Excellence Cluster

The Board of Directors of the CoE application "Knowledge in Crisis" (from left): Katalin Farkas (Central European University), Marian David (University of Graz), Paulina Sliwa (University of Vienna), Max Kölbel (University of Vienna), Tim Crane (Director of Research, Central European University), Hans Bernhard Schmid (University of Vienna) and Charlotte Werndl (University of Salzburg). Photo: Daniel Novotny/FWF.

Styria gets involved in Cluster of Excellence funding with participation. Potential to be expanded in any case

The Austrian Science Fund FWF announced on Monday, March 13 2023, that the latest funding decision will not create a Cluster of Excellence (CoE) in Styria. The University of Graz had been shortlisted with two CoE projects applying for in the lead. Unfortunately, no lead application was selected for funding.

"This decision hurts. These two applications are characterized not only by their high scientific quality, but also by their particular social relevance. However, we are all the more pleased that the University of Graz will receive FWF funding for the CoE initiative within the framework of the CoE project 'Knowledge in Crisis', for which the Vienna Central European University is primarily responsible," explains Peter Riedler, Rector of the University of Graz.

In the CoE project "MetAGE", researchers wanted to better understand and get to the bottom of the age-related loss of metabolic control both in humans and in model organisms. In the CoE project "Transition4Climate", the aim was to accelerate pathways to a climate-neutral society and bring about sustainable and socially just changes as quickly as possible. "I would like to thank the teams and partners around Ilona M. Otto and Frank Madeo very much for their great efforts in the last weeks," emphasizes Rector Peter Riedler. "The university management is proud of the two Fields of Excellence BioHealth and Climate Change Graz, from which the CoE applications have emerged, and of their outstanding perception in the Austrian research landscape," says Riedler. In any case, this had become obvious in the course of the application. In order to be able to develop sustainable solutions, scientists at the University of Graz have been working together for many years in an interdisciplinary manner at the university and across institutions.

"A completely newly formed Center of Excellence at the University of Graz would have been an honor. We will analyze the FWF's decision very carefully and continue to work on strengthening our Fields of Excellence. After all, our scientists are highly motivated to expand the top-level research at our university in the essential topics of the future and to successively expand our cooperations," emphasizes Joachim Reidl, Vice Rector for Research at the University of Graz.

Uni-Graz participation in the CoE "Knowledge in Crisis

Six researchers from the Institute of Philosophy are part of the project "Knowledge in Crisis", for which the Vienna Central European University is primarily responsible and which has received funding from the FWF. In this project, scientists from Graz, Salzburg and Vienna are investigating the current questioning of the idea of knowledge and truth. This cluster brings together different philosophical fields that otherwise work independently of each other and thus represents an unprecedented approach in philosophical research.

Mehr zu BioHealth: https://biohealth.uni-graz.at
Mehr zu Climate Change Graz: https://climate-change.uni-graz.at
Interaktive Landkarte des FWF: https://excellentaustria.fwf.ac.at/

Gerlinde Tuscher

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