Excellence Strategy
University of Duisburg-Essen looks ahead
- 22.05.2025
The University of Duisburg-Essen has not been awarded funding for its research project ‘REASONS – river ecosystems in the anthropocene, sustainable scientific solutions’ in the latest competition for the Excellence Strategy. This was announced today by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Despite its disappointment at the decision, the university is looking ahead: it will continue to build on its strengths and develop the University Alliance Ruhr together with neighboring universities.
With its application based on internationally successful water research, the University of Duisburg-Essen had reached the final round of a highly competitive multi-stage selection process. However, the REASONS Cluster of Excellence has not been awarded funding. "Rivers in the Anthropocene have important economic and ecological functions, especially in heavily industrialized regions. Of course, we would have liked our research on river ecosystems to have been recognized in the Excellence Competition. Nevertheless, we remain convinced of the scientific quality and social necessity of our project," emphasizes Rector Prof. Dr. Barbara Albert. “I would like to thank everyone involved for their work on the outstanding REASONS research concept, which we must implement without fail – regardless of whether we receive funding in the Excellence Competition.” The competition for Excellence Clusters is a demanding selection process: 143 draft proposals were submitted nationwide, and 70 clusters have now been approved.
The University of Duisburg-Essen is developing dynamically. It stands for cutting-edge research and high quality across the board. Research excellence, educational equity, diversity, and advancement through science are its guiding principles. Its research profile is continuously being sharpened. In the German Research Foundation's funding atlas, the University of Duisburg-Essen improved from 31st to 22nd place between 2018 and 2024. The University of Duisburg-Essen is involved in numerous other joint projects with its partners in the University Alliance Ruhr, the Ruhr University Bochum, and the Technical University of Dortmund.