In a triumphant showcase of scientific innovation and collaboration, the University of Oldenburg in Germany has secured funding for all three of its submitted proposals in the highly competitive Excellence Strategy program initiated by the German federal and state governments. These projects, distinguished as Clusters of Excellence, represent leading-edge research across the fields of hearing science, animal navigation, and marine ecosystems. Over the next seven years, these funded clusters will advance knowledge in arenas critical to both fundamental science and societal needs, cementing Oldenburg’s position as a powerhouse of interdisciplinary research.
The hearing research cluster, known as Hearing4all or H4a, builds on a remarkable legacy that spans over a decade. Already heralded for groundbreaking advances in understanding and mitigating hearing loss, this cluster now embarks on an ambitious new phase under the thematic banner of Hearing4all.connects. The initiative integrates a consortium comprising the University of Oldenburg, Hannover Medical School, and Leibniz University Hannover, uniting expertise in genetics, neuroscience, engineering, and artificial intelligence. A central technical thrust involves harnessing AI to enhance auditory prosthetics such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, enabling these devices to discern meaningful signals from background noise with unprecedented accuracy.
Pioneering efforts to establish shared, standardized data formats underpin the cluster’s innovative framework. This will facilitate the training and deployment of machine learning models capable of predicting individual risks and trajectories of hearing loss. The long-term vision is to evolve hearing aids into holistic hearing health platforms that continuously monitor auditory function and related health metrics through embedded sensors. Research also extends beyond clinical environments, embracing multilingual challenges and social dynamics, thus capturing the complexity of hearing in real-world contexts. This ecosystem approach underscores the cluster’s commitment to rapid translational impact.
Parallel to these developments, the newly funded NaviSense cluster explores the extraordinary sensory and navigational capabilities of animals as they traverse vast distances. Delving into the enigmatic mechanisms underlying magnetoreception—the ability of creatures like migratory birds to sense the Earth’s magnetic field—this research intersects physics, biology, and quantum science. Intriguingly, this avian magnetic sense appears to exploit quantum coherence phenomena that operate robustly at ambient temperatures, a paradigm starkly different from the cryogenic conditions often required in modern quantum technologies.
NaviSense seeks not only to elucidate the fundamental quantum and neurobiological basis of magnetoreception but also to translate these insights into practical applications. This includes pioneering navigation systems for autonomous robots inspired by nature’s most remarkable long-distance travelers. Furthermore, the cluster’s integrative conservation biology efforts address urgent ecological challenges posed by climate change and habitat fragmentation. By informing rewilding initiatives with rigorous science, NaviSense aims to bolster the resilience of endangered migratory species, thereby preserving essential ecological processes that sustain global biodiversity.
Complementing these efforts is the Ocean Floor Cluster of Excellence, a collaborative venture between the Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen. This initiative focuses on the ocean floor’s pivotal role as a dynamic interface within Earth’s biogeochemical cycles and its response to anthropogenic climate perturbations. The ocean floor’s complexity demands an interdisciplinary approach that spans marine geology, microbiology, chemistry, and environmental modeling. Researchers investigate processes governing the deposition and transformation of biogenic particles, carbon fluxes, and the adaptability of benthic ecosystems under shifting oceanographic conditions.
The Cluster’s research encompasses advanced geochemical analyses, sediment biogeochemistry, and the application of cutting-edge data science techniques to decipher patterns in vast datasets representing ocean-floor processes. The University of Oldenburg’s strength in biodiversity assessment and Earth system modeling complements Bremen’s expertise in geological and paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Together, the team aims to enhance predictive understanding of oceanic carbon sequestration and its feedbacks to global climate dynamics, providing essential knowledge for sustainable management of marine resources.
Collectively, these clusters embody the spirit of modern science: deeply interdisciplinary, technologically innovative, and socially relevant. They demonstrate the strategic foresight of the University of Oldenburg and its partners not only in advancing fundamental knowledge but also in fostering applications that resonate with societal priorities such as health, environmental stewardship, and technological innovation. The international peer review’s resounding endorsement of these proposals validates years of meticulous strategic hiring, team-building, and infrastructure development.
Looking beyond individual projects, these Clusters of Excellence catalyze the University of Oldenburg’s aspiration to attain University of Excellence status by 2027. This ambition is bolstered by a formalized partnership with the University of Bremen, which recently co-founded the Northwest Alliance, a regional research and transfer hub designed to synergize scientific excellence and innovation in northern Germany. This alliance aims to amplify the national and international visibility and impact of both institutions, leveraging complementary strengths and reinforcing collaborative networks.
The Hearing4all spokesperson, Prof. Dr. Christiane Thiel, emphasizes the evolutionary nature of the cluster’s research, celebrating thirteen years of continuous progress and the convergence of genomics and AI in achieving near-natural hearing restoration. By addressing hearing from the ears all the way to brain processing and societal integration, the cluster exemplifies a holistic health research model. Similarly, NaviSense’s Prof. Dr. Henrik Mouritsen highlights the transformative potential of merging biological insights with quantum physics and robotics, rooted in the unique interdisciplinary culture cultivated at Oldenburg.
Ocean Floor Cluster spokesperson Prof. Dr. Helmut Hillebrand further underscores the critical role of ocean-floor processes in global climate regulation. The cluster’s interdisciplinary ethos unites over 160 scientists across marine and earth sciences, underscoring the scale and ambition of the endeavor. This collaborative vigor is essential to conquer the scientific and technological challenges of understanding Earth’s largest and least explored ecosystem.
As these clusters embark on the next funding period, the convergence of biology, physics, engineering, and environmental science promises not only breakthroughs in knowledge but also practical innovations with the power to enhance human health, preserve biodiversity, and manage planetary systems sustainably. The University of Oldenburg and its partners stand poised to lead in shaping the future of excellence-driven research in Germany and beyond.
Subject of Research: Interdisciplinary Clusters of Excellence in Hearing Research, Animal Navigation, and Marine Sciences
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Image Credits: Universität Oldenburg / Heiko Schmaljohann / MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen
Keywords: Hearing4all, NaviSense, Ocean Floor, Clusters of Excellence, University of Oldenburg, German Excellence Strategy, auditory research, animal navigation, magnetoreception, quantum biology, marine biogeochemistry, interdisciplinary research
