Our Funding Priorities
We support research addressing current scientific, economic, and social challenges in the so-called STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Our funding provides researchers with the necessary freedom to develop technical solutions to these challenges. Both basic and applied research are equally important to us. We particularly support multi- and interdisciplinary research approaches.
About 250 projects are currently being funded.
Click here for the overview.
Our Funding Approach
We pursue two main strategies in our funding activities:
On the one hand, we focus on thematic priorities addressing specific societal challenges. Currently, these are: Digitalisation, Sustainability and Public Health.
On the other hand, our funding aims to harness the specific potential of science for society: We support highly qualified early-career researchers, enable particularly bold innovations, make scientific knowledge accessible to the economy, and communicate scientific findings to the public.
Funded people in conversation
This scholarship allows me to focus more on my studies and also finance smaller projects, such as my 3D printer, hackathons or working on a Raspberry Pi.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the first and only endowed professorship in Germany – and one of the first in the world – to deal exclusively with the interface of AI and law. I really appreciate being able to focus entirely on these research questions in my chair – and to have a great team of young researchers doing research on similar topics.
The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung is a blessing for science. It provides funding precisely where usual funding instruments stop, where taking chances at the highest risk level can lead to breakthroughs at disciplinary boundaries, and always with a view to young scientists – with a great deal of freedom and in an uncomplicated, transparent fashion.
For us students, this scholarship is a great honour, an award and recognition for our achievements. Our monthly allowance means we can look towards the new year with a sense of optimism.
In the global competition between top universities, funding from foundations and the business community plays a major role in determining success. For over 130 years, the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung has supported the University of Jena and its partners in making Jena internationally visible as a location for business and science.