Welcome

André Biedenkapp, KIT

How can AI systems better transfer their learned behavior to new, previously unknown situations? Dr. André Biedenkapp will be addressing this question at KIT in the coming years and will receive approximately 1.2 million euros over the next three years for this work. Following a successful interim evaluation after the first three years, the DFG has pledged approximately 920,000 euros for an additional three years. / 04.2026

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The research group “DELight – an experiment for the direct search for light dark matter using superfluid helium” is implementing a novel experimental approach. To this end, the six research teams from KIT as well as the Universities of Heidelberg and Freiburg plan to make use of the properties of ultracold helium. To protect against cosmic radiation, the DELight experiment is being set up in an underground laboratory. / 04.2026

Cynthia Ruf, KIT

The KIT convinced reviewers with the concept “Science for Impact” and may continue to bear the title of University of Excellence. This comes with funding totaling up to EUR 105 million over the next seven years. The Excellence Strategy competition is the most demanding university competition in German science. Of the ten presently existing Universities of Excellence and one consortium, nine universities and one consortium will continue to receive funding from January 2027. / 03.2026

Amadeus Bramsiepe, KIT

The KIT was highly successful in Baden-Württemberg’s current round of competition for funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). KIT obtained a total of EUR 5.855 million for three projects as an applicant and for another as a partner. The funds will be used for a targeted expansion of modern research infrastructure in strategic future fields: in Production Technology, Climate Research, Battery Recycling, and Quantum Communication. / 03.2026

Amadeus Bramsiepe, KIT

Since 2023, researchers have been working in the ETOS future cluster, co-led by KIT, to replace the traditional production of fine chemicals with electrochemical processes using renewable electricity. The aim of the second funding phase is to make production processes more sustainable. The cluster is receiving €12 million from the BMFTR for another three years to put the newly developed methods into practical use in industry and synthesize significantly more chemicals. / 02.2026

P. Langer / M. Breig, KIT

Thanks to the funding of 150,000 euros each, both projects will be able to translate their basic research into concrete practical applications over the next 18 months. In his SOAR project, Christian Greiner is developing a new class of copper-based alloys whose microstructures are inherently resistant to friction and wear. Frank Biedermann is researching small sensor plates for medical diagnostics with the aim of detecting several bioactive molecules at once in the future. / 02.2026