National Offensive for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence
is the title of the research funding programm of the state Hessen. With this programm the state government supports the universities and research institutions in Hessen continously developing their profile and reaching their strategic goals. LOEWE is fostering exceptional collaborative research projects, with a special focus on integrating university and extra-university research in collaboration with the industry. For further information please visit ProLOEWE - LOEWE research initative networks.
Centers (funding line 1) - already existing, visible research foci of the hessian research environment are extended towards local and regional research centers.
Clusters (funding line 2) - selected research topics of the universities and research institutions in Hessen are bundled.
SME-collaborative research (funding line 3) - funding line for strengthening the collaboration between small and mediate hessian enterprises (SME) with the universities and research institutions in Hessen.
LOEWE-professorships (funding lines 4a and 4b) - provide additional incentives that universities can use to hire professors, which fit their strategy.
Exploration (funding line 5) - supports projects with new, highly innovative research ideas (unconventional hypothesis, radicaly new approaches).
LOEWE-Center DYNAMIC (The Dynamic Network Approach of Mental Health to Stimulate Innovations for Interventions and Change)
Profile Area: Mind, Brain, Behavior
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief (Clinical Psychology, University of Marburg ) Participation: Goethe University Frankfurt, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Technical University of Darmstadt, Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education
Vice-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Andreas Reif (Goethe University Frankfurt)
LOEWE-Center DRUID (Novel Drug Targets against Poverty-Related and Neglected Tropical Infectious Diseases)
Profile Area: Virology and Infection Biology
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Stephan Becker (Director Institut for Virology) Participation: Justus Liebig University Giessen, Goethe University Frankfurt, Technical University of Middle Hesse (THM), Paul-Ehrlich-Institut Langen, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP
Vice-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Christoph Grevelding (Justus Liebig University Giessen)
LOEWE-Center emergenCITY (The Emergency Responsive Digital City)
Lead: Technical University of Darmstadt Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Hollick (Technical University of Darmstadt) Participation: University of Kassel, University of Marburg, Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, Darmstadt (city)
Vice-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anja Klein, Prof. Dr. Michèle Knodt, Prof. Dr. Max Mühlhäuser (Technical University of Darmstadt)
Robust chloroplasts for natural and synthetic carbon fixation (RobuCop)
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Felix Willmund (University of Marburg) Co-coordination: Dr. Judith Klatt (University of Marburg), Prof. Dr. Tobias Erb (Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology) Participation: Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology Funded: since 2025 Additional information: Homepage
Optimization of CAR cell therapies by influencing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (CARISMa)
Lead: Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Oellerich (University Hospital Frankfurt,) Co-lead: Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Burchert (Philipps-University Marburg, University Hospital Marburg Campus, Carreras Leukemia Center), Prof. Dr. med. Evelyn Ullrich (University Hospital Frankfurt, Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Experimental Immunology and Cell Therapy) Participation: University Hospital Frankfurt; Georg-Speyer-Haus Frankfurt; DRK-Blutspendedienst Baden-Württemberg-Hessen; Philipps-University Marburg, University Hospital Marburg, Campus Marburg; Paul-Ehrlich-Institut Langen Funded: since 2025 Additional information: ProLOEWE-CARISMA
HABITAT - Health Affected by Climate Change and Air Pollution – Pathophysiology and Regional Management
Participation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Halle/Saale), University of Freiburg, Justus Liebig University Giessen
Participation University of Marburg: Dr. Hamed Azarbad, Prof. Dr. Maaike Bader, Prof. Dr. Gert Bange, Prof. Dr. Jörg Bendix, Prof. Dr. Helge Bode, Prof. Dr. Robert Junker, Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauß, Prof. Dr. Lars Opgenoorth, Dr. Jan Schuller, Dr. Dirk Zeuss
CoroPan - Human and Zoonotic Coronaviruses: Conserved Targets for New Therapeutic Options in Future Pandemics
Profile Area: Virology and Infection Biology
Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. John Ziebuhr, Justus Liebig University Giessen
Participation: Goethe University Frankfurt, University of Marburg Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Stephan Becker, Prof. Dr. Eva Böttcher-Friebertshäuser, Dr. Nadine Biedenkopf, Dr. Verena Krähling, Dr. Lucie Sauerhering, Dr. Vijayaram Renigunta, Dr. Aparna Renigunta, Prof. Dr. Arnold Grünweller
Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Till Acker
Participation: University of Marburg (UMR), The Max Planck Institut for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim Vice Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Stiewe (UMR), Prof. Dr. Rajkumar Savai (JLU & MPI Bad Nauheim)
Impact of Diffusible Signals at Human Cell-Microbe Interfaces
Profile Area: Virology and Infection Biology
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. med. Bernd Schmeck (Department Medicine, Institute for Lung Research) Project coordination: Dr. Sabrina von Einem Participation: Justus Liebig University Giessen, The Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg
Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Gert Bange, Prof. Dr. Anke Becker, Prof. Dr. Knut Drescher, Prof. Dr. Dominik Heider, Dr. Anna Lena Jung, Prof. Dr. Lennart Randau (Vice-Spokesperson), Prof. Dr. Leon Schulte
Lead: University of Marburg Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Moritz Bünemann und Prof. Dr. Peter Kolb (both Department Pharmacy) Participation: Goethe University Frankfurt, Technical University of Darmstadt, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research Bad Nauheim
Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Wibke Diederich, Prof. Dr. Martin Schlitzer, Prof. Dr. Torsten Steinmetzer
Rethinking Prevention: Dyadic-Based, AI-Driven, Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention Mechanism for the Prevention of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders via App
“Aus welchen Katastrophen lernen?” A (trans-)national Meta-analysis of Studies on Educational Practice in the Field of Holocaust and Genocide Education Worldwide
Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Anke Becker (Management SYNMIKRO) Participation: Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg (MPI) Funded: 2010-2018. Since 2019 it is a academic Center within the University, in collaboration with the MPI. Additional information: ProLOEWE-Synmikro, www.synmikro.com
Universities of Giessen & Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC) Profile Areas: Virology and Infection Biology / Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Dominik Heider (Department Mathematics and Computer Sciences) Participation: Justus Liebig University Giessen Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Anke Becker, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, Prof. Dr. Bernd Freisleben, Prof. Dr. Peter Graumann, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Seeger Funded: 2019 - 2023 Additional information: ProLOEWE-MOSLA, Homepage
Nature 4.0 - Exstensive Natur Conservation Monitoring by Interlinked Sensorics and Integrative Data AnalysisProfile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss (Department Geography) Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Jörg Bendix, Prof. Dr. Roland Brandl, Dr. Martin Brändle, Prof. Dr. Stephan Dahlke, Prof. Dr. Nina Farwig, Prof. Dr. Carina Peter, Prof. Dr. Bernd Freisleben, Prof. Dr. Hajo Holzmann, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Seeger, Dr. Lars Opgenoorth, Dr. Christoph Reudenbach, Hanna Meyer Funded: 2019-2022 Additional information: ProLOEWE-NATUR 4.0
CePTER - Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research
Lead: Goethe University Frankfurt Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. med. Felix Rosenow (Clinic for Neurology) Participation: Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, The Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA), Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Susanne Knake (Director epilepsy centre Hesse University Clinic Giessen and Marburg GmbH, Marburg Location) Funded: 2018-2022 Additional information: ProLOEWE-CePTER
NICER – Networked Infrastructureless Cooperation for Emergency Response
Lead: Goethe University Frankfurt Spokespersons: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Martin Grininger and Prof. Dr. Helge B. Bode Participation: The Max Planck Institute of Biophysics Frankfurt am Main, The Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg, Technical University of Middle Hesse (THM) Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Lars-Oliver Essen (Department Chemistry) Funded: 2017-2021 Additional information: ProLOEWE-MegaSYN
Medical RNomics – RNA-regulated Networks in Human Diseases Profile Areas: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate / Virology and Infection Biology
Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Albrecht Bindereif (Department Biology and Chemistry) Vice-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. med. Bernd Schmeck (University of Marburg, University Clinic Giessen and Marburg GmbH, Location Marburg) Participation: Goethe University Frankfurt, The Max Planck Institut for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim Funded: 2015-2018. Additional information: ProLOEWE-MedicalRNomics
Innovative Synthetic Chemistry for the Selective Modulation of Biological Processes (SynChemBio) Profile Area: Materials, Interfaces, Semiconductors
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Eric Meggers Participation: Justus Liebig University Giessen, Goethe University Frankfurt Funded: 2014-2017 Additional information: ProLOEWE-SynChemBio
Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen Spokesperson: Prof. Christoph Müller, PhD Participation: University of Marburg, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Jörg Bendix Funded: 2014-2017 Additional information: ProLOEWE-Face2Face
STORE-E: Storage in Boundary Layers Profile Area: Materials, Interfaces, Semiconductors
Lead: Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Silber Participation University of Marburg (until 2012): Prof. Dr. Rainer Moosdorf Funded: 2010-2013 Additional information: LOEWE-final report (pdf)
Bioengeneering and Imaging (BioIM)
Lead: Technical University of Middle Hesse Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Czermak Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Dr. Johannes Heverhagen (until 2011) Funded: 2008-2013 Additional information: LOEWE-final report (pdf)
Tumours and Inflammation Profile Area: Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology
Lead: University of Marburg Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller Participation: Justus Liebig University Giessen Funded: 2008-2012 Additional information: LOEWE-final report (pdf)
Development of a Model to Simulate the Material Flows of Microplastics (Entwicklung eines Modells zur Simulation von Stoffströmen im Bereich Mikroplastik)
