The German Research Foundation (DFG) is establishing nine new Collaborative Research Centers (CRC), which will receive around €120 million in funding for an initial period of just under four years starting in April 2026. These include one SFB/Transregio, which is jointly supported by several universities. In addition, the DFG is extending 32 existing CRCs, including 15 TRRs, for a further funding period. This means that, from April 2026, it will be funding a total of 257 research networks. Collaborative research centers enable long-term work on challenging research projects in a network and can run for up to twelve years. Six new transfer projects have also been approved for two existing CRCs. 

The following selected topics are among those that are particularly relevant to the Materials Science and Engineering area: 

Focus On Fungus-Based Building Materials 
The new CRC “MY-CO BUILD: Biotechnological production, characterization, and sustainability assessment of fungus-based building materials” is researching how biologically produced and completely degradable fungus-based materials can be developed for use in construction and design. To this end, the network is investigating the biological, mechanical, and functional properties of this new class of materials and linking them to the genetic potential of various fungal organisms.  

(TU Berlin, contact: Professor Dr.-Ing. Vera Meyer) 

Boron as the Key to New Materials
The CRC“Boron as a property-determining element” focuses on molecular boron chemistry. The aim of the network is to develop boron into a versatile platform for applications in fine chemicals, active ingredients, and functional materials. To this end, the team is researching new boron-centered synthesis and catalysis strategies as well as innovative classes of compounds. At the same time, boron-based functional materials are being developed for battery technology, sensor technology, and optoelectronic components. Medical applications, such as fluorescence markers or potential cancer therapeutics, are also to be advanced.  

(University of Würzburg, contact: Professor Dr. Maik Finze) 

The Collaborative Research Centers Extended for a Further Funding Period:

• TRR “Ultrafast Spintronics” 

The research investigates how electron spins can be controlled in femtoseconds. It combines experimental and theoretical approaches to understand these fast processes in novel magnetic materials and to lay the foundations for future terahertz spin technologies. 

(FU Berlin; contact: Professor Martin Weinelt; also applying: University of Halle)

• CRC “Transient Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas – From Plasma to Liquids to Solids” 

The research analyzes how non-equilibrium-based atmospheric pressure plasmas can be precisely controlled in terms of time and space in order to achieve controlled molecular transformations at gas, liquid, and solid interfaces. It combines plasma-induced reaction pathways with catalytic, electrochemical, and biocatalytic processes. The central goal is to develop flexible, energy- and mass-efficient conversion methods that could serve as building blocks for the use of renewable energies in decentralized scenarios. 

(University of Bochum; contact: Professor Achim von Keudell) 

• TRR “Safety-integrated and infection-reactive implants” 

The research develops new safety strategies for medical implants by transferring safety-related concepts from engineering to medicine. The interdisciplinary network investigates how implants can be made infection-reactive and more reliable in order to significantly increase their long-term safety. 

(MHH Hannover, contact: Professor Dr. Meike Stiesch; also applying: University of Hannover) 

• CRC “Emergent relativistic effects in condensed matter: From fundamental aspects to electronic functionality” 

The research investigates electronic systems in which Dirac-like band structures and strong spin-orbit coupling generate relativistic effects. Electronic, magnetic, optical, and transport-related properties in molecules, nanostructures, two-dimensional crystals, topological insulators, and superconductors are analyzed. The aim is to evaluate the potential of these phenomena for future electronic concepts, including novel time- and frequency-dependent effects. 

(University of Regensburg, contact: Professor Dr. Jaroslav Fabian) 

• CRC “Electrically Active Implants – ELAINE” 

The research focuses on the development of innovative implants with electrical functionality. The focus is on systems to support bone and cartilage regeneration as well as implantable technologies for deep brain stimulation, which are used for neurologically induced movement disorders. 

(University of Rostock, contact from 01 January 2026: Professor Dr. Sascha Spors) 

• CRC “Interface-influenced multi-field processes in porous media – flow, transport, and deformation” 

The project investigates how interface processes influence flow, mass transport, and mechanical deformation in porous media. The focus is on the influences of pore geometry, heterogeneity, and crack structures on the dynamics of fluid-fluid and fluid-solid interfaces. The aim is to experimentally and numerically capture these mechanisms on small scales and use them to develop more precise models for complex porous systems. 

(University of Stuttgart, contact: Professor Holger Steeb)

• TRR “From the fundamentals of biofabrication to functional tissue models” 

The project investigates automated 3D printing processes for the production of living cell-material constructs that can mature into functional human tissue models. In the second funding phase, the focus is on understanding the behavior of the printed cells, their long-term supply, and the systematic construction of resilient tissue models. The work combines material development, optimized printing processes, and model construction to create the basis for high-performance next-generation tissue models. 

(University of Würzburg, contact: Professor Dr. Jürgen Groll; also applying: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, University of Bayreuth)

Transfer Projects for Collaborative Research Centers Already Receiving Funding:
The DFG has approved six new transfer projects for two existing collaborative research centers, with total funding of around €5 million. Partners from a wide range of industries, including automotive, mechanical engineering, and testing technology, are involved and are supporting the research with their own resources. The results will flow directly back into the SFBs and specifically expand their basic research.

Transfer Projects on Component Precision
In the CRC “Component Precision through Control of Melting and Solidification in Production Processes,” which has been funded since 2014, the new transfer projects are working on specific industrial applications. These include methods for avoiding stress-induced cracks in laser beam micro-welding, AI-supported path planning for laser welding processes, and the integration of neural networks in casting simulations. The contact university is RWTH Aachen University. 

Transfer of Mechanical Joining Processes
In the CRC/Transregio “Method Development for Mechanical Joining in Adaptable Process Chains,” which has been funded since 2019, the new transfer projects aim to translate research results into industrial applications. The focus is on more precise friction modeling of mechanical joining and forming processes under real manufacturing conditions, as well as methods for increasing strength when joining fiber-reinforced plastics. The contact university is the University of Paderborn, together with the Technical University of Dresden and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Further information can be found on the website of the DFG.