Launch of three new research consortia: BTU establishes new key research areas with its first ‘Open Call 2026’

On 30 September, the BTU announced which three consortia would receive funding: Environmental Chemicals and Cells, Optical Neurons and KLARIS. The three consortia will commence their work on 1 January 2027.

The response exceeded all expectations: twelve consortia comprising a total of 99 researchers from all of the BTU’s priority areas submitted applications. Through this funding programme, the BTU is supporting the establishment of long-term, interdisciplinary collaborations. The consortia are intended to develop into high-profile research priorities and lay the foundations for larger collaborative projects.

“The fact that so many researchers have put forward their ideas has exceeded all my expectations. I am proud of the commitment shown at our university. Through the open call, we are making targeted investments in our research strength,” says BTU President Prof. Dr Gesine Grande. “The fact that new connections have been forged between researchers from very different disciplines is, for me, the greatest benefit. We will harness and further develop this great potential.”

Funding is being provided not for individual projects, but for collaboration. The plan is to provide three years’ funding of up to 300,000 euros per consortium per year, i.e. up to 900,000 euros per consortium and up to 2.7 million euros for the three selected consortia, subject to the budgetary situation. The funding is intended to enable the consortia to deepen their collaboration, establish new research priorities and create the conditions for securing larger collaborative research projects. The open call is to be continued, with further calls planned. 

Strong response and high standard

By the application deadline on 31 August 2026, twelve applications had been received, involving a total of 99 principal investigators. All faculties and priority areas at the BTU were represented multiple times in the applications. The BTU’s Scientific Advisory Board, a consultative body comprising external scientific experts, attested to the exceptionally high scientific standard of the process. 

A four-member panel of reviewers assessed the proposals against the criteria set out in the call for proposals. The three selected consortia stood out due to their combination of disciplinary breadth and depth of content, clearly identifiable unique selling points, and their potential to develop into key research areas at the BTU. The panel recommended Environmental Chemicals and Cells, Optical Neurons and KLARIS for funding. The executive committee followed this recommendation.

The other participating consortia will also be supported throughout the ongoing process to help them realise their potential and facilitate collaborative research.

A profile of the three consortia

Messenger molecules: environmental chemicals and cells

What effect do persistent environmental chemicals have on our cells? These environmental chemicals are found not only in cleaning products, but also in outdoor jackets, frying pans and other everyday items. Many are extremely persistent and accumulate in organisms and the environment. The damage they cause in the body is only partially understood. The ‘Environmental Chemicals and Cells’ project is investigating this at a specific level: communication between cells.

Cells exchange tiny messenger packets that carry biological information. The researchers aim to determine whether environmental chemicals disrupt this exchange and how different cell systems and organs react to this under stress. Another strand of the project is dedicated to the interaction of environmental chemicals with substances used in biomedical applications. The consortium will strengthen the ‘Health and Life Sciences’ priority area and is set to be expanded into a Graduate College or a research group in the coming years.

The spokesperson is Prof. Dr Julia von Maltzahn (BTU Department of Age-Related Stem Cell Biology), and the deputy spokesperson is Prof. Dr Kristin Schubert (BTU Department of Cell Biology).

A brain made of light

How does Artificial Intelligence that uses light rather than electricity perform calculations? AI is hungry: for computing power and for energy. The ‘Optical Neurons on a Chip’ project is seeking a solution in light. Instead of electrons, photons are to process information, modelled on the brain. This approach is known as neuromorphic computing.

The vision: a single chip that performs computations and stores data, which is programmable and capable of adapting. The path to this goal involves new material concepts and the resulting components, leading to their integration into complete systems. Ultimately, the aim is to lay the foundations for compact, energy-efficient optical computing systems.

For the BTU, the consortium strengthens the ‘Artificial Intelligence and Sensor Technology’ priority area. Its unique selling point is the combination of component development, Materials Research and programmable functionality. The consortium cooperates closely with regional partners: the Leibniz-Institute for Innovations for High Performance Electronics in Frankfurt (Oder), the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) in Dresden and Cottbus, and the IKZ – Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growth in Berlin. At the same time, it aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem of the Lausitz Science Park with its expertise in integrated photonics and AI hardware, and to expand collaboration with research institutions and industry.

The spokesperson is Prof. Dr Daria Gorelova (BTU Computational Materials Modeling chair), and the deputy spokesperson is Prof. Dr Christian Wenger from the IHP (Semiconductor Materials).

When everything happens at once

A scorching summer, and suddenly the electricity grid, roads and water supply are all pushed to their limits at the same time. What sounds like a disaster scenario is the starting point for the researchers in the KLARIS project: extreme weather rarely affects just one area. Energy, transport and water systems are interdependent, and whatever weakens one can destabilise the next.

The research consortium aims to understand how climate-related disruptions spread between such interconnected infrastructures and reinforce one another. At the same time, the aim is to quantify how climate change is altering these systemic risks. The study focuses on the south-eastern outskirts of Berlin and the area bordering Lusatia, where population growth and land sealing are compounded by the water management implications of the coal phase-out.

To this end, the researchers are combining stochastic and control engineering models with the adaptation behaviour of households, businesses and local authorities. This is intended to yield approaches for early warning, management and the long-term planning of infrastructure. The key question is: how can infrastructure remain resilient in the face of increasing climate variability?

The consortium brings together key priority areas from several of the university’s priority areas to address a new topic, primarily drawing on ‘Energy Transition and Decarbonisation’ and ‘Global Change and Transformation Processes’. Whilst climate adaptation has so far mostly been considered on a sector-by-sector basis, KLARIS takes a joint approach to energy, transport and water.

The spokesperson is Prof. Dr Carsten Hartmann (BTU Department of Stochastics and Its Applications), and the deputy spokesperson is Prof. Dr-Ing Christine Eisenmann (BTU Department of Infrastructure and Mobility Planning).

Contact

Kristin Ebert
Communications and Marketing 
T +49 (0) 355 69-2115 
kristin.ebert(at)b-tu.de