Exploration Projects aim to establish interdisciplinary research associations in Berlin dedicated to issues of social relevance, coordinating and linking the research undertaken by members of the Berlin University Alliance. By doing so, they contribute to the development of the Grand Challenge Initiatives of the Alliance and strengthen Berlin as a center of research.

At the heart of the funding program are areas of thematic focus which represent new departures from established research and which examine new issues, possibly by adopting innovative methodologies, in interdisciplinary teams. The interdisciplinary makeup of the teams should differ to that of well-established and tried and tested interdisciplinary partnerships. The Alliance explicitly supports high-risk projects. At the same time it should be possible to establish longterm research projects and financing structures through the funded Exploration Project.