Chirality, the property that makes an object distinct from its mirror image, is ubiquitous in nature. It is found in elementary particles, in molecules and biological structures, and manifests itself in many physical phenomena. In particular, it gives rise to a remarkable intrinsic stability against external perturbations that has spurred a strong worldwide interest in chiral materials.

The future of our planet – for the human race, the fauna and flora, and all generations to come – largely depends on how Earth’s climate evolves. In this regard, which climate futures are plausible, and how can desirable futures be achieved? These questions are subject to considerable uncertainty. In order to make decisions, we human beings have to be able to realistically judge our circumstances, have to know what’s coming our way and what options we have for shaping tomorrow. At the University of Hamburg’s Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society” (CLICCS), researchers are tackling these complex questions using a unique combination of academic rigor and interdisciplinary diversity.

Questions about the nature of matter and the fundamental forces, about the history of the Universe and the origin of everything we observe have always been at the core of human curiosity. Today, the Standard Model of Particle Physics describes the interactions between the fundamental building blocks of matter, the quarks and leptons, but leaves several central questions unanswered: What is the mechanism behind the formation of matter by the strong „color“ force? How did the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the Universe emerge and how is it related to the different „flavors“ of quarks seen in the weak interaction? Are there yet unknown particles or forces?

New materials with customized functionality form the basis for progress of modern technology, from information and communication via energy generation, distribution and storage to mobility and beyond. Condensed matter physics, having time and again sparked major technological breakthroughs, has produced a game-changing paradigm termed topology: materials can have remarkable and robust global properties which lie beyond what can simply be measured locally.

Functionalities are at the heart of the Cluster of Excellence "CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter“. Atoms bind together and form solids, molecules interact and react - new functionalities emerge with increasing complexity and growing system size.

The dynamic evolution of our Universe is regulated by nonlinear physical processes that occur on vastly different timescales, from fractions of a second to billions of years. How are they interconnected to shape the Universe?

e-conversion focuses on researching energy conversion processes that take place at interfaces. Wherever light, charges, and matter interact, our Cluster of Excellence explores the fundamentals of future energy technologies.

The Cluster of Excellence Hausdorff Center for Mathematics (HCM) promotes cutting-edge research in mathematics and its applications, establishing Bonn as a focal point for leading international scholars. HCM’s research program encompasses a broad spectrum of mathematics, ranging from groundbreaking foundational work to applications in industry and medicine.

The Berlin Mathematics Research Center MATH+ aims to advance mathematics in close interaction with interdisciplinary research in order to make progress on central questions across a broad range of application areas.

The Cluster "Mathematics Münster: Dynamics – Geometry – Structure" advances cutting-edge research by implementing integrated approaches to solve fundamental problems across various mathematical disciplines. These approaches combine different techniques, perspectives, or fields of expertise to address challenges comprehensively.