The UA Ruhr in the Excellence Strategy
In May 2025, the German Research Foundation (DFG) announced which Clusters of Excellence will be funded from 2026. The universities of the UA Ruhr were able to improve their status quo: In the new round, the DFG approved three Clusters of Excellence with the participation of Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University. The two universities also applied to become a Consortium of Excellence in November 2025.
Ruhr Innovation Lab
With three successfully acquired Clusters of Excellence, Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University are jointly applying as a Consortium of Excellence. Under the title “Ruhr Innovation Lab,” they want to bilaterally test new formats for freedom in cutting-edge research and further intensify connections to society, industry, and politics. The Ruhr Innovation Lab builds on the successful cooperation of the UA Ruhr.
RESOLV
The „RESOLV – Ruhr Explores Solvation“ Cluster of Excellence has been receiving funding since 2012. Here, scientists from Ruhr University Bochum and TU Dortmund University conduct research in order to understand, predict and control solvation processes, with the participation of colleagues from the University of Duisburg-Essen and other partners outside the university context.
CASA
Since 2019, the Cluster of Excellence “CASA - Securing the Digital Society” has been developing solutions to strengthen the indispensable security of our digital society in the long term. Ruhr University Bochum is leading the project, with scientists from the University of Duisburg-Essen also involved.
Color meets Flavor
In the new Cluster of Excellence “Color meets Flavor” researchers from TU Dortmund University, the University of Bonn, the University of Siegen, and Forschungszentrum Jülich will jointly search for new phenomena in the interaction of fundamental particles.