Successes and Plans of Ruhr University Bochum and University Alliance Ruhr for the Excellence Strategy

All information on previous successes in the excellence competitions and the plans for the current round.

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Ruhr University Bochum in the Excellence Strategy

Ruhr University Bochum has obtained funding in all three previous excellence competitions and is once again taking part in the current round.

Competition is an essential part of cutting-edge research. It helps us to constantly reinvent ourselves and get the best out of ourselves.

Prof. Dr. Martin Paul, Rector of Ruhr University Bochum

Our Cluster of Excellence

Two Clusters of Excellence are currently being funded at Ruhr University Bochum: “RESOLV” in solvent chemistry and “CASA” in IT security.

Most chemical reactions, important industrial processes, and almost all biological processes take place in the liquid phase. In the Cluster of Excellence RESOLV, scientists work in the field of solvation science.

IT security has become a central societal issue since networked devices have permeated our world. This is what the Cluster of Excellence CASA is concerned with.

Previous successes in the excellence competitions

Ruhr University Bochum was already successful in the first Excellence Initiative in 2006 with the campus-wide graduate school RUB Research School. In the second round of the Excellence Initiative 2012, the Research School was further promoted as Research School PLUS and has now been consolidated. In 2012, additionally the Cluster of Excellence Ruhr Explores Solvation, or RESOLV for short, successfully competed for funding. RESOLV has continued to receive funding in the Excellence Strategy since 2019, which is when funding also started for the CASA Cluster of Excellence.

University Alliance Ruhr in the Excellence Strategy

With combined strength, the University Alliance Ruhr is applying for the current round of the Excellence Strategy. Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University and the University of Duisburg-Essen are involved in a total of three research projects that will be funded as a Cluster of Excellence.

Cluster of Excellence applications

  • RESOLV: Ruhr Explores Solvation – Understanding and Design of Solvent Controlled Processes
    In this cluster, sientists 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: Securing the Digital Society, IT security
    The CASA Cluster of Excellence has been developing solutions in order to enhance the security that is indispensable in our digital society. The cluster is hosted by Ruhr University Bochum; researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen are also involved.
  • Color meets Flavor
    Scientists from TU Dortmund University strive to discover new phenomena in the interaction between elementary particles, cooperating with the University of Bonn, the University of Siegen and Forschungszentrum Jülich

A fourth proposal for the development of a sustainable concept for the management of freshwater ecosystems (REASONS: River Ecosystems in the Anthroposcene – sustainable scientific SOlutioNS) made it to the final round, but was not finally approved in the highly competitive competition. The proposal had been submitted by the University of Duisburg-Essen. Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum and other partners participated in the project.

Consortium of Excellence application

Due to the decisions made in the Clusters of Excellence funding line, the University Alliance Ruhr does not meet the requirements to apply as a three-site consortium in the “Universities of Excellence” funding line. In order to do so, a consortium needs three approved Clusters of Excellence, whereby each university must be a co-applicant for one of the funded clusters. In the next step, the members of the University Alliance Ruhr will jointly determine if and how they could proceed in the Excellence Strategy.

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Funding lines and schedule
More information
Excellence Strategy
Overview
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