Outstanding Research in Berlin: Seven Clusters of Excellence approved in the Excellence Strategy
In the Excellence Strategy research competition run by the German federal and state governments, seven Clusters of Excellence of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have been adopted in total. Starting in 2019, the interdisciplinary research projects will be funded for seven years with up to ten million euros per annum, as declared in Bonn.
After the first seven years, with a renewal proposal, it may be possible to extend the funding a further seven years. The institutions submitted nine proposals in total. These decisions also fulfill the prerequisite for the planned collaborative proposal by the four institutions in the Excellence Strategy.
The presidents of the participating Berlin universities and the Chief Executive Officer of Charité stated, “The approval of seven clusters in the Excellence Strategy is a resounding success for our scholars and scientists, for the research in the Berlin University Alliance, and for Berlin as a center of science and research. We are firmly convinced that our academic expertise will contribute to finding groundbreaking answers to the challenges of our time.” The heads of the universities and Charité thanked everyone involved in the proposals for their huge commitment, already making a significant contribution to the further development of Berlin as a center of science and research.
NeuroCure will focus on projects covering the entire life span – from embryonic development to aging – and establish new innovative modules that accelerate the translational process.
“Our goal is to transfer insights, to an even greater extent than before, from basic neuroscience research to clinical application and to develop new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches for patients,” says Prof. Dietmar Schmitz, Director of the Neuroscience Research Center at Charité and spokesperson for the Cluster.
Specialized know-how and state-of-the-art equipment are provided in core facilities to support the neuroscientists in their research.
To promote clinical research, the NeuroCure Clinical Research Center will be expanded to include the BrainLab module. In close cooperation with the clinical areas of neurosurgery and the neurological intensive care unit, treatment options will be developed, in particular, for acute and hyperacute diseases. This will enable even more comprehensive research into a wide variety of neurological diseases.
The mentoring program SPARK-Berlin seeks to accelerate the transfer of research results into clinically relevant drugs and diagnostics.
The VOS (Value and Open Science) module aims to improve the predictability and reproducibility of research and to provide free access to the results of scientific work.
“It is through the creation of these new structural modules, the closer interlinking of ongoing research activities, and the recruitment of excellent young researchers that Berlin will continue to develop and strengthen as a neuroscience research location,” says Dietmar Schmitz.
P R O J E C T S P E C I F I C S
Press Release Charité - Universitätsmedizin
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Contact
Prof. Dietmar Schmitz
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure
Charitéplatz 1
10117 Berlin
Email: Dietmar.schmitz(at)charite.de