Austria’s Clusters of Excellence

Nine Clusters of Excellence are conducting cooperative projects at universities and non-university research institutions on an unprecedented scale. The FWF and the participating research institutions have earmarked an investment volume of almost €260 million for the first five years (from 2023/2024) of the planned ten-year term. The program gives outstanding researchers the opportunity to strengthen long-term collaborations across regional, thematic, and institutional borders.

Austria's new Clusters of Excellence are advancing basic research on key topics at the highest scientific level: Energy storage, quantum technologies, global health, the future of knowledge, Eurasian cultural heritage, brain research, healthy aging, artificial intelligence and materials research. The funding can be used to establish long-term structures and attractive research conditions and boost international visibility at the participating institutions. Clusters of Excellence are characterized by a successful combination of cutting-edge research, research-led education, and the advancement of junior researchers, as well as an exchange of knowledge at national and international levels. Collaborations with the business community and the public to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer are another key element of the Clusters.

Joint funding with participating universities and institutions

The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) provides 60% of the funding volume for the individual Clusters, and the remaining 40% comes from the participating research institutions’ own budgets.

Clusters of Excellence at a glance

Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease

Im Exzellenzcluster „Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease“ machen es sich Forschende zur Aufgabe, die Geheimnisse des Gehirns zu entschlüsseln und neue Konzepte zur Linderung psychische Krankheiten zu entwickeln.

Circular Bioengineering

Die Forschenden des Exzellenzclusters „Circular Bioengineering“ zielen darauf ab, neue Ansätze für nachhaltigere Materialkreisläufe zu entdecken.

Metabolic Control of Aging and Disease

Researchers from the University of Graz, together with colleagues from the Medical Universities of Graz and Vienna, will study the regulation of healthy aging as part of this Cluster of Excellence.

 

Bilateral Artificial Intelligence

The “Bilateral AI” research project combines the two most important strands of research in the field of artificial intelligence to date: sub-symbolic AI (machine learning) and symbolic AI (knowledge representation and reasoning).

 

EurAsian Transformations

The “Eurasian Miracle” (Jack Goody) developed over the course of three millennia, from Central Europe to Asia: historical transformation processes that continue to have an impact even on modern times. The growth and decline of empires, environmental changes, and mobility and migration affected economic developments, resulting in new constructions of identity and strategies of exclusion in societies and religions.

 

Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health

Microbiomes - communities of microorganisms that colonize all ecosystems and living organisms - are essential for the health of our planet and all its inhabitants. In this Cluster of Excellence, 30 scientists from a range of disciplines and seven different research institutions are working to decipher common basic principles of environmental microbiomes and human microbiomes. The goal is to understand how microbiomes control the health of our planet.

 

Knowledge in Crisis

Today we face a crisis of knowledge. Our claims to knowledge are being threatened by rapid and spectacular developments in technology, and by attacks on the very ideas of knowledge and truth themselves.

 

Quantum Science Austria

The Second Quantum Revolution - the breathtaking development of modern quantum science - would have been inconceivable without groundbreaking contributions from Austria. Based on these discoveries, quantum technologies are being developed today that surpass traditional technologies in many areas. The Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Science Austria” aims to advance basic research in quantum science and expand the frontiers of knowledge, making it a driver for future innovations.

 

Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage

The continued burning of fossil fuels to meet our growing demand for energy has brought the world to the brink of a climate crisis. In this Cluster of Excellence, researchers are working to create new technologies for efficient energy conversion and storage, paving the way to a fossil fuel-free society.

 

Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease

Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease
Board of Directors des Exzellenzclusters „Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease“
© FWF/Daniel Novotny

The brain is the most complex and sophisticated organ of the human body, which is why understanding how the brain works is not only the greatest scientific challenge for humankind but also a quest to rationalize consciousness, the “human self,” maximize performance, and provide templates for disciplines that use the human brain as a model for various actions. The Cluster of Excellence aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how different types of inhibitory neurons – essential cellular nodes of any neural network – develop and interact to control circuit operations that underlie behavior, and how they are susceptible to disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, and epilepsy. New concepts of personalized pharmacotherapy will be developed to alleviate mental illnesses.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring together leading minds in Austrian neuroscience, both from basic research and clinical research, to make tangible progress in understanding brain function and developing therapies for brain diseases in a large-scale project,” says Tibor Harkany, Director of Research, about the objectives of the Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors and research facilities

  • Francesco Ferraguti (Medical University of Innsbruck)
  • Thomas Klausberger (Medical University of Vienna)
  • Gaia Novarino (Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA))
  • Tibor Harkany (Medical University of Vienna (Director of Research))
  • Noelia Urbán Avellaneda (IMBA - Institute of Molecular  Biotechnology, ÖAW)
  • Manuel Zimmer (University of Vienna)
  • Peter Jonas (Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA))

FWF funding volume

€21 million

Circular Bioengineering

Circular Bioengineering
Board of Directors des Exzellenzcluster „Circular Bioengineering“
© FWF/Daniel Novotny

Exploiting limited resources to produce consumer goods creates wealth in the short term, but threatens the very existence of many forms of life in the long term. The Cluster of Excellence “Circular Bioengineering” is investigating ways of decoupling economic growth and resource consumption. The production of platform chemicals and materials from renewable raw materials and their efficient and, above all, circular use makes it possible to switch from petroleum-based to bio-based materials. Green chemistry concepts and biotechnological processes can be used to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. The Cluster of Excellence will be investigating fundamental methods and processes for establishing a circular bioeconomy and training a new generation of young researchers with comprehensive skills to face the challenges of the future.  

“We are researching new environmentally friendly methods and processes for the production of bio-based chemicals and materials, focusing especially on their impact on the environment and on society, to help develop the best possible solutions for our future,” says Roland Ludwig, Director of Research, about the new Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors and research facilities

  • Chris Oostenbrink (BOKU University)
  • Antje Potthast (BOKU University)
  • Marko Mihovilovic (TU Wien)
  • Roland Ludwig (BOKU University (Director of Research))
  • Wolfgang Kroutil (University of Graz)
  • Gunda Köllensperger (University of Vienna)
  • Bernd Nidetzky (Graz University of Technology)

FWF funding volume

€16 million

Metabolic Control of Aging and Disease

Metabolic Control of Aging and Disease
Board of Directors des Exzellenzclusters „Metabolic Control of Aging and Disease“
The members of the Board of Directors (left to right): Brigitte Pertschy, Thomas Pieber, Frank Madeo, Thomas Scherer, Martina Schweiger (not pictured: Gernot Faustmann, Sabrina Zimmermann). © FWF/Daniel Novotny

Researchers from the University of Graz, together with colleagues from the Medical Universities of Graz and Vienna, will study the regulation of healthy aging as part of this Cluster of Excellence. Under the acronym “MetAGE,” the researchers are investigating how metabolic control disorders influence the risk of age-related diseases. At the same time, clinical testing will focus on targeted nutritional interventions. The special feature of this Cluster of Excellence is that findings from basic research in model organisms will be transferred directly into clinical research. The idea is to encourage prevention – turning “medicine against illness” into “medicine for health” in the future.

“Combining research into human aging with basic research is at the core of our Cluster of Excellence. While life expectancy is generally increasing, the healthy lifespan is not increasing to the same extent, which ultimately means an increased risk of age-related diseases. Our project is primarily aimed at extending the health span, i.e. helping people achieve as many active and enjoyable years as possible,” says Frank Madeo, Director of Research, about the objectives of the Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors

Frank Madeo (Director of Research, University of Graz)

Gernot Faustmann (University of Graz)

Brigitte Pertschy (University of Graz)

Thomas Pieber (Medical University of Graz)

Thomas Scherer (Medical University of Vienna)

Martina Schweiger (University of Graz)

Sabrina Zimmermann (University of Graz)

FWF funding volume

€17.9 million

Bilateral Artificial Intelligence

Bilateral Artificial Intelligence
Board of Directors des Exzellenzclusters „Bilateral Artificial Intelligence“
The members of the Board of Directors (left to right): Agata Ciabattoni, Christoph Lampert, Sepp Hochreiter, Gerhard Friedrich, Martina Seidl, Thomas Eiter, Axel Polleres, Robert Legenstein (not pictured) © FWF/Daniel Novotny

The “Bilateral AI” research project, coordinated by the Johannes Kepler University Linz, combines the two most important strands of research in the field of artificial intelligence to date: sub-symbolic AI (machine learning) and symbolic AI (knowledge representation and reasoning). The project will now be bringing together both approaches, with the common goal of developing the foundations of “Broad AI.” Broad AI could be capable of coming to its own conclusions and demonstrating comprehensive cognitive abilities. While existing AI programs like ChatGPT are currently causing a sensation, they ultimately only evaluate existing data. New AI systems could plan better, adapt quickly to changing situations, and become creative in a broader sense.

“Broad AI could help to make our everyday lives, as well as systemically relevant areas and processes such as energy, transport, and healthcare, more ecologically sustainable, efficient, and resource-friendly," says Sepp Hochreiter, Director of Research, about the new Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors

Sepp Hochreiter (Director of Research, Johannes Kepler University Linz)

Agata Ciabattoni (TU Wien)

Thomas Eiter (TU Wien)

Gerhard Friedrich (University of Klagenfurt)

Christoph Lampert (Institute of Science and Technology Austria, ISTA)

Robert Legenstein (Graz University of Technology)

Axel Polleres (WU Vienna University of Economics and Business)

Martina Seidl (Johannes Kepler University Linz)

FWF funding volume

€19.8 million

EurAsian Transformations

EurAsian Transformations
Cluster of Excellence Eurasien - Board of Directors
The members of the Board of Directors (left to right): Tijana Krstić, Birgit Kellner, Walther Pohl, Claudia Rapp, Jens Oliver Schmitt, Melanie Malzahn, Robert Rollinger © FWF/Daniel Novotny

The “Eurasian Miracle” (Jack Goody) developed over the course of three millennia, from Central Europe to Asia: historical transformation processes that continue to have an impact even on modern times. The growth and decline of empires, environmental changes, and mobility and migration affected economic developments, resulting in new constructions of identity and strategies of exclusion in societies and religions. Historical sources from this period are preserved in a variety of languages and writings. The cultural heritage of this large region is in many cases still waiting to be processed and analyzed.

A team of 31 Austrian scientists at four institutions will be dedicating themselves to researching these topics in dialog with international partners and training a new generation of doctoral students and junior researchers with broad skills in research-led teaching.

“Political attention is focusing increasingly on the region from Europe to Asia. This Cluster allows us to take a unique approach combining basic research, innovative research methods, and the training of a new generation with broad skills. We want to delve deep into the region’s history and participate in the global discourse," says Claudia Rapp, Director of Research, about the new Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors

Claudia Rapp (Director of Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Birgit Kellner (Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Tijana Krstić (Central European University)

Melanie Malzahn (University of Vienna)

Walter Pohl (Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Robert Rollinger (University of Innsbruck)

Jens Oliver Schmitt (University of Vienna)

FWF funding volume

€9.2 million for five years

Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health

Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health
Board of directors and logos of all research institutions
The members of the Board of Directors (left to right): Leonid Sazanov, Christina Kaiser, Alexander Moschen, Michael Wagner, Bernhard Lendl, Christine Moissl-Eichinger, Andreas Bergthaler, Angela Sessitsch © FWF/Daniel Novotny

Microbiomes - communities of microorganisms that colonize all ecosystems and living organisms - are essential for the health of our planet and all its inhabitants. In this Cluster of Excellence, 30 scientists from a range of disciplines and seven different research institutions are working to decipher common basic principles of environmental microbiomes and human microbiomes. The goal is to understand how microbiomes control the health of our planet. With this knowledge, global change will become more predictable while enabling us to target microbiomes as an innovative solution for a sustainable future.

“In our Cluster of Excellence, we are creating completely new synergies by dissolving the boundaries between red and green microbiome research in Austria and directly linking medicine with environmental research. We want to learn to understand the basic principles of microbiomes in order to then strengthen our planet’s health by modeling and targeting them,” says Michael Wagner, Director of Research of the Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors

Michael Wagner (Director of Research, University of Vienna)

Andreas Bergthaler (Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Christina Kaiser (University of Vienna)

Bernhard Lendl (TU Wien)

Christine Moissl-Eichinger (Medical University of Graz)

Alexander Moschen (University of Linz)

Leonid Sazanov (Institute of Science and Technology Austria)

Angela Sessitsch (Austrian Institute of Technology)

FWF funding volume

€21 million

Knowledge in Crisis

Knowledge in Crisis
Board of Directors and logos of the research institutions
The members of the Board of Directors (left to right): Katalin Farkas, Marian David, Paulina Sliwa, Max Kölbel, Tim Crane, Hans Bernhard Schmid, Charlotte Werndl © FWF/Daniel Novotny

Today we face a crisis of knowledge. Our claims to knowledge are being threatened by rapid and spectacular developments in technology, and by attacks on the very ideas of knowledge and truth themselves. The flood of information on the internet challenges our ability to tell truth from falsehood, and there is a widespread rejection of the standards of scientific evidence and expertise. The crisis raises deep philosophical questions about knowledge, truth, science, ethics, and politics, and ultimately about our relationship to reality itself. These questions will be addressed in entirely new ways by this Cluster of Excellence, which will work to understand the crisis of knowledge in all its manifestations, and to find ways to combat it and reshape our relationship to knowledge.

“This Cluster of Excellence will address fundamental questions about knowledge, many of which have deep social, ethical, and political relevance, by linking many different areas of philosophy which normally function independently. This is something that never has been done before in philosophical research,” says Tim Crane, Director of Research of the Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors

Tim Crane (Director of Research, Central European University)

Marian David (Universität Graz)

Katalin Farkas (Central European University)

Max Kölbel (Universität Wien)

Jason Means (Central European University)

Hans Bernhard Schmid (Universität Wien)

Paulina Sliwa (Universität Wien)

Charlotte Werndl (Universität Salzburg)

FWF funding volume

€8.9 million for five years

Quantum Science Austria

Quantum Science Austria
  Board of Directors and logos of the research institutions
The members of the Board of Directors (left to right): Armando Rastelli, Hannes-Jörg Schmiedmayer, Francesca Ferlaino, Gregor Weihs, Oriol Romero-Isart, Markus Aspelmeyer © FWF/Daniel Novotny

The Second Quantum Revolution - the breathtaking development of modern quantum science - would have been inconceivable without groundbreaking contributions from Austria. Based on these discoveries, quantum technologies are being developed today that surpass traditional technologies in many areas. The Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Science Austria” aims to advance basic research in quantum science and expand the frontiers of knowledge, making it a driver for future innovations. Its focus is on fundamental questions about the quantum nature of space, time, and gravity, new paradigms in quantum information science, and the physics of quantum many-body systems. The Cluster’s researchers in Innsbruck, Vienna, Linz, and Klosterneuburg are asking innovative, groundbreaking questions that can only be solved by uniting the unique expertise available in Austria. With well-controlled model systems based on trapped ions, ultracold atoms, long-range interacting systems, superconducting quantum circuits, and nanoscopic solid-state systems, they aim to unravel the most complex mysteries of the quantum world.

“Austria has developed into a global leader in quantum physics over the past three decades, as demonstrated by the Nobel Prize for Anton Zeilinger. This development is in part thanks to the very close cooperation between different research groups in Austria. With the new Cluster of Excellence, we can further strengthen these collaborations and establish an internationally visible center of quantum science in Austria that will attract the best minds to Austria,” says Gregor Weihs, Director of Research, about the Cluster of Excellence’s goals.

Board of Directors

Gregor Weihs (Director of Research, University of Innsbruck)

Markus Aspelmeyer (University of Vienna)

Francesca Ferlaino (Austrian Academy of Sciences)

Johannes Fink (Institute of Science and Technology Austria, not shown)

Armando Rastelli (University of Linz)

Oriol Romero-Isart (University of Innsbruck)

Hannes-Jörg Schmiedmayer (TU Wien )

FWF funding volume

€21 million for five years

Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage

Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage
Board of Directors and logos of the research institutions
The members of the Board of Directors (left to right): Ulrike Diebold, Stefan Freunberger, Günther Rupprechter, Leticia González, Julia Kunze-Liebhäuser © FWF/Daniel Novotny

The continued burning of fossil fuels to meet our growing demand for energy has brought the world to the brink of a climate crisis. In this Cluster of Excellence, researchers are working to create new technologies for efficient energy conversion and storage, paving the way to a fossil fuel-free society. One key factor is the storage of renewable energy in recyclable energy carriers: water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen, and CO2 can be converted into higher-value products - even climate-neutral substitutes for natural gas and crude oil.

To fulfil this purpose, the researchers aim to develop catalysts on which chemical reactions can take place quickly and reliably. The Cluster will bundle expertise from various fields such as surface chemistry, surface physics, materials science, and computer simulation. The work of this Cluster of Excellence is an important step towards climate neutrality.

“It's already five minutes past 12. The energy transition can only be achieved if the best minds in materials research work together to develop innovative, climate-neutral ways of storing renewable energy. With this Cluster of Excellence, Austria is making a contribution to mastering this global challenge,” says Günther Rupprechter, Director of Research, about the new Cluster of Excellence.

Board of Directors

Günther Rupprechter (Director of Research, TU Wien)

Ulrike Diebold (Vienna University of Technology)

Stefan Freunberger (Institute of Science and Technology Austria)

Leticia González (University of Vienna)

Julia Kunze-Liebhäuser (University of Innsbruck)

FWF funding volume

€20.6 million for five years

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