Researching for the future

Clusters of Excellence

The University of Bonn is one of the leading research universities in Germany and also enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. This can be seen by the funding provided to date under the Excellence Initiative by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat). In 2006, the University of Bonn was awarded two Clusters of Excellence and two Graduate Schools. Since January 2019, the University of Bonn has six Clusters of Excellence, more than any other university in Germany.

Latest News from our Clusters
Don Zagier Awarded Germany’s Biggest Mathematics Prize

The Carl Friedrich von Siemens Stiftung is to present the Heinz Gumin Prize for Mathematics to Don Zagier, who was a director of the Bonn-based Max Planck Institute for Mathematics until 2019 and has strong ties to the University of Bonn. The foundation is thus honoring his pioneering research into number theory and the theory of modular forms. The Gumin Prize is worth €50,000, making it the most generous award for mathematics in Germany. 

All Countries’ Agri-Environmental Policies at a Glance

There can be no analysis without data. In this spirit, researchers from the University of Bonn and the Swiss Federal Institution of Technology (ETH) Zurich have published a database containing over 6,000 agri-environmental policies, thus enabling their peers as well as policymakers and businesses to seek answers to all manner of different questions. The researchers have used two examples to demonstrate how this can be done: how a country’s economic development is linked to its adoption of agri-environmental policies and how such policies impact soil erosion. Their study has now been published in “Nature Food.”

Maize genes control little helpers in the soil

Tiny organisms such as bacteria and fungi help to promote the health and function of plant roots. It is commonly assumed that the composition of these microbes is dependent on the properties of the soil. However, an international team of researchers led by the University of Bonn has now discovered when studying different local varieties of maize that the genetic makeup of the plants also helps to influence which microorganisms cluster around the roots. The results, which have now been published in the prestigious journal Nature Plants, could help to breed future varieties of maize that are better suited to drought and limited nutrients.

Phosphorus Absorption Improved and Zinc Content Increased

A new variety of rice that is adapted to life in low-phosphorus soils, that contains an exceptionally large amount of zinc and that was developed specifically for the conditions in Madagascar where it is grown, has recently been certified in the country. The variety was created under the leadership of plant scientist Professor Matthias Wissuwa from the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) and the PhenoRob Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn which he joined as a visiting professor in spring 2023,  together with the Africa Rice Center and the National Centre of Applied Research for Rural Development in Madagascar (FOFIFA)

The six Clusters of Excellence 

HCM
© Barbara Frommann/HCM

Hausdorff Center for Mathematics

The research of the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (HCM) ranges from pure and applied mathematics to mathematically orientated research in economics as well as interdisciplinary work.

ImmunoSensation2
© ImmunoSensation

ImmunoSensation2

The ultimate goal of ImmunoSensation2 is to decipher the principles that govern the global functionality of the immune system in healthy and diseased states.

Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies logo_Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies/Uni Bonn
© Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies/Uni Bonn

Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies

With the key concept of "Strong Asymmetrical Dependency" the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) opens up a new perspective on slavery and dependency research.

PhenoRob
© Volker Lannert/Uni Bonn

PhenoRob

PhenoRob, the only Cluster of Excellence in Germany in agricultural sciences, brings together researchers from different disciplines to investigate how technology can enable sustainable crop production.

EconTribute
© Marc Thürbach

ECONtribute: Markets and Public Policy

Research at ECONtribute focuses on markets at the interface between economics, politics and society aiming to advance a new paradigm for the analysis of market failure.

ML4Q
© ML4Q

Matter and light for quantum computing 

The aim of the Matter and Light for Quantum Computing (ML4Q) Cluster is to develop new computing and networking architectures using the principles of quantum mechanics.

Wird geladen