Collaborative Research Centers

Collaborative Research Centers (CRCs) bring together experts from a single University to work on long-term interdisciplinary Projects. Transregional Collaborative Research Centers (TRRs) are based in several locations. TRRs coordinate interdisciplinary research efforts and material resources on a nationwide basis. CRCs and TRRs are funded by the German Research Foundation.

Current Collaborative Research Centers

Common Ground: Cognition – Grammar – Communication (CRC 1718)

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Britta Stolterfoht, Institute of German Language and Literature

Duration: October 1, 2025 to June 30, 2029

Homepage of the “Common Ground” CRC

Mathematics of Many-Body Quantum Systems and Their Collective Phenomena (TRR 352)

In cooperation with LMU Munich (coordinating university) and Technical University Munich

Tübingen spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Stefan Teufel, Department of Mathematics – Mathematical Physics

Duration: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026

Homepage of the "Mathematics of Many-Body Quantum Systems" TRR

PlantMicrobe: Genetic Diversity Shaping Biotic Interactions of Plants (TRR 356)

In cooperation with LMU Munich (coordinating university) and Technical University Munich

Tübingen spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Rosa Lozano-Durán, Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP)

Duration: January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2026

Homepage of the "PlantMicrobe" TRR

Different Aesthetics (CRC 1391)

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Annette Gerok-Reiter, Institute of German Language and Literature

Duration: July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2027

Homepage of the "Different Aesthetcics" CRC

Robust Vision – Inference Principles and Neural Mechanisms (CRC 1233)

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Matthias Bethge, Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Institute for Theoretical Physics

Duration: January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2028

Homepage of the "Robust Vision" CRC

The Skin as a Sensor and Effector Organ Orchestrating Local and Systemic Immune Responses (TRR 156)

In cooperation with the universities of Heidelberg (coordinating university) and Mainz

Tübingen spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Birgit Schittek, Tübingen University Hospital, Department of Dermatology

Duration: July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2027

Homepage of the "The Skin as a Sensor and Effector Organ..." TRR

Collaborative Research Centers with a Tübingen principal investigator

CARDDIAB - Cardio-Diabetes-Crosstalk (CRC 1774)

Spokesperson's university: Düsseldorf University

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Dr. Miriam Cortese-Krott, Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry – Pharmacology

Duration: October 1, 2026 to June 30, 2030

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (TRR 412)

Coordinating university: Charité Berlin

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Mathias Heikenwälder, University Hospitals - M3 Research Center

Duration: October 1, 2025 to June 30, 2029

Homepage of the “Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease” TRR

DIONE - Degeneration of Bone due to Inflammation (TRR 369)

Coordinating university: University of Erlangen-Nürnberg

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Claudia Günther, Faculty of Medicine - Dermatology

Duration: April 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027

Homepage to the “DIONE - Degeneration of Bone due to Inflammation” TRR

Negation in Language and Beyond (CRC 1629)

Spokesperson's university: Frankfurt University

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Barbara Kaup, Psychology – Language and Cognition

Duration: April 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027

Homepage of the “Negation” CRC

Decoding and Targeting Mechanisms of Neuroblastoma Evolution (CRC 1588)

Spokesperson's university: Humboldt University, Berlin

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Johannes Schulte, University Hospital Tübingen - Paediatrics

Duration: July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027

Homepage of the “Decoding and Targeting Mechanisms of Neuroblastoma Evolution” CRC

4f for Future (CRC 1573)

Spokesperson's university: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Tübingen principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Michael Seitz, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry

Duration: January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2026

Homepage of the "4f for Future" CRC

Aging at Interfaces (CRC 1506)

Spokesperson's university: Ulm University

Tübingen principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Daniel Sauter, Tübingen University Hospital, Institute for Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases

Duration: January 1, 2022 to August 31, 2030

Homepage of the "Aging at Interfaces" CRC

Oncogene-driven immune escape (CRC 1479)

Spokesperson's university: University of Freiburg

Tübingen Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Jan Philipp Böttcher, Prof. Dr. Mathias Heikenwälder, Prof. Dr Lisa Sevenich; University Hospitals - M3 Research Center

Duration: July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2029

Homepage of the “Oncogene-driven immune escape” CRC

FONDA – Foundations of Workflows for Large-Scale Scientific Data Analysis (CRC 1404)

Spokesperson's university: Humboldt University, Berlin

Tübingen principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Kerstin Ritter, Faculty of Medicine - Computational Neuroscience

Duration: July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2028

Homepage of the “FONDA” CRC

Loss and Regaining Control in Addictions (TRR 265)

Coordinating university: University of Heidelberg

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Kerstin Ritter, Faculty of Medicine - Computational Neuroscience

Duration: July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2027

Homepage of the "Loss and Regaining Control in Addictions" TRR

Mechanisms of Drug Sensitivity and Resistance in Small Cell Lung Cancer (CRC 1399)

Spokesperson's university: Universität of Cologne

Tübingen principal investigators: Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Rammensee and Dr. Cécile Gouttefangeas, Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology

Duration: July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2027

Homepage of the "Mechanisms of Drug Sensitivity and Resistance" CRC

Nucleic Acid Immunity (TRR 237)

Coordinating university: LUM Munich

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Claudia Günther, Faculty of Medicine - Dermatology

Duration: January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2026

Homepage of the “Nucleic Acid Immunity” TRR

Symbolic Tools in Mathematics and Their Application (TRR 195)

Coordinating university: Technical University of Kaiserslautern

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Hannah Markwig, Department of Mathematics – Combinatorial Algebraic Geometry

Duration: January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2028

Homepage of the "Symbolic Tools" TRR

Determinants and dynamics of elimination versus persistence of hepatitis virus infection (TRR 179)

Coordinating university: University of Heidelberg

Tübingen Principal Investigator: Dr. Katrin Böttcher, Faculty of Medicine - Gastroenterology

Duration: July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2028

Homepage of the "Determinants and dynamics of elimination versus persistence of hepatitis virus infection" TRR

Molecular and Functional Characterization of Selective Autophagy (CRC 1177)

Spokesperson's university: Goethe University Frankfurt

Tübingen principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Tassula Proikas-Cezanne, Institute for Cell Biology (IZB)

Duration: January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2027

Homepage of the "Selective Autophagy" CRC

Wave Phenomena: Analysis and Numerics (CRC 1173)

Spokesperson's university: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Tübingen principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Christian Lubich, Department of Mathematics – Numerical Analysis

Duration: July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2027

Homepage of the "Wave Phenomena" CRC

Completed Collaborative Research Centers of the last five years

Molecular Encoding of Specificity in Plant Processes (CRC 1101)

Sppkesperson: Prof. Dr. Klaus Harter, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP)

Duration: April 1, 2014 to December 31, 2025

Homepage of the "Molecular Encoding of Specificity" CRC

ResourceCultures (CRC 1070)

Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Martin Bartelheim, Institute of Prehistory, Early History and Medieval Archaeology

Duration: October 1, 2013 to June 30, 2025

Homepage of the "ResourceCultures" CRC

ANTIBIOTIC CellMAP – Cellular Mechanisms of Antibiotic Action and Production (TRR 261)

In cooperation with the University of Bonn

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine

Duration: July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024

Homepage of the "ANTIBIOTIC CellMAP" TRR

Threatened Orders (CRC 923)

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Mischa Meier, Institute of Ancient History

Duration: July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2023

Homepage of the "Threatened Orders" CRC

Thrombocytes – Molecular, Cellular and Systemic Functions under Physiological and Pathological Conditions (TRR 240)

In cooperation with the University of Würzburg

Tübingen spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Meinrad Gawaz, Tübingen University Hospital, Internal Medicine III – Cardiology

Duration: July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2023

Homepage of the "Thrombocytes" TRR

Liver Cancer – New Mechanistic and Therapeutic Concepts in a Solid Tumor Model (TRR 209)

In cooperation with Heidelberg University and Hannover Medical School

Tübingen spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Nisar Malek, Tübingen University Hospital, Internal Medicine I – Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectiology

Duration: July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2022

Homepage of the "Liver Cancer" TRR

CAMPOS – Catchments as Reactors: Metabolism of Pollutants on the Landscape Scale (CRC 1253)

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Peter Grathwohl, Center for Applied Geoscience

Duration: January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021

Homepage of the "CAMPOS" CRC

The Construction of Meaning - the Dynamics and Adaptivity of Linguistic Structures (CRC 833)

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Sigrid Beck, Institute of English Language and Literatures

Duration: July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2021

Homepage of the "Construction of Meaning" CRC