To achieve its mission, NaviSense unites internationally leading scientists from different branches of biology, physics, chemistry, informatics, and social sciences. As a team, we will carry out novel and uniquely interdisciplinary research providing unprecedented opportunities to understand fundamental mechanisms far beyond what the individual scientists and disciplines could have achieved working alone. Among others, we aim to solve two of the most intriguing and outstanding mysteries of sensory biology: (1) how animals find their way to a distant destination, relying only on their senses, and (2) whether quantum mechanical effects (e.g. spin coherence) at ambient temperature provide the basis of the enigmatic magnetic sense, one of the most important senses used in long-distance navigation.

NaviSense is structured into four interconnected research foci (RF): animal navigation mechanisms and their underlying senses (RF1); quantum effects at ambient temperature in model systems and biology (RF2); ecological and conservation related consequences of animal navigation (RF3); linking biological and technical systems through models, algorithms, and devices (RF4). When addressing these topics, NaviSense will link 17 orders of magnitude in length scales and 28 orders of magnitude in time scales, from the spin of single electrons to global migration trajectories and evolution of sensory systems. The acquired knowledge about animal navigation and its underlying sensory mechanisms has never been more relevant for helping to solve major societal questions related, for instance, to the environmental impact of anthropogenic sensory pollution, the biodiversity crisis, GPS independent navigation of human made devices, and quantum sensing at ambient temperature.

Over the past decade, substantial strategic investments have been made by the University of Oldenburg (UOL) in people, facilities, diversity, equity and inclusion, support structures, and collaboration across schools at UOL. These investments, in combination with the NaviSense research programme, the requested funding, and our strong focus on supporting early career researchers, will enable UOL to establish a long-term “International Centre for Animal Navigation” and consolidate UOL as an internationally leading institution for decades to come in sensory based animal navigation research and its impacts.

Involved Institutions:

• Institute of Avian Research – Vogelwarte Helgoland (IAR)
• University of Bayreuth