Main Content

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 (funding 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 des LOEWE-Zentrums DYNAMIC
LOEWE-Center DYNAMIC (The Dynamic Network Approach of Mental Health to Stimulate Innovations for Interventions and Change)

Profile Area: Mind, Brain, Behavior

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokesperson:  Prof. Dr. Winfried Rief (Clinical Psychology, University of Marburg )
Participation: Goethe University Frankfurt, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Technical University of Darmstadt, Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education

Vice-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Andreas Reif (Goethe University Frankfurt)

Funded: since 2024

Additional information: ProLOEWE-DYNAMIC, Homepage

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

Profile Area: Virology and Infection Biology

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

back to top

Logo des LOEWE-Schwerpunkts HABITAT
HABITAT - Health Affected by Climate Change and Air Pollution – Pathophysiology and Regional Management

Lead: University of Marburg
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Brenner (University of Marburg)

Participation: Hochschule Fulda – University of Applied Sciences

Funded: since 2024

Additional information: ProLOEWE-HABITAT, Homepage

Logo des LOEWE-Schwerpunktes Admit
  ADMIT – Advanced Medical Physics in Imaging and Therapy

Profile Area: Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology

Lead: Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Boris Keil (THM)
Vice-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Susanne Knake (University of Marburg)

Participation: Justus-Liebig-Universität

Funded: since 2024

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: ProLOEWE-Tree-M, 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

Participation: 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: ProLOEWE-CoroPan, 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

Participation: 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

Additional information: 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

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

Participation 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)
Participation: Goethe University Frankfurt, Technical University of Darmstadt, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research Bad Nauheim

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

Funded: since 2020

Additional information: ProLOEWE-GLUE, Homepage

LOEWE-professorships

back to top

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

back to top

Target Validation for a Novel Strategy of Breast Cancer Therapy Using Transport Inhibitors of the Phenylsulfonamide Class

Profile Area: Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology

Project description (5. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Wibke Diederich (pharmaceutical chemistry, University of Marburg), Prof. Dr. Joachim Geyer (pharmacology and toxicology, University of Giessen)

Funded: since March 2024

Degradobodies - Cell-penetrating Monobodies for the Degradation of Oncogenic Transcription Factors

Profile Area: Inflammation, Immunology, Tumor Biology

Project description (5. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Oliver Hantschel (physiological chemistry)

Funded: since March 2024

 

OculoMotifs – an AI-based New Classification of Eye Movements

Profile Area: Mind, Brain, Behavior

Project description (5. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Frank Bremmer (neurophysics)

Funded: since March 2024

 

Rethinking Prevention: Dyadic-Based, AI-Driven, Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention Mechanism for the Prevention of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders via App

Profile Area: Mind, Brain, Behavior

Project description (5. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Anna-Carlotta Zarski (clinical psychology, University of Marburg), Dr. Claudia Buntrock (social medicine and health systems research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg)

Funded: since March 2024

 

Bottom-Up Synthesis of Functional Imidometal Based Coordination Polymers

Profile Area: Materials, Interfaces, Semiconductors

Project description (5. call, german)

Project leader: Dr. Gunnar Werncke (inorganic chemistry)

Funded: since March 2024

ArchaeoScent: Non-destructive and Non-contact Analysis of Archaeological Organic Residues and Artifacts.

Project description (4. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Michael Keusgen, Prof. Dr. Tanja Pommerening (pharmacy)

Funded: since Oct. 2023

Analysis of the Human AMP Memory with Artificial Intelligence as a Atrategy Against Microbial Resistance

Profile Area: Virology and Infection Biology

Project description (4. call, german)

Project leader:  Prof. Dr. Dominik Heider, Prof. Dr. Bernd Schmeck (medicine)

Funded: since Oct. 2023

“Aus welchen Katastrophen lernen?” A (trans-)national Meta-analysis of Studies on Educational Practice in the Field of Holocaust and Genocide Education Worldwide

Profile Area: Security, Order, Conflict

Project description (4. call, german)

Project leader:  Prof. Dr. Christina Brüning (history and cultural studies, University of Marburg), Prof. Dr. Stefan Peters (law and peace studies, University of Gießen)

Funded: since Oct. 2023

Ap4-all: Diadenosin-tretraphosphat (Ap4A) - an Underappreciated Stress-mediator?

Project description (4. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Gert Bange (chemistry/biochemistry), Dr. Johannes Freitag (biology)

Funded: since Oct. 2023

Development of Novel RNA Adjuvants for Improved mRNA Vaccines

Profile Area: Virology and Infection Biology

Project description (4. call, german)

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Leon Schulte (medicine)

Funded: since Oct. 2023

Quantum Yeast

Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

Project description (3. call, german)

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

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

Funded: since Oct. 2022

Completed Projects

  • Centers

    back to top

    Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO)
    Profile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

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

    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)
    Participation 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

  • Clusters

    back to top

    MOSLA - Molecular Storage for Long-term Archiving

    Lead: University of Marburg
    Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Dominik Heider (Department Mathematics and Computer Sciences)
    Participation: Justus Liebig University Giessen
    Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Anke Becker, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, Prof. Dr. Bernd Freisleben, Prof. Dr. Peter Graumann, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Seeger
    Funded: 2019 - 2023
    Additional information: ProLOEWE-MOSLA, Homepage

    Nature 4.0 - Exstensive Natur Conservation Monitoring by Interlinked Sensorics and Integrative Data AnalysisProfile Area: Microbiology, Biodiversity, Climate

    Lead: University of Marburg
    Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss (Department Geography)
    Participation 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)
    Participation: 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)
    Participation 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
    Participation: University of Marburg, University of Kassel
    Participation 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
    Participation: The Max Planck Institute of Biophysics Frankfurt am Main, The Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg, Technical University of Middle Hesse (THM)
    Participation University of Marburg: Prof. Dr. Lars-Oliver Essen (Department Chemistry)
    Funded: 2017-2021
    Additional information: ProLOEWE-MegaSYN

    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)
    Participation: 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
    Participation: 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
    Participation: University of Marburg, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Max Planck Institut for Terrestrial Microbiology Marburg
    Participation 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
    Participation: University of Marburg, Technical University of Middle Hesse (THM)
    Participation 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
    Participation: University of Marburg, Justus Liebig University Giessen, University of Kassel, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt am Main
    Participation 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
    Participation 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
    Participation University of Marburg: Prof. (i. R.) Renate Renkawitz-Pohl, Prof. Dr. Harald Renz
    Funded: 2011-2014
    Additional information: LOEWE-final report (pdf)

    Preventive Biomechanics (PreBionics)

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

  • LOEWE-professorships

    back to top
    All LOEWE-professorships at the University of Marburg are still ongoing.

  • Exploration

    back to top

    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: Oct. 2021 - Sept. 2023

    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: Oct. 2021 - Sept. 2023