JGU has been invited to submit two full proposals for Clusters of Excellence
2 February 2024
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has managed a successful commencement to its participation in the current phase of Germany's Excellence Strategy program. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) today announced that JGU's draft proposal entitled "Communicating Biomaterials: Convergence Center for Life-like Soft Materials and Biological Systems" (CoM2Life) has been accepted and that the university is now being solicited to submit a full proposal for the recognition of CoM2Life as a Cluster of Excellence. A total of 143 draft proposals had been submitted to the DFG. Less than 30 percent of these – in total just 41 – received positive reviews from the committee made up of leading international specialists.
"It is also in view of the strong competition that we are particularly delighted at the success of our CoM2Life draft proposal and that we can now submit a full proposal for a further Cluster of Excellence," emphasized Professor Georg Krausch, President of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. "This achievement can also be attributed to our profile building in the research sector, a strategy that we are systematically pursuing with the help of the Rhineland-Palatinate Research Initiative. Furthermore, it is clear evidence of our excellent track record when it comes to research. Moreover, the positive report on CoM2Life also highlights the extent to which the Rhine-Main region as a whole and the alliance of the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) are research-focused; with regard to the latter, CoM2Life is a joint project that JGU is undertaking in cooperation with the Technical University of Darmstadt."
In addition to the CoM2Life proposal, JGU will be submitting a follow-up proposal for its PRISMA++ Cluster of Excellence "Precision Physics, Fundamental Interactions and Structure of Matter" that was originally established in 2012 and has since become one of the leading international research networks in the field of particle and hadron physics. The decisions on which Clusters of Excellence are to receive funding from 2026 will be made on 22 May 2025.
Clemens Hoch, the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister for Science, added: "I congratulate Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and its partner universities on account of this well-deserved outcome. In particular I would like to express my thanks to the researchers involved who, because of the full proposals, will remain in the forefront of the race to achieve remarkable research results. What has been accomplished is definitive proof of the quality of the research being undertaken at JGU and its cooperating partner institutions. It is also justified appreciation of the work of all those who have contributed creative ideas and their commitment to developing top-level research at their universities over the past years. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed on behalf of all the participants and wish them every success in the subsequent competition."
JGU will be submitting proposals for the recognition as Clusters of Excellence of the following projects:
Communicating Biomaterials: Convergence Center for Life-like Soft Materials and Biological Systems (CoM2Life)
CoM2Life is a joint Cluster of Excellence proposal by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the Technical University of Darmstadt, and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. The initiative seeks to develop a revolutionary new generation of soft biomaterials inspired by the principles of living systems, capable of permanent and reciprocal interactions with living cells and tissues. By integrating the chemistry-centered design of biomaterials with the regulatory circuits of synthetic biology, the project aims to create intelligent biomaterials that can selectively detect environmental signals, process them internally, and precisely control effectors. This innovative approach promises to revolutionize medical research, enabling the development of feedback-controlled materials for the targeted release of drugs and biological agents, such as in cancer immunotherapy and tissue regeneration. It will also pave the way for new tissue models to replace animal testing and, ultimately, for the creation of artificial organs. To address public perception challenges in this pioneering field, communication science experts are involved in the project, working to understand the spread of misinformation and ensure responsible dialogue with the public about these scientific advancements.
Precision Physics, Fundamental Interactions and Structure of Matter (PRISMA++)
PRISMA++ is the title of the follow-up proposal for the Cluster of Excellence "Precision Physics, Fundamental Interactions and Structure of Matter" (PRISMA+). The proposal is being submitted jointly by JGU's Institute of Physics and Institute of Nuclear Physics, together with the Helmholtz Institute Mainz. The purpose of this cluster is to explore the existence of a "new physics" beyond that of the Standard Model of particle physics. There are three main factors underlying the research into the limitations of the Standard Model. These are the extent of synergy between theory and experiment, the availability of state-of-the-art facilities on the campus and wide-ranging international collaboration. Among the core features of the cluster is the construction and operation of the particle accelerator MESA (Mainz Energy-recovering Superconducting Accelerator) that will enable the results of high-precision experiments to be compared with the predictions of theoretical physics. In this new funding period, the cluster is proposing to also investigate aspects of physics at high and low energies with the intention of identifying new particles and phenomena. In addition, the study of the properties of neutrinos is to be intensified. The work of the cluster will continue to receive significant support through the research program of the Mainz Institute of Theoretical Physics (MITP) and the development of hardware by the PRISMA Detector Lab. The Mainz Physics Academy will furthermore remain the umbrella body responsible for all activities relating to the training and career planning of the associated young researchers.