Here you will find an overview of the projects we are currently funding. On average, about 250 projects are being funded. Smaller funding projects are sometimes not described individually.
255
ongoing projects
The endowed professorship develops pioneering approaches to maintain and modernize bridge structures in a resource-efficient manner. This requires innovative concepts that combine material technology developments, monitoring of structures with digital methods and resource-efficient construction methods.
Prof. Dr. Mario Joost has held the Chair of Sustainable Material Innovations, with a focus on hydrogen technologies, at Esslingen University of Applied Sciences since September 1, 2025. His research focuses on sustainable water electrolysis and fuel cell systems.
Prof. Dr. Simon Elsässer has held the Chair of Synthetic Biology at the University of Freiburg since October 1, 2025. His research focuses on the question of how the human epigenome can be interpreted and controlled.
The endowed professorship at the Faculty of Mechanical and Materials Engineering will focus on the development of innovative materials through to the end product. Manufacturing processes will also be analyzed holistically.
Artificial intelligence and law are interdependent. At the interdisciplinary CZS Institute for AI and Law, lawyers and computer scientists are conducting joint research.
The CZS junior research group at the ELLIS Unit Jena uses artificial intelligence (AI) to address questions in the environmental sciences, e.g. in climate or ecosystem research. This is important, for example, to better explain climate extremes and their effects in the Earth system.
In the CZS Young Investigator Group, Dr. Kevin Maik Jablonka researches polymers at the interface between materials science and data science. Since 2023, he has been group leader at the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications.
The Anthropocene is the geochronological epoch shaped by humans. The project aims to better understand the interaction between humans and the Earth system in the Anthropocene. To this end, it comprises two research groups.
The "CircEL" project at the University of Freiburg is conducting interdisciplinary research into the technical and legal foundations for a genuine "Circular Economy" (CE). The central aim is to break down current barriers to CE and promote cooperation between engineering and law.
The CZS STEM Impact School is an advanced training program on science communication for researchers from the natural and engineering sciences. Participants develop an individual communication and impact plan for their research.