Research Profile of Freie Universität Berlin

Ever since Freie Universität Berlin was first founded, the university has stood for an open, international outlook and socially responsible cross-border research and teaching activities. In addition to the university’s significant role within the region and in Germany, Freie Universität is also committed to these aims at the global level.

Research concentrations focusing on topics such as biodiversity, the water and energy supplies of the future, central climate change, and high-performance technologies are a high priority at Freie Universität.

All of the research performed at Freie Universität is marked by several factors: excellence within disciplines and interdisciplinary excellence, a broad variety of academic and scientific networks, and areas of focus that enjoy high international visibility and competitiveness. Providing generous and targeted support for junior scholars and scientists is also one of the central aims of Freie Universität.

Research as Part of Academic and Scientific Networks

The scholars and scientists at Freie Universität Berlin identify and work on socially relevant global issues that will affect our future. With this aim in mind, they work together as part of academic and scientific networks with regional, national, and international partners from academia, the business sector, politics, culture, and society.

One particular area of emphasis in the university’s interdisciplinary research activities is its cooperation with scientific institutions not affiliated with the university (including four Max Planck Institutions) at the Dahlem campus.

Research Performance

The high quality of the research activities at Freie Universität is confirmed by the university’s outstanding placement in various rankings of higher education institutions, such as the CHE University Ranking, the Funding Ranking of the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the QS World University Ranking.

Freie Universität is the coordinating university for 10 Collaborative Research Centers (CRC) and participates in 10 others, in addition to its involvement in six CRCs at Charité – University Medicine Berlin. Until 2014 it was a member of the research network running the DFG Research Center MATHEON Mathematics for Key Technologies, which since June 2014 is being continued as the Einstein Center for Mathematics Berlin.

The university’s excellent research performance is reflected in the amount of external funding raised, which has been rising for years, and in the numerous major research awards and distinctions granted to members of the university faculty and research staff, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize and Advanced Investigator Grants of the European Research Council.