Third-party Funding: TU Chemnitz Nationwide Among the Top Ten

The university was able to procure more than 74 million euros in 2014 – The TU Chemnitz is in 7th place nationwide based on proceeds per professor

The Technische Universität Chemnitz is among the top ten strongest research universities in Germany. Regarding the procurement of third-party funding for their research projects, TU scientists and researchers were especially successful and saw to it that the TU Chemnitz achieved 7th place in a national comparison. This is according to the current review issued by the Federal Statistical Office which lists the achievements of German universities (excluding medical institutions and health sciences) from the year 2014.

According to this report, the TU Chemnitz registered a total of approximately 74.5 million euros in third-party funding. Per professor, the university raised more than €482,400. In comparison: the national average is just €256,000. “The competition for additional research funding is increasing from year to year. This means it is all the more gratifying that the TU Chemnitz was able to achieve such excellent results,” says Rector Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier. Most of the third-party funding received in Chemnitz in 2014 came from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and from the federal government. Around 11 percent came from the economic sector. In total, 1,316 projects were financed using third-party funding.

Of particular significance is the fact that the TU Chemnitz has joined the ranks of the foremost technical universities in Germany which are successful in the Excellence Initiative. The Federal Cluster of Excellence “Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures” (MERGE) is the only Cluster Germany-wide specializing in the future-oriented field of lightweight structures. Additionally, Chemnitz-based researchers are also active in an Excellence Cluster in Dresden. Various other projects are in focus as well as three collaborative research centers of the DFG.

“I would like to extend my thanks to all those who contributed to achieving these outstanding third-party funding results and congratulate them on this meaningful success for our university,” says Strohmeier. The TU Chemnitz Rector expects these exceptionally favorable results to spark further initiatives in all faculties at the university – especially for the proposal of new collaborative research centers, research groups, post-graduate programs and further noteworthy projects that stand out in the scientific field. Therefore, an “Excellence Strategy and Cutting-edge Research” task force will be formed during the winter semester to provide structural guidance and support for future flagship projects at the TU Chemnitz.

Keyword: Third-party Funding

At higher education institutions, third-party funding designates the portion of research project financing that is not drawn from the budget allocated from the responsible Ministry of Science’s available funds. Third-party funding is procured in competition with other higher education and research institutions.

(Author: Mario Steinebach, Translation: Sarah Wilson)

Mario Steinebach
11.10.2016

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