comprehensive University 2007 University of Konstanz Model Konstanz – towards a culture of creativity 2007 LMU Munich LMUexcellent: Working brains – Networking minds – Living knowledge 2006 Technical University of Munich TUM. The Entrepreneurial University 2006 University of Tübingen Research − Relevance − Responsibility 2012
Winners: Future Concept 2006/2007–2012 (completed projects)
University Title Year of Award LMU Munich LMUexcellent: Working brains – Networking minds – Living knowledge 2006 Technical University of Munich TUM. The Entrepreneurial University 2006 University of Karlsruhe A Concept for the Future of the University of Karlsruhe. The Foundation of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) 2006 RWTH Aachen University RWTH 2020: Meeting Global Challenges 2007 Freie Universität Berlin International Network University 2007 University of Freiburg Windows for Research, New Universitas 2007 University of Göttingen Göttingen. Tradition – Innovation – Autonomie 2007 Heidelberg University Heidelberg: Realizing the Potential of a Comprehensive University 2007 University of Konstanz Model Konstanz – towards a culture of creativity 2007
The funding for a future concept does often, but not necessarily result in a superior overall budget compared to other German universities. For example, due to its small size, the University of Constance is, despite this additional funding, not included in the top 20 funded universities in Germany.
Current international standing According to the Third European Report on Science & Technology Indicators, an official document compiled by the European Commission, four of the Universities of Excellence are among Europe's top 10 universities: Technical University of Munich (joint 3rd), Freiburg (joint 6th), Karlsruhe (joint 6th), and Heidelberg (joint 9th).
In the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2012, Technical University of Munich (53), LMU Munich (60), Heidelberg (62), and Freiburg (99) are included in the global top 100, heading the field of German universities by those criteria.
Eight of the eleven Universities of Excellence are included in the world's top 250 universities, according to the QS World University Ranking 2012: Technical University of Munich (53); Heidelberg (55); LMU Munich (60); Free University of Berlin (87); Humboldt University of Berlin (130); Tübingen (144); RWTH Aachen (150); Cologne (247). The Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2012 ranks 8 of these 11 Universities of Excellence among the world's 250 top universities: LMU Munich (45); Heidelberg (73); Technical University of Munich (88); Humboldt University of Berlin (109); Free University of Berlin (151); RWTH Aachen (168); Tübingen (187); Konstanz (194).
Federal Education Minister Annette Schavan said following the awards ceremony, "The excellence initiative is writing scientific history. Research at German universities finds itself on a successful, international course."
Winners: Graduate Schools (completed projects)
Source: Federal Ministry of Education and ResearchBundesbildungsministerium: "Exzellenzinitiative" , Abschnitt Graduiertenschulen
(coordinating) University Graduate School Year of Award RWTH Aachen University Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science 2006 Freie Universität Berlin Graduate School of North American Studies (John F. Kennedy-Institute for North American Studies) 2006 Humboldt University of Berlin Berlin School of Mind and Brain 2006 Technische Universität Berlin (FU Berlin, HU Berlin) Berlin Mathematical School 2006 Ruhr University Bochum Ruhr University Research School 2006 University of Bonn Bonn Graduate School of Economics 2006 University of Bremen Global Change in the Marine Realm 2006 TU Dresden Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine and Bioengineering 2006 University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies 2006 University of Freiburg Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine 2006 University of Gießen International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture 2006 Hannover Medical School Hannover Biomedical Research School 2006 Heidelberg University Heidelberg Graduate School of Fundamental Physics Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics 2006 University of Mannheim Empirical and Quantitative Methods in the Economic and Social Sciences 2006 LMU Munich Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences 2006 Technical University of Munich International Graduate School of Science and Engineering 2006 Saarland University Multimodal Computing and Interaction 2006 University of Würzburg Graduate School for Life Sciences 2006 University of Bayreuth Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies 2007 Freie Universität Berlin Muslim Cultures and Societies: Unity and Diversity 2007 Freie Universität Berlin Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School of Literary Studies 2007 Humboldt University of Berlin Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies 2007 Humboldt University of Berlin Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences 2007 Bielefeld University Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology 2007 University of Bonn Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy 2007 University of Bremen Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences 2007 Technische Universität Darmstadt Graduate School of Computational Engineering "Beyond Traditional Sciences" 2007 University of Göttingen Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences 2007 Heidelberg University Heidelberg Graduate School of Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Sciences 2007 Heidelberg University The Hartmut Hoffmann-Berling International Graduate School of Molecular and Cellular Biology 2007 University of Jena Jena School for Microbial Communication 2007 Kiel University Graduate School for Integrated Studies of Human Development in Landscapes 2007 University of Konstanz Konstanz Research School "Chemical Biology" 2007 University of Leipzig Building with Molecules and Nano-Objects 2007 University of Lübeck Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences 2007 University of Mainz Materials Science in Mainz 2007 Saarland University Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science 2007 University of Stuttgart Graduate School for advanced Manufacturing Engineering in Stuttgart (GSaME) 2007 University of Ulm International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine Ulm 2007
Winners: Clusters of Excellence (partly completed projects)