TU Dortmund University will receive funding jointly with Ruhr University Bochum as a Consortium of Excellence. Alongside the University of Bonn, the Lamarr Institute’s second university partner has now also secured excellence status. The decision was announced on October 2, 2026, with funding set to begin in January 2027.
A Joint Strategy for Both Universities’ Development
Under the name Ruhr Innovation Lab, TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum have presented a joint strategy for their long-term development. It encompasses greater freedom to pursue research, teaching across university boundaries, and collaboration with industry and society. The funding thus supports the institutional development of both universities beyond individual research projects. The consortium builds on existing strengths in areas including sustainable chemistry, cybersecurity, and AI-assisted materials development.
From Research Clusters to a Consortium of Excellence
Germany’s Excellence Strategy, funded by the federal and state governments, operates at two levels: Clusters of Excellence bring together research on specific topics, while funding for Universities and Consortia of Excellence strengthens universities as institutions. Bochum and Dortmund qualified to submit their joint application by securing a total of three Clusters of Excellence. TU Dortmund participates in two of them: RESOLV investigates how solvents influence chemical processes, while Color Meets Flavor explores fundamental questions in particle physics. Following the successful application, funding will now also support the two universities’ joint strategy for the future.