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Clusters of Excellence in the Ruhr Area: Universities take off!
The Ruhr University Bochum will receive funding for clusters of excellence in chemistry and cybersecurity in 2026, online panel on May 22nd.
Clusters of Excellence in the Ruhr Area: Universities take off!
The German Research Foundation (DFG) made an important decision on May 22, 2025 and announced the funded clusters of excellence for the years from 2026. In an extremely competitive selection process, three universities in the Ruhr area, the Ruhr University of Bochum, the Technical University of Dortmund and the University of Duisburg-Essen, have improved their positions and will benefit from extensive financial support in the coming years.
Nine clusters of excellence have qualified for the funding, including the “RESOLV” cluster, which is already in the third funding phase and was applied for jointly by the Ruhr University of Bochum and the TU Dortmund, in which the University of Duisburg-Essen is also involved. The cluster investigates the role of solvents in chemical reactions with a special focus on “quantum solvation”.
Funding and targeted research
Another funded project is the Cluster of Excellence “CASA”, which in its second funding phase focuses on the resilience of the information society and particularly addresses cyber attacks. The Ruhr University of Bochum is in charge of this cluster, while the University of Duisburg-Essen also plays an important role.
A new addition is the “Color Meets Flavor” cluster, which was applied for in collaboration with the University of Bonn, the University of Siegen and the Research Center Jülich. This cluster studies the interactions of elementary particles, particularly those of quarks and the Higgs boson. From January 2026, these clusters will receive several million euros annually over a period of seven years.
Competition and cooperation in the Ruhr area
A total of 98 research projects were represented in the final round, of which 57 were existing clusters and 41 were new applications. Not all initiatives were successful: the “REASONS” cluster at the University of Duisburg-Essen, which dealt with river management systems, did not make it into the final selection. Despite these challenges, the Ruhr University Alliance is optimistic and plans to continue the successful collaboration and develop new ideas.
What is particularly noteworthy is the financial support that the Research Alliance Ruhr has received since 2024. With 48 million euros annually, up to 50 professorships are to be created, which promises further progress in research in the Ruhr area.
From 2026, the number of Clusters of Excellence funded will increase to 70, which represents an increase of 13 compared to the previous funding round. Universities that have a sufficient number of funded clusters can also apply for “University of Excellence” or “Verbund of Excellence” status. These developments are part of the broader excellence strategy, which aims to improve research quality and strengthen international competition among universities.
The invitation to an online panel for members of the Ruhr University Alliance is scheduled for May 22, 2025 at 8 p.m. to discuss further cooperation and developments in the region. More information about the DFG and the Excellence Strategy is also available below dfg.de available.
With these new funding, the Ruhr area is continuing its strategy of establishing itself as an outstanding location for research and science and increasing the performance of its universities. Report like that news.rub.de and the Technical University of Dortmund about the success story of the clusters and their relevance for research in Germany.