Freiburg's university starts Unicorn Fund: Renewal and Innovation required!

Freiburg's university starts Unicorn Fund: Renewal and Innovation required!

Freiburg im Breisgau, Deutschland - On February 25, 2025, the University of Freiburg prepares an application for the funding line of the Excellence University as part of the federal and state excellence strategy. In this context, the university -internal Unicorn Fund is launched. Until May 31, 2025, university members from science and science management can apply for funding. We are looking for creative ideas for the fundamental renewal of the university, which are intended to develop radiance on the university overall system. If the application was made for the funding line Excellence University, applicants can receive up to 300,000 euros over a period of three years to implement their projects.

The Excellence Initiative, which was launched by the DFG and the German Science and Humanity Council, pursues the goal of promoting top research and creating outstanding conditions for young scientists. According to the wikipedia , the initiative aims to increase the international attractiveness of German universities and to deepen the cooperation between disciplines and institutions. This initiative is the result of protracted negotiations between the federal government and the federal states, whereby almost all German universities are publicly financed.

funding lines and competition

The excellence initiative is divided into three central funding lines. This includes the foundation of over 40 graduate schools with 1 million euros per school annually and the creation of 30 clusters of excellence that combine universities with leading research institutes and companies and receive around 6.5 million euros per cluster annually. Furthermore, 11 excellence universities were selected, which are particularly promoted for their outstanding future concepts. The first funds have been provided since 2007, the total funding is over five years to EUR 2.7 billion.

In the course of the last evaluation, a total of 13 universities were taken into account in 2019. Six universities, including RWTH Aachen and the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, were able to defend their status as an excellence university for the third time. The universities of Bonn and Hamburg also received the status for the first time. This selection was based on the concepts presented, which not only have to take into account research skills, but also international cooperation and innovation potential in order to meet the requirements of the initiative.

criticism and outlook

Despite the positive aspects of the Excellence Initiative, some reports, such as the WZB Berlin, show that the initiative is also seen critically. It is questioned whether the initiative actually leads to sustainable changes, in particular in terms of diversity and strengthening teaching. Critics fear that existing inequalities in the education system could be reinforced by the focus on research.

Nevertheless, the success and international rankings speak for themselves. Over 30 universities that are part of the initiative show strong performance in international rankings such as the QS World University Ranking. In these rankings there are several excellence universities among the top 10 in Europe.