FOF Field of Focus
In the first and second funding phases of the Excellence Initiative, four major research fields, the “Fields of Focus,” have emerged, on which research collaboration is concentrated across institutional and disciplinary boundaries. These four interactive fields will be further developed in the Excellence Strategy as the core of Heidelberg's research strategy.
The Fields of Focus allow a large part of the university's research and teaching to be brought together on a topic-related basis and to be specifically promoted.
The research network in Field of Focus 1 builds on the Heidelberg Molecular Life Sciences (HMLS) funding priority. It ensures a free flow of scientific information across institutional boundaries.
Research at the Faculty of Biosciences focuses on questions concerning the development of organs and organisms, the identification of stem cells in plants and animals, biochemical and transport processes in the cell, and the assembly and degradation of proteins. The analysis includes morphological, molecular, quantitative and structural biological methodology at the highest technical level. The medical faculties in Heidelberg and Mannheim are primarily involved in infection research on diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis and malaria, cardiovascular issues, cancer research, transplantation and immunotherapy, as well as medical technology and neuroscience.
