The Excellence Initiative aimed to promote top-level research and to improve the quality of German universities and research institutions in general, thus making Germany a more attractive research location, making it more internationally competitive and focussing attention on the outstanding achievements of German universities and the German scientific community.

After the Excellence Initiative was passed by the German federal and state governments, the DFG was given responsibility for running the initiative together with the German Council of Science and Humanities.

• General Information

The aims of the Excellence Initiative will be continued under the

• Excellence Strategy

Three funding lines of the Excellence Initiative

• Graduate Schools
• Clusters of Excellence
• Institutional Strategies

Further Information

• Press Release: DFG Welcomes Imboden Report on the Excellence Initiative (29. January 2016)