Research
Sustainability in Research
As early as 1976, the university was one of the first German universities to establish a comprehensive central research development fund. The aims were – and still are – profile building, the promotion of early-career researchers, and the strengthening of external funding acquisition. In a competitive procedure similar to that of the German Research Foundation (DFG), positions and funds are allocated via various funding schemes.
Measures that have been launched as Excellence Initiative projects to implement the institutional strategy have been evaluated and, if possible, structurally continued on this basis. The support center for early-career researchers at the University of Bremen, BYRD, and under its umbrella the PhD Center at the University of Bremen (ProUB) offer all doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and experienced researchers at the University of Bremen extensive opportunities for further qualification, consulting, and networking, and provide advice on all key topics of personnel development in research.
Numerous application-oriented projects emerge from the University of Bremen’s research institutes and centers, such as the artec Sustainability Research Center and the Bremen Research Center for Energy Systems (BEST). Also, work in real laboratories is becoming increasingly important in climate and environmental research, among them “Campus Goes Biodiverse” and “Campus Energy Lab.” They serve as model projects for the successful integration of research, teaching, and campus development.
Furthermore, researchers from the University of Bremen are actively engaged in renowned interdisciplinary alliances – not only regionally, for instance in the U Bremen Research Alliance, but also at nationally and internationally. The University of Bremen was the only German university to participate in the founding of the International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA).
Our dedication to sustainability, climate justice, and net zero emissions also plays a major role in our research funding. We have established sustainability-oriented funding formats within the university and implement these in cooperation with the university foundation.
![A man waters a raised bed in an urban garden.](/fileadmin/user_upload/sites/nachem/05_artec_Michael_Flitner.jpg)
The artec Sustainability Research Center
The artec Sustainability Research Center is an interdisciplinary center at the University of Bremen for scientific research on sustainability issues and socio-ecological transformation. At the core of this university institution is an alliance of researchers from different faculties, currently including the Social Sciences, Production Engineering, Cultural Studies, Pedagogy and Educational Sciences, as well as Human and Health Sciences.
![Two researchers are standing opposite each other. One is holding up a test tube containing a yellowish liquid, which they are both looking at](/fileadmin/_processed_/a/3/csm_20230913_UniBremen_Pollmeier_01803-1-_002__71b78f4d20.jpg)
Center for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology (UFT)
The Center for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology (UFT) is an interdisciplinary incubator for sustainable technologies and processes. Researchers across ten working groups work on issues relating to an integrated approach of energy flows and material cycles for environmentally friendly technologies and products The UFT expertise ranges from biology, physics, and chemistry to materials science, process engineering, and ecology.
![Two female researchers kneel on a patch of ice in the Arctic and operate technical equipment.](/fileadmin/_processed_/8/e/csm_Nachhaltigkeit-SFB-Arctic5zu2_47c8a331e0.jpg)
Transregio SFB Arctic Amplification (AC)3
Since 2016, the Transregio SFB Arctic Amplification (AC)3 Transregio SFB Arctic Amplification (AC)3 Collaborative Research Center together with Leipzig University and other partners has been researching the effects of global warming in relation to processes in the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. These effects are particularly noticeable in the Arctic. In a further funding phase until 2027, the researchers plan to investigate atmospheric interactions with the ocean and global aspects of these interdependencies.
![Marko Rohlfs und Lorena Kalvelage hocken auf einer Wiese und schauen sich die Pflanzen am Boden an. Im Vordergrund steht ein Schild, das über das Biodiversitätsprojekt auf dem Campus informiert.](/fileadmin/_processed_/8/7/csm_Wilde_Wiese_b8628ea310.jpg)
Bremen Goes Sustainable
The BreGoS project is a collaboration including all Bremen public universities (University of Bremen, Bremen City University of Applied Sciences, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, and the University of the Arts). Combining the wide range of expertise and perspectives that the many members of multiple universities have to offer, the project aims to develop possible courses for action in the research areas of biodiversity, climate protection, mobility, and conservation of resources, and to put these into practice to make a measurable contribution locally and in the community.
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Bremen Research Centre for Energy Systems
The Bremen Research Center for Energy Systems (BEST) is an association of professors from various disciplines at the University of Bremen in the broad field of energy systems. The goal is to create a scientific focus under the motto “Energy for Economy and Society” through intensive collaborations with industry, universities, and research institutions in the city of Bremen, Bremen State, and the wider region.
![[Translate to English:] Logo des Onlinemagazins up2date](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/6/csm_up2date_Logo_a075620229.jpg)
Are you interested to read more on the issue of sustainability and how it is reflected in the University of Bremen’s research? Our university up2date. online magazine regularly features articles presenting the exciting activities of our researchers. Take a look and see for yourself! Go to up2date and simply set the filter to “Sustainability” at the top.