Large-scale research projects

In the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1461, researchers from eight institutions are investigating how findings on biological information pathways in nervous systems can be transferred to technical information processing. Research into the underlying mechanisms could help improve pattern and speech recognition or the energy efficiency of technical information systems. The interdisciplinary research requires close cooperation between the fields of neuroscience, biology, psychology, physics, electrical engineering, materials science, network science and non-linear dynamics.

In addition to Kiel University being a coordinating university, the following partner institutions are involved: Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Ilmenau University of Technology (TUIL), Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics Frankfurt/Oder (IHP), Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Kiel (IPN), Hamburg-Eppendorf University Hospital (UKE), Lübeck University of Technology (THL) and University College Cork (UCC), Ireland, as international partner.

• Speaker: Prof. Dr Hermann Kohlstedt (Kiel University)
• Deputy speaker: Prof. Dr Rainer Adelung (Kiel University), Prof. Dr Martin Ziegler (TUIL)

To the website of the SFB 1461

Since 2016, SFB 1261 scientists have been researching magnetic field-based, highly sensitive sensors to improve detection of diseases of the heart and brain. As a supplement or alternative to conventional electrical measurement methods such as electrocardiography (ECG) or electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic measurements could allow significantly better spatial resolution, facilitate long-term examinations and thus, in perspective, lead to autonomously reacting implant systems, among others. This is based on the fact that the electric currents in the heart and the brain also generate magnetic fields, which are not affected by human body tissue and, unlike ECGs or EEGs, can be measured without direct skin contact. However, magnetic fields are extremely weak and are easily disturbed by external signals, which is a demanding challenge for the magnetic field sensors and the processing of signals. To this end, researchers from materials science, electrical engineering and medicine are working closely together in SFB 1261.

• Speaker: Prof. Dr -Ing. Gerhard Schmidt, Kiel University, Institute of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

To the website of the SFB 1261

Patients with chronic brain diseases are mostly treated with high-dose drugs. However, this is often associated with side effects affecting the entire body. The members of the Research Training Group (GRK) 2154 'Materials for Brain: thin-film functional materials for the minimally invasive therapy of brain diseases' at Kiel University. Scientists from the fields of materials science and medicine are working together here to develop novel materials for neuroimplants, for example to release active substances directly in the brain in the case epilepsy or tumours, or to treat aneurysms more effectively. The aim is to improve the therapy of these diseases with fewer side effects for the rest of the body. Since 2017, the interdisciplinary research and graduate training in the GRK has been funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). In addition to interdisciplinarity - the graduates are each supervised by a member of the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine - internationality is the second important pillar of the programme in the form of a stay abroad and the organisation of an international symposium.

• Speaker: Prof. Dr Rainer Adelung (Institute of Materials Science, Kiel University)

To the GRK 2154 website

Catalysis is a key technology in chemistry: Almost all everyday objects are exposed to at least one catalyst to make their manufacture cheaper, more environmentally friendly or even possible in the first place. The goal of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 247 'Heterogeneous Oxidation Catalysis in the Liquid Phase' is to better understand the processes that take place at the level of the atoms and, ultimately, to make them more sustainable and efficient.

Participating institutions:

• Ruhr University Bochum (host university)
• University of Duisburg-Essen (host university)
• Kiel University
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim/Ruhr
• Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, Mülheim/Ruhr
• Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin

Speakers:

• Speaker: Prof. Dr Kristina Tschulik (Ruhr University Bochum) until 6/2022: Prof. Dr Malte Behrens (University of Duisburg-Essen/ from 2020: Kiel University)
• Co-speaker: Prof. Dr Stephan Schulz (University of Duisburg-Essen)

To the website of the SFB/TRR 247

• Research Group FOR 2093 'Memristive Devices for Neural Systems' | Speaker: Prof. Dr Hermann Kohlstedt (2014-2020)
• Collaborative Research Centre 677 'Function by Switching' | Speaker: Prof. Dr Rainer Herges (2007-2019) To the website
• Transregio 24 'Fundamentals of Complex Plasmas' | With participation (2005-2017) To the website

• SPP 1153:  Cluster in Kontakt mit Oberflächen: Elektronenstruktur und Magnetismus (2003-2009)  
• Nanodrähte und Nanoröhren: von kontrollierter Synthese zur Funktion (2004-2010)
• SPP 1202:  Ultrabreitband-Funktechniken für Kommunikation, Lokalisierung und Sensorik (UKoLoS) (2006-2012)
• SPP 1239:  Änderung von Mikrostruktur und Form fester Werkstoffe durch äußere Magnetfelder (2006-2013)
• SPP 1299:  Adaptive Oberflächen für Hochtemperatur-Anwendungen (2007-2016)
• SPP 1307: Algorithm engineering (2007-2013)
• SPP 1362: Poröse metallorganische Gerüstverbindungen (2008-2014)
• SPP 1386: Nanostrukturierte Thermoelektrika: Theorie, Modellsysteme und kontrollierte Synthese (2009-2019)
• SPP 1391: Ultrafast nanooptics (2009-2017)
• SPP 1420:  Biomimetic materials research: functionality by hierarchical structuring of materials (2009-2016)
• SPP 1423: Prozess-Spray: Herstellen funktionaler Feststoffpartikel in Sprühverfahren - Von den Anforderungen an das Pulver und an seine Eigenschaften zum geeigneten Prozess (2009-2016)
• SPP 1486: Partikel im Kontakt - Mikromechanik, Mikroprozessdynamik und Partikelkollektive (2010-2019)
• SPP 1599: Caloric effects in ferroic materials: New concepts for cooling (2012-2019)
• SPP 1613:  Regenerativ erzeugte Brennstoffe durch lichtgetriebene Wasserspaltung: Aufklärung der Elementarprozesse und Umsetzungsperspektiven auf technologische Konzepte (2012-2020)

Collaborative projects:

• GrapheneCore2: Graphene Flagship Core Project 2 | Prof. Rainer Adelung (2018-2020)
• PEGASUS: Plasma Enabled and Graphene Allowed Synthesis of Unique nano Structures | Dr. Thomas Strunskus (2017-2021)
• GRAPHENE FPA: Graphene-based revolutions in ICT and beyond | Prof. Rainer Adelung (2015-2020)
• COSMICS: Concepts and tools in molecular spintronics | Prof. Richard Berndt (2017-2022)
   

ERC Starting Grants:

• CellInspired: Mechanotransduction mediating cell adhesion - towards cell-inspired adaptive materials          | Prof. Christine Selhuber-Unkel (2013-2018)
• HEART: The Highly Efficient And Reliable smart Transformer (HEART), a new Heart for the Electric Distribution System | Prof. Marco Liserre              (2014-2019)
• PhotoSmart: Photo-switching of smart surfaces for integrated biosensors | Prof. Martina Gerken (2013-2018)

ERC Proof of Concept Grants:

• BEAMOLED: Beam-forming OLED with Nanostructured Fluorescence Layer | Prof. Martina Gerken (2020-2021)
• STRAINSTIFF: Strain-stiffening polymer structures for orthotics | Prof. Christine Selhuber-Unkel (2019-2020)
• U-HEART: Unbreakable HEART: a reconfigurable and self-healing isolated dc/dc converter  | Prof. Marco Liserre (2018-2020)
• VASCUGRAFT: Strain-stiffening vascular graft with outstanding compliance | Prof. Christine Selhuber-Unkel  (2020-2021)
   

Interreg A/B-Projekte:

• ROLLFLEX : Ein Innovations-Projektzentrum für Rolle-zu Rolle prozessierte flexible Devices | Prof. Martina Gerken (2016-2019)

• PorSSi: Entwicklung und Charakterisierung von großflächigen, porösen Si-Film-Anoden für Lithium-Schwefel-Silizium-Energiespeichern | Dr. Sandra Hansen (2017 – 2020)