CZS Center – Carl Zeiss Foundation

The Carl Zeiss Foundation supports cross-location, interdisciplinary collaborations between at least two scientific institutions, including at least one university, in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Thuringia through its CZS Center Program. The objective is the sustainable development of innovative research focal points in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Resource Efficiency, and Life Science Technologies. By pooling complementary expertise and targeted networking activities, synergies arise that enhance both the international visibility and the long-term profile development of the participating institutions. Funding is provided as a grant and can cover, among other things, scientific and technical staff, independent junior research groups, endowed professorships, major equipment (up to 10% of the funding amount), as well as public relations measures, teaching, and cooperation between industry and academia.

Eligible to apply are universities and colleges in the three funding states; up to 20% of the funding can be forwarded to other non-university or foreign research institutions. Applications can be submitted at any time after consultation with the Foundation’s office. Selection is made through a written peer-review process based on excellence criteria. The program pursues the overarching goal of initiating structurally formative research projects that remain relevant beyond the funding period. Networking activities, measures for teacher training, and funding formats for knowledge transfer between science, industry, and society lay the foundation for sustainable innovation potential in the research landscape of the CZS funding regions.