In the competition for a Cluster of Excellence, the two projects from Leipzig University each faced more than two hours of questions from reviewers. On 14 November, the Leipzig Center of Metabolism (LeiCeM) project team successfully defended their full proposal. The Breathing Nature initiative did the same on 5 December. After a proposal presentation by the respective speakers and the Rector, followed by a question and answer session, a poster presentation was held in which the teams put forward and discussed individual aspects of their proposals on five digital posters. Saxony’s Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow attended both events and pledged the Free State’s full support for the projects.
Spokespersons of the two initiatives summarise
“I am deeply relieved at how well our presentation went and how spectacularly our team stuck together in Bonn. The Rector and the Minister were very supportive and could not have been more personally involved. We left none of the reviewers’ questions unanswered, and none of our responses were inadequate. It couldn’t have gone much better! But whether it will be enough in the end remains to be seen. In any case, I would like to thank all those involved and ask everyone to keep their fingers crossed,” says Professor Michael Stumvoll. Professor Johannes Quaas, spokesperson for Breathing Nature, is also grateful: “Our rigorous preparation not only helped us present our ideas clearly, but also showed us how united we could be as a team. The review was a valuable milestone that gave us additional motivation to pursue our goal. I am confident that we can make an important contribution with Breathing Nature.” The decision will be made on 22 May 2025: The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities (WR) will then announce which Clusters of Excellence have been awarded funding.
TEAMING UP TO WIN
Rector Eva Inés Obergfell stresses the importance of these events for the future of our university: “The last few weeks have been a powerful reminder of the innovation, expertise and commitment that exist within our university. The defence of the two Cluster of Excellence proposals was a success that was made possible by the great teamwork of many colleagues. I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved – both the researchers and, very explicitly, the staff in the University’s administration, who provided the best possible support in preparing the proposals. We will now look ahead to the next steps together, in particular our proposal for the status of University of Excellence.”
University of Excellence: What would it mean for us?
We have been working on this proposal in parallel for a long time. Leipzig University will be able to submit a proposal as a University of Excellence if it successfully acquires two Clusters of Excellence. An initial letter of intent must be submitted in June 2025, with the proposal to follow in November 2025. A decision will be made in September 2026. “The title of University of Excellence is a great opportunity for us to build on our strengths and give new impetus to research, teaching, knowledge and technology transfer, and the University community as a whole. This funding would enable us to provide even more targeted support for cutting-edge research, attract excellent researchers and students from all over the world and, in particular, further strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration. The status would also raise our international profile and open up new opportunities for partnerships and external funding. The whole process is helping us to sharpen our strategic focus and make our university fit for the future as part of our Strategy 2030 – for our members and for the region,” says Eva Inés Obergfell. “This proposal will require us all to break new ground and collaborate closely. I am convinced that together we can make our Alma mater Lipsiensis dynamic, innovative and fit for the future.”
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