20.08.2026 Talente Over 16 Million Euros for Talent Development

Dr. Bianca Schacherl (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie), Dr. Maik Wolfram-Schauerte (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen), Dr. Laura Marie Helleckes (Karlsruher Institut für Technologie), Dr. Yongkang Wang (Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung in Mainz), Dr. Maren Scheel (Universität Stuttgart), Dr. Nils Kurig (Universität Stuttgart), Dr. Till-Hendrik Macher (Universität Trier), Dr. William Oestreich (Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensbiologie), Dr. Patrick Reichherzer (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena)

With nine newly approved projects in the CZS Nexus program, the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is focusing on interdisciplinary research groups led by young scientists.

The research projects are situated at the intersections of various STEM disciplines. For example, the grantees aim to improve biotechnological production processes, study ecosystems that shape the social lives of animals, investigate cancer therapy using modern X-ray techniques, and develop new AI models for plasma physics.

With this funding, researchers are given the opportunity to establish their own interdisciplinary research group, thereby receiving support on their path to a scientific career. The grant amounts to up to 1.5 million euros (plus overhead) per early-career research group over a period of five to six years.

In this Call for applications, the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is funding projects at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the University of Stuttgart, the Max Planck Institute for Behavioral Biology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, and the University of Trier.

Further information on the individual projects can be found here.

A revised application process is being introduced for the CZS Nexus Program 2027. Further information can be found here.