18.09.2026 Risk Workshop and evening event on CZS Wildcard

What makes CZS Wildcard special? Bold research ideas, interdisciplinary teams—and a selection process that is just as unconventional as the projects themselves.

The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung’s funding program supports "wild," high-risk research ideas at a very early stage. Yesterday, currently funded consortia gathered for a workshop at the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung’s headquarters in Stuttgart. The event focused on brief project presentations and the exchange of experiences and challenges.

At an evening event held at Garage 229, current grant recipients met with members of the selection committee and scientists whose proposals are still awaiting a decision. Research objects on display were admired, explained, and discussed on the spot. While enjoying food from a food truck, participants took the opportunity to get to know one another in a unique atmosphere.

The selection meeting is taking place today in the former auto repair shop. A distinctive feature of this process is that the consortia present their projects not only to the selection committee but also to the other applicants.

Projects currently funded under the CZS Wildcard program address topics such as AR technologies that visualize insights into urban climate change, the conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals, and computational methods for the precise prediction of molecular and material properties.

Further information on the individual projects can be found here.

CZS Wildcard is managed by Dr. Karla Hillerich and Dr. Phil-Alan Gärtig. The projects run for two years and receive funding of up to 900,000 euros, including overhead costs.