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National Offensive for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence

Abbildung: Logo des Förderprogramms Loewe, Exzellente Forschung für Hessens Zukunft

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 (fuding 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).
  • Completed Projects

Centers

Logo LOEWE-Center Novel Drug Targets against Poverty-Related and Neglected Tropical Infectious Diseases (DRUID)
LOEWE-Center Novel Drug Targets against Poverty-Related and Neglected Tropical Infectious Diseases (DRUID)

Profile Area: Virology and Infection Biology

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Stephan Becker (Director Institut for Virology)
Participants: 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)

Funded: since 2018

Additional information:: ProLOEWE-DRUID, Homepage

LOEWE-Center emergenCITY – The Emergency Responsive Digital City

Lead: Technical University of Darmstadt
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Hollick (Technical University of Darmstadt)
Participants: 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)

Funded: since 2020

Additional information: ProLOEWE-emergenCITY, Homepage

Clusters

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Foto: Logo des LOEWE-Schwerpunktes TreeM
TreeM - Mechanisms of Resilience and Environmental Impact of the Tree Leaf Microbiome

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Anke Becker (Synmikro), Prof. Dr. Tobias Erb (The Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg), Prof. Dr. Nina Farwig (Department Biology)

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

Funded: since 2023

Additional information: Homepage

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

Participations: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

Funded: since 2023

Additional information: Homepage

Foto: Logo des LOEWE-Schwerpunktes iCANx Cancer – Lung (Disease) Crosstalk: Tumor and Organ Microenvironment
iCANx Cancer - Lung (Disease) Crosstalk: Tumor and Organ Microenvironment

Profile Area: Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology

Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Till Acker

Participations: 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)

Funded: since 2021

Informations: ProLOEWE-iCANx, Homepage

Foto: Logo des LOEWE-Schwerpunktes PriOSS
PriOSS - Principles of On-Surface Synthesis

Profile Area: Materials, Interfaces, Semiconductors

Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. André Schirmeisen

Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Roling

Funded: since 2021

Additional information: ProLOEWE-PRIOSS, Homepage

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

Participants: Justus Liebig University Giessen, The Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg

Participants 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

Funded: since 2021

Additional information: ProLOEWE-Diffusible Signals, Homepage

GLUE - GPCR Ligands for Underexplored Epitopes

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Moritz Bünemann und Prof. Dr. Peter Kolb (both Department Pharmacy)
Participants: Goethe University Frankfurt, Technical University of Darmstadt, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research Bad Nauheim

Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Wibke Diederich, Prof. Dr. Martin Schlitzer, Prof. Dr. Torsten Steinmetzer

Funded: since 2020

Additional information: ProLOEWE-GLUE, Homepage

Logo LOEWE-Project "MOSLA"
MOSLA - Molecular Storage for Long-term Archiving

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Dominik Heider (Department Mathematics and Computer Sciences)
Participants: Justus Liebig University Giessen

Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Anke Becker, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, Prof. Dr. Bernd Freisleben, Prof. Dr. Peter Graumann, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Seeger

Funded: since 2019

Additional information: ProLOEWE-MOSLA, Homepage

LOEWE-professorships

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Top-level Professorships

Stefan G. Hofmann (translational clinical psychology)

Profile Area: Mind, Brain, Behavior

Funding: 2021-2026 (press release, german)

Start Professorships

Crispin Lichtenberg (inorganic chemistry)

Profile Area: Materials, Interfaces, Semiconductors

Funding: 2022-2027 (press release, german)

Exploration

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Quantum Yeast

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Project description (3. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Lars Oliver Essen (chemistry/biochemistry)

Additional participants at Philipps University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Mösch (biology/genetics)

Funded: since Oct. 2022

Identification of Microplastics via Photoluminescence-spectroscopy (Identifikation von Mikroplastik mit Photolumineszenz-Anregungsspektroskopie)

Profile Area: Materials, Interfaces, Semiconductors

Project description (1. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Marina Gerhard (physics)

Funded: since Oct. 2021

Development of a Model to Simulate the Material Flows of Microplastics (Entwicklung eines Modells zur Simulation von Stoffströmen im Bereich Mikroplastik)

Profile Area: Materials, Interfaces, Semiconductors

Project description (1. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Peter Lenz, Prof. Dr. Martin Koch (physics)

Funded: since Oct. 2021

Completed Projects

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Nature 4.0 - Exstensive Natur Conservation Monitoring by Interlinked Sensorics and Integrative Data Analysis

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss (Department Geography)
Participants 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)
Participants: 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)
Participants 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: Technical University Darmstadt
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Matthias Hollick, Prof. Dr. Max Mühlhäuser
Participants: University of Marburg, University of Kassel
Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Freisleben (Department Mathematics and Computer Sciences)
Funded: 2015-2018
Additional information: ProLOEWE-Nicer
Emerged into: LOEWE-Center emergenCITY – The Emergency Responsive Digital City, Homepage

MegaSyn - Controlling and Design Multifunctional Megasythases

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Lead: Goethe University Frankfurt
Spokespersons: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Martin Grininger and Prof. Dr. Helge B. Bode
Participants: The Max Planck Institute of Biophysics Frankfurt am Main, The Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg, Technical University of Middle Hesse (THM)
Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Lars-Oliver Essen (Department Chemistry)
Funded: 2017-2021
Additional information: ProLOEWE-MegaSYN

Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO)

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Anke Becker (Management SYNMIKRO)
Participants: 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

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)
Participants: 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
Participants: Justus Liebig University Giessen, Goethe University Frankfurt
Funded: 2014-2017
Additional information: ProLOEWE-SynChemBio

FACE2FACE

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen
Spokesperson: Prof. Christoph Müller, PhD
Participants: University of Marburg, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg
Participants 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: Justus Liebig University Giessen
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Janek
Participants: University of Marburg, Technical University of Middle Hesse (THM)
Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Roling
Funded: 2013-2016
Additional information: ProLOEWE-STORE-E, LOEWE-final report (pdf)

Integrative Fungal Research (IPF)

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Lead: Goethe University Frankfurt
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Marco Thines, Prof. Dr. Helge B. Bode
Participants: University of Marburg, Justus Liebig University Giessen, University of Kassel, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt am Main
Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Michael Bölker, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Kost
Funded: 2013-2016
Additional information: ProLOEWE-IPF, LOEWE-final report (pdf)

Exploring Fundamental Linguistic Categories (LingBas)

Profile Area: Language Dynamics

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Erich Schmidt, Prof. Dr. Richard Wiese
Funded: 2012-2016
Additional information: ProLoewe-LingBas, LOEWE-final report (pdf)

Non-neuronal Cholinergic Systems (NNCS)

Profile Areas: Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology / Mind, Brain, Behavior

Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kummer
Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Eberhard Weihe, Prof. Dr. Burkhard Schütz, Prof. Dr. Adriana del Rey, PD Dr. Caroline Rolfes
Funded: 2012-2015
Additional information: LOEWE-final report (pdf)

Male Infertility and Urogenital Infections (MIBIE)

Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Weidner
Participants University of Marburg: Prof. (i. R.) Renate Renkawitz-Pohl, Prof. Dr. Harald Renz
Funded: 2011-2014
Additional information: LOEWE-final report (pdf)

Universities of Giessen & Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC) 

Profile Areas: Virology and Infection Biology / Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology

Lead: Justus Liebig University Giessen
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. med. Werner Seeger (University Clinic Giessen and Marburg GmbH, Location Giessen)
Participants University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. med. Harald Renz (University Clinic Giessen and Marburg GmbH, Location Marburg)
Funded: 2010-2016. Since 2016 partner in the The German Center for Lung Research
Additional information: ProLOEWE-UGMLC, LOEWE-final report (pdf), Homepage

Preventive Biomechanics (PreBionics)

Lead: Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Silber
Participants 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
Participants 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
Participants: Justus Liebig University Giessen
Funded: 2008-2012
Additional information: LOEWE-final report (pdf)