The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing 13 new Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) to further support top-level research at German universities. This was decided by the responsible Grants Committee in Bonn. The new CRCs will receive a total of approximately €177 million in funding for an initial period of three years and nine months as of October 2025. This includes a programme allowance of 22 percent for indirect project costs. Three of the new Centres are CRC/Transregios (TRR), each of which is made up of multiple applicant universities.

The reviews of 24 renewal proposals were postponed due to the Excellence Strategy; they will initially receive bridge funding and be discussed at the next meeting of the committee in November 2025.

Collaborative Research Centres allow researchers to tackle innovative, challenging and long-term research projects as a group, thereby supporting the further development of priority areas and structures at the applicant universities. A total of 262 CRCs will be in receipt of DFG funding as of October 2025.

The new Collaborative Research Centres in detail
(in alphabetical order by their host university, including the names of spokespersons and the other applicant universities):

The so-called circadian clock is an internal biological timing system that organises bodily processes and behaviour according to the time of day. Synchronisation between the body’s circadian rhythms and external environmental cycles is crucial to health. But the irregular schedules of modern life are a challenge to the human body’s internal clock, potentially disrupting circadian coordination, and this disruption is linked to several widespread chronic diseases. The CRC/TRR Foundations of Circadian Medicine aims to identify principles and mechanisms linking the circadian clock to associated processes across organs and disease systems, mainly those of a pathological nature. The goal is to develop clinical strategies within the field of circadian medicine. (Charité – FU Berlin and HU Berlin, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Achim Kramer; also applying: University of Lübeck)

Due to a dramatic global rise in cases, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) – formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – is one of the most pressing global health concerns. It is particularly associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Despite the recent approval of the first drug for advanced MASLD, many of the mechanisms underlying disease onset and progression remain unclear. The CRC/TRR Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Translating mechanisms to tailored therapeutic concepts will seek to investigate the pathophysiological processes involved in MASLD at the molecular, cellular and systemic levels. (Charité – FU Berlin and HU Berlin, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Frank Tacke; also applying: TU Dresden)

The CRC Heterostructures of Molecules and 2D- Materials at FU Berlin will investigate novel nanomaterials produced using tailored inorganic and organic molecules. The researchers aim to gain a fundamental understanding of the key properties of these heterostructures. In order to do this, they will employ state-of-the-art experimental methods including advanced spectroscopy and microscopy, supplemented with theoretical modelling and machine learning. The structure of these heterostructures will be predicted by means of large-scale simulations and validated microscopically. In the long term, this interdisciplinary collaboration between physics and chemistry aims to develop components that lead to novel phases of matter and synthesise new materials through alternative reaction pathways. (FU Berlin, Spokesperson: Professor Stephanie Reich)

Criticality is a widespread phenomenon in nature, the natural sciences and mathematics, underlying many complex processes such as stochastic growth and indirect measurement methods. Yet its structural foundations remain poorly understood, which severely limits simulations and their application in the natural sciences. The CRC Analysis of criticality: from complex phenomena to models and estimates will seek to identify key properties of critical phenomena through a broad range of prototypical models inspired by the natural sciences. A shared systematic understanding is to be developed across the fields of statistical mechanics, materials science and life sciences. (University of Bonn, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Angkana Rüland)

The CRC/TRR AgiMo: Data-driven agile planning for responsible mobility will focus on the development of integrative transport planning methods. How can traffic forecasting, optimisation and flow control be improved while at the same time balancing the interests of different road users more equitably than is currently the case? These are the questions this CRC will seek to answer, by adopting a comprehensive approach that includes modern technologies such as autonomous vehicles, while also considering fair and sustainable access for all users and population groups. The researchers aim to develop a unified planning framework that addresses the needs of both individual mobility and goods transport. (TU Dresden, Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Regine Gerike; also applying: TU Munich)

How can semiconductors be produced in a way that is more efficient in terms of energy and resources in future? The CRC Next-generation printed semiconductors: Atomic-level engineering via molecular surface chemistry plans to develop printable semiconductor materials using customised chemical synthesis and deposition techniques. Unlike conventional gas-phase deposition, this approach will draw on solution-based methods under mild conditions. The aim is to transfer well-controlled chemical synthesis methods to surfaces. Researchers will study which materials are suitable for these processes, what defects occur in the resulting structures, how to minimise them and how their properties can be harnessed or put to deliberate use. (University Erlangen-Nuremberg), Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Julien Bachmann)

Colorectal cancer is one of the three most common cancer types worldwide, yet the interaction between tumour development and the tumour microenvironment is still poorly understood. The CRC/TRR Cellular Communication in the Stroma of Colorectal Cancer: From Pathophysiology to Clinical Translation aims to change this situation. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of this type of cancer in order to establish a foundation for novel treatment approaches, particularly since the tumour microenvironment significantly influences individual patient responses to therapy. In the medium term, the CRC/TRR aims to establish a permanent national centre for colorectal cancer research in Germany. (University of Frankfurt/Main, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Florian R. Greten; also applying: University Erlangen-Nuremberg, University of Freiburg)

Marine algae convert carbon dioxide into special carbohydrates known as glycans, some of which are broken down in the ocean, converting the carbon back into CO₂. However, unknown factors appear to stabilise certain glycan structures, thereby helping to store carbon in the oceans. This marine process – known as carbon sequestration – helps regulate atmospheric CO₂ levels so it contributes to climate stability. The CRC/TRR Carbon sequestration at Å resolution – CONCENTRATE will study the complexity of glycan binding in the ocean. The CRC combines in-ocean measurements with lab-based experiments using bacteria, fungi, algae and their glycans along with proteins to explore microbial interactions in marine environments. (University of Greifswald, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Thomas Schweder; also applying: University of Bremen)

The maternal immune system adapts during pregnancy by developing tolerance to the foetus. However, various modern lifestyle factors – including lack of physical activity, obesity, psychological stress, autoimmune disorders and viral infections – increasingly result in inappropriate immune activation rather than tolerance. This can impact negatively on pregnancy outcomes and newborn health. As things currently stand, there is no reliable way to determine whether maternal immune activation has occurred. The CRC Maternal Immune Activation: Causes and Consequences aims to identify the cellular and molecular principles that trigger immune activation during pregnancy. (University of Hamburg, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Petra Clara Arck)

Cancer cells continuously undergo molecular changes – from their initial transformation from healthy tissue, through disease progression and treatment-induced regression, to relapse and renewed growth. This ability to adapt in response to surrounding tissue is known as “cellular plasticity”: it is a key driver of tumour growth, but it also promotes the development of therapy resistance, for example. The CRC Cellular Plasticity in Myeloid Malignancies: From Mechanisms to Therapies will investigate plasticity at the molecular level so as to understand how this constant adaptation is possible. Based on this knowledge, the CRC aims to develop more effective cancer therapies – something that is urgently needed. (University of Heidelberg, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Carsten Müller-Tidow)

Around ten percent of the global population suffers from chronic kidney disease. The majority of these conditions are directly linked to podocytes – cells in the kidney corpuscles that are essential to the kidney’s filtering function. These are particularly vulnerable to damage. At present time are few specific and sustainably effective therapies, since the function of podocytes is not yet fully understood. The CRC/TRR PodoSigN – Podocyte Signaling Networks: From Basic Concepts to Disease Understanding aims to explore the complex balance of health and injury signals relating to podocytes. The CRC will seek to combine cutting-edge molecular and spatial (single-cell) technologies with AI-driven analysis with the aim of expanding knowledge of podocytes and developing new treatment options. (University of Cologne, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Thomas Benzing; also applying: University of Hamburg, University of Münster)

The CRC/TRR Simulation-based learning in higher education: advancing research on process diagnostics and personalized interventions (SHARP) will focus on the conditions and processes of simulation-based learning at higher education institutions. Its core aims are to develop a theory of personalised learning and create personalised simulations of real teaching practices for future use in higher education. The initial focus will be on the training of medical professionals and STEM teachers. The basic mechanisms of personalised simulation will be explored in these two areas – such as interactions between doctors and patients, and between teachers and pupils. (LMU Munich, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Frank Fischer; also applying: TU Munich)

The term “common ground” refers to the shared knowledge assumed by participants in an act of communication. Without common ground, social dynamics and public discourse are difficult to comprehend. The CRC Common Ground: Cognition – Grammar – Communication aims to study the dynamics of shared knowledge during communication and the cognitive foundations associated with it. A broad interdisciplinary approach will be adopted with the aim of developing a novel, cognitively robust and linguistically appropriate model of everyday communication. (University of Tübingen, Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Britta Stolterfoht)