New research and teaching initiatives, as well as exchange at the administrative level, are eligible for funding. The aim is to build sustainable cooperation and to strengthen the international visibility of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Eligible formats include academic workshops and conferences, working meetings to prepare joint third-party funding proposals, funding for joint publications, or the development of joint virtual teaching formats. Particular emphasis is placed on initiatives that go beyond individual exchange and demonstrate structural potential, ideally including elements with public outreach.
Applications are open to researchers and administrative staff of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in cooperation with a tandem partner at a partner university. Funding of up to 5,000 euros per project can be granted.
Next call
Calls for proposals are published annually in autumn, with an application deadline in mid‑January of the following year. HU employees can view the call for proposals and submit applications on the HU intranet.
Insights
Since 2017, the Oxford–Berlin Research Partnership has been addressing major global challenges from a European perspective. One of these challenges lies in the field of sustainable energy use. To develop next-generation sodium-ion batteries, the groups of Prof. Dr. Robert House (University of Oxford) and Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) are working together on sodium-layered oxides. With support from the HU Flexible Funds, both teams were able to exchange expertise, use state-of-the-art analytical tools, and explore new approaches.
Mangroves are crucial for biodiversity, coastal protection, and carbon sequestration. The cooperation project “Learning with Mangroves” is a collaboration between Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Universidade de São Paulo. Its aim is to advance interdisciplinary research and teaching on mangroves as a habitat for numerous species. In a joint virtual master’s seminar, Prof. Dr. Robert Stock (HU) and Prof. Dr. Fraya Frehse (USP) examine, alongside academic perspectives, the situational knowledge of fishing communities, local artists, and conservation activists. By using audiovisual, literary, and artistic materials, the project highlights the significance of mangroves in addressing global challenges such as urbanization and climate change.
Since 2021, the university libraries of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the University of Zurich have been working together in the Libraries' circle of friends – a close network of academic libraries in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The central aim of this cooperation is the exchange on challenges in change processes, strategic work, and organizational development. Thanks to the intensive working meetings of both institutions supported by the Flexible Funds, a strong partnership has now emerged in which future visions and change processes are discussed collegially. The circle of friends demonstrates how strategic partnerships, through continuous dialogue and practical solutions, can strengthen the innovative capacity of libraries.
Contact
