What is LEXI?

Hamburg Initiative for Excellence in Research

In January 2009, the city-state of Hamburg provided funding for university research groups within the city to promote and strengthen cooperation with other universities and non-academic institutions. The main goal of the initiative is to strengthen Hamburg's excellence in research with local graduate schools and collaborations between research institutions in order to prepare for federal grant applications. The city-state of Hamburg has provided a total of 15 million Euros to be used over 2 years for the Initiative. Funded by the Hamburg Research and Science Foundation, another 20 million Euros will be provided for an additional 2 years. Furthermore, the Initiative was able to garner the Hamburg-based nonprofit foundation Joachim Herz Stiftung as a partner. The Joachim Herz Stiftung funds education, science and research in several areas, including the natural sciences. By providing support for the Hamburg Initiative for Excellence in Research, the Joachim Herz Stiftung aims at improving the research reputation of Hamburg.

Selection Process

The selection process for the Initiative was a 2 phase, scientifically based process modeled on common scientific standards as followed, for example, by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and endowments.
During the first phase, all applications were peer reviewed in writing by independent researchers – both national and international – who were experts in the given field. More than 50% of the reviewers came from outside of Germany.
During the second phase, a jury composed predominantly of scientists and chaired by the Hamburg state Senator for Science and Research selected the winners based on the written evaluations of the expert reviewers. In addition to the scientific quality of the projects and the researchers, the jury also considered the likelihood of the project receiving a federal excellence in research grant.

What is a Hamburg Cluster of Excellence?

A Hamburg Cluster of Excellence is a regional research collaborative that brings existing expertise in a particular research area together so as to promote international awareness and increase the competitiveness of research and education institutions. In each project, all laboratories and researchers from both inside and outside the university work together on a current and complex research question. This requires interdisciplinary cooperation between experts in various fields as well as the involvement of industry. The excellence projects are an important aspect of strategic planning within the universities and help set priorities and promote prestige.

What is a state graduate school?

A graduate school serves to promote young scientists and is a structured, time-limited study and research program for doctoral students. Within the graduate school, both doctoral candidates and post-docs study, work and research together on a central theme within a larger research area. Modern graduate schools are always interdisciplinary and include, for example, doctoral supervision by several experienced researchers, common scientific events and an intense scientific exchange with other scientists in the same area. Graduate schools are often inherent parts of research initiatives.