Incentives for academic talent

The University of Freiburg will receive start-up funding of 100,000 euros for its “Freiburg Rising Stars Academy” concept, a total success in the “International Research Marketing” ideas competition organized by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The aim of the project is to further strengthen the exchange between Freiburg researchers and young international scientists.

“Our new concept is a win-win situation for everyone,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Hans-Jochen Schiewer, Rector at the University of Freiburg. “Young researchers receive excellent support and our scientists have the opportunity to work together with up-and-coming talent while getting them excited about Freiburg. In addition, the Freiburg Rising Stars Academy significantly contributes to the international visibility of our university.”

The International Office at the University of Freiburg worked on the application. In cooperation with numerous internal and external project partners, the “Rising Stars Academy” aims to combine the interests of Freiburg scientists with those of the international young research elite. Starting in June 2020, young scientists from all countries will be able to apply. During the start-up phase, the selected “Rising Stars” will then form teams with young Freiburg researchers along two of the eight scientific profile fields at the University of Freiburg - biological signaling research and functional and bioinspired materials. Initially, the teams will discuss and work on interdisciplinary scientific issues via digital communication channels and then at the “Rising Stars Conference,” which will be held in Freiburg in the spring of 2021. Experienced Freiburg scientists will supervise the groups as team leaders. At the end of the conference, the projects and results of the teams will be evaluated. The best qualified “Rising Stars” will be included in the “Rising Stars in Residence” program. They will then return to Freiburg for a longer research stay in autumn of 2021.

Within the profile fields, the Clusters of Excellence CIBSS - Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies and livMatS - Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems were significantly involved in the application process and will strongly support the implementation of the “Rising Stars Academy.”  The Freiburg Fraunhofer Institutes are involved as external partners through the Sustainability Center Freiburg, which was established in cooperation with the University of Freiburg, the Max Planck Institute of Immunology and Epigenetics, Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe (FWTM) and Baden-Württemberg International.

The DFG ideas competition promotes international research marketing concepts of German universities and scientific institutions. The selected projects are designed to make German research more visible abroad and to attract up-and-coming scientists to Germany.

For more information

• German Research Foundation press release (in German)
• Profile fields at the University of Freiburg