© TU Berlin/PR/Philipp Arnoldt

Berlin University Alliance Wins Excellence Status

Success for TU Berlin and its Partners

Major award for Berlin: The Berlin University Alliance has won funding as a group in the Universities of Excellence funding line of the German federal and state governments’ Excellence Strategy. The German Council of Science and Humanities announced the decision on July 19, 2019, in Bonn. The four Berlin partners – Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin – submitted a joint proposal entitled Crossing Boundaries toward an Integrated Research Environment and in a highly competitive process were able to convince the reviewers of its feasibility. As of November 1, 2019, they will receive up to 196 million euros at first over a seven-year period. The Berlin Senate will contribute an additional 6 million euros annually through the Einstein Foundation Berlin to support top-level appointments and research projects.

A total of 17 universities and two university consortia had applied for the special grants, which include funding and enhanced reputation. Today 11 of these coveted grants were awarded. The Berlin alliance, consisting of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, won one of them, and is the first and only consortium with excellence status in Germany.

Following the funding approval for seven Clusters of Excellence in the first funding line in September 2018, this is the second major success for Berlin in the German Excellence Strategy.

TU Berlin in Numbers

Students
Professorships
Third-Party Funding (2017)
Doctorates

Statement by the president of TU Berlin, Prof. Dr. Christian Thomsen, about the TU Berlin's success in the excellence competition

© TU Berlin/PR

Congratulations, TU Berlin!

© Martina Schraudner

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martina Schraudner

Head of Fraunhofer Center for Responsible Research and Innovation (CeRRI)

Professor of Gender and Diversity in Technology and Product Development at TU Berlin

© TU Berlin/PR

Dr. Tanja Wielgoß

Chief Executive of Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AG

Member of TU Berlin Board of Trustees

© Siemens AG

Cedrik Neike

Member of the board at Siemens AG
“Congratulations! Now it’s official: The Berlin University Alliance is excellent. A wonderful signal for Berlin, an important boost for science and research in the capital city. Siemens has been working with TU Berlin for more than 15 years within the CKI for promoting talent and has initiated a number of joint projects. Right now, we are working together as part of our Siemensstadt future project. I would like to wish TU every success in the future and look forward to exploring more common areas of interest together.”

© TU Berlin/PR

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ina Schieferdecker​

Professor of Quality Engineering of Open Distributed Systems at TU Berlin

Director of Fraunhofer FOKUS

© TU Berlin/PR

Prof. Dr. Dr. Ortwin Renn

Managing Scientific Director of Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)

Chair of TU Berlin Board of Trustees