The following Cluster of Excellence initiatives were asked to submit full proposals:
• Beyond Slavery and Freedom: Agency within asymmetrical structures of individual and group dependencies in pre-modern societies
• Computational Science for Complex Systems - CASCADE
• Hausdorff Center for Mathematics: Foundations, Models, Applications
• ImmunoSensation2: the immune sensory system
• PhenoRob - Robotics and Phenotyping for Sustainable Crop Production
• ECONtribute: Markets and & Public Policy (together with the University of Cologne)
• ML4Q – Matter and Light for Quantum Computing (together with RWTH Aachen and the University of Cologne)
With these seven proposals, Bonn was the most successful university in Germany in this line of funding. In total, the University submitted eight draft proposals in early April including three in cooperation with neighboring universities.
"After this first success, we will now concentrate on preparing full proposals and the application for the second line of funding" explains Prof. Dr. Hoch: "Our aim now, is to apply to be a University of Excellence". To achieve this, at least two Clusters of Excellence are required. "Our chance of succeeding is now outstanding." The deadline for submitting the application for this line of funding is December 10th, 2018.
Fierce competition in North-Rhine Westphalia
Professor Dr. Michael Hoch is delighted about the results: "The various specialty disciplines, the administration and the Rectorate have worked hard on the Excellence Strategy in the last few months. I would like to thank them for their commitment and congratulate the seven projects that have made it into the next round. We have a lot of work ahead of us in the coming months. We have to assert ourselves against fierce competition if we want to do justice to our own high standards as well as our excellent international reputation.“ The Rector is also excited about the overall high appraisal of research initiative in North-Rhine Westphalia. "This Excellence competition is an opportunity for our federal state to stand out" says Hoch.
Past merits
The University of Bonn has had success in past Excellence funding, acquiring two Clusters of Excellence and two Graduate Schools:
• Cluster of Excellence: Mathematics: Foundations, Models, Applications – Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (since 2006; together with the faculty of Economics)
• Cluster of Excellence: ImmunoSensation: the immune sensory system (since 2012)
• Bonn Graduate School of Economics (2006 – 2011)
• Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy (since 2006; together with the University of Cologne)
World-renowned research
The University of Bonn is one of the eminent research universities in Germany and has an excellent international reputation. Recently, it was ranked among Germany’s top 10 universities and in the top 150 world-wide by Chinese Jiatong-University's international higher education ranking and British Times Higher Education ranking (THE).