Germany’s most successful University of Excellence
The University of Bonn has been a German University of Excellence since the summer of 2019. In 2025 it did extremely well in the Excellence contest of the federal and state governments (part of the national Excellence Strategy, "ExStra" for short) as the only institution among the (at that time) eleven Universities of Excellence to receive funding for eight Clusters of Excellence, thereby becoming the nation’s most successful University of Excellence. In March 2026 it was then decided that the University of Bonn is to be one of ten German Universities of Excellence to receive federal and state funding for another seven years (2027–2033). You can read more about the University of Excellence goals and projects pursued by the University of Bonn here.
What the Excellence Strategy is all about
The Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments was adopted in 2016 with the long-term aim of enhancing Germany’s standing and international competitiveness as a hub for science and research; implementation commenced in 2018. The associated grant program successfully rolled out in the Excellence Initiative (of 2005–2017) forms the funding basis for the process of ongoing development at German universities. Roughly half a billion euros in funding is budgeted annually, three-quarters of which are put up by the federal government and one quarter by the German states. The goal: promoting top-quality academic performance by heightening institutional profiles and strengthening collaboration within the German academic system. The Excellence Strategy provides for two funding lines for which universities can apply:
What is a “Cluster of Excellence”?
Clusters of Excellence are formed as an instrument for providing project-specific funding to universities and university consortia for research fields of importance in a context of international competition. In the 2026–2032 funding period, eight Clusters of Excellence at the University of Bonn are to receive funding out of 70 funded projects nationwide. The annual funding budgeted for Clusters of Excellence ranges between three and ten million euros, granted for a seven-year period. Both new and follow-on applications may be approved at the end of this period, subject to the limit of two funding periods for Clusters of Excellence.
What is a “University of Excellence”?
The Universities of Excellence funding line, as part of the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments, is designed to promote the work of leading research universities and research university consortia, enhancing their international prominence and prestige. To be eligible for funding, an institution must have been competitively awarded at least two Clusters of Excellence (three for consortia) and passed a research evaluation conducted every seven years. Individual universities may apply for 10–15 million euros in annual funding, university consortia 15–28 million euros. In the first funding phase, total annual funding of 148 million euros was available for eleven Excellence institutions. Following completion of the evaluation process in 2026, ten of those eleven will receive funding for another seven years starting January 1, 2027, while up to five more Universities or University Consortia of Excellence may be included in the funding pool.
University of Excellence by the numbers
- 2018–2025: Germany’s only University of Excellence to have six Clusters of Excellence
- 2026–2032: Germany’s only University of Excellence to have eight Clusters of Excellence
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences involved in five Clusters of Excellence
- Physics Department alone involved in three Clusters of Excellence (astrophysics, particle physics, quantum physics)
- Total Excellence Strategy funding received, 2019–2025: 225 million euros
- Of which for Clusters of Excellence, 2019–2025: 120 million euros
- Annual ExStra funding starting in 2026: approximately 40 million euros
The University of Bonn’s concept for the future
The concept for the future outlined by the University of Bonn in the last funding period was effective in convincing the evaluating judges to select the institution as one of eleven Universities (and University Consortia) of Excellence. The objectives of this concept have been successfully implemented. They include promoting transdisciplinary research through the formation of Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs); creating high-profile professorships to attract excellent scholars across the range of qualification levels; the range of qualification levels (“We invest in people”); forming and strengthening research alliances (“We foster networks”); and furthering knowledge transfer and science communication (“We create impact”).
The University of Bonn will be making every effort in the new funding period to further grow in stature as one of the world’s leading universities. One of the Rectorate’s priorities as part of the University’s Excellence Strategy will be to expand even further the support available for “emerging leaders,” i.e. talented early-career researchers with an international reputation. Other key factors in the University’s journey to the pinnacle of global academia include excellent conditions for research, a strong emphasis on working across discipline boundaries and unstinting efforts to expand its international networks. The institution is also focusing on quality and innovation in its teaching and learning, on investing in digital infrastructure and on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research, teaching and administration and intends to further expand its transfer activities involving industry and society.
Transdisciplinary Research Areas
The six existing Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs) have touchpoints across the entire spectrum of academic inquiry at the University..
The concept for the future
Our strategy to deliver excellence in research and teaching is summarily expressed in the slogan “We invest in people, we foster networks, we create impact.”
Clusters of Excellence
The University of Bonn has eight Clusters of Excellence, some of which are operated jointly with other universities and research institutions.
High-Profile Professorships
Excellence at our University is further enhanced by high-profile professorships: the prestigious Hertz, Schlegel and Argelander Chairs.
Knowledge and technology transfer
The Transfer Center enaCom and the Institute for Entrepreneurship have been created as key instruments of the University to put research findings into practice and promote entrepreneurship.
Digitalization
Campus-wide digitalization efforts have advanced through formation of the Digital Science Center (DiCe) and rollout of the supercomputer Marvin.
Contact
Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Michael Hoch (Honorary Doctor of Science Waseda University I Honorary Doctor of Science University of St Andrews)
Prof. Dr. Ilona Grunwald Kadow