Focusing on Grand Challenges

The Berlin University Alliance aims to overcome institutional and disciplinary boundaries to address major societal challenges – Grand Challenges. The Alliance develops sustainable solutions through the interaction of various actors in the Berlin ecosystem.

By initiating projects and networks within the framework of Grand Challenge initiatives, the Berlin University Alliance drives the development of an agenda for collaborative research and the scientific design of the integrated Berlin research area forward. Expert teams of science and society developed many of the research topics in a participatory manner.The topics of the Grand Challenges were developed based on the research strengths of the Excellence Alliance.

Two funding lines support the establishment of Grand Challenge initiatives in the integrated Berlin research area: "Exploration Projects" for developing novel topics, projects, and networks, as well as "Einstein Research Units" for large-scale cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary research projects. To date, 87 projects have been funded on five Grand Challenges:

Social Cohesion
Global Health
Responsible Innovation in Times of Transformation
Climate and Water under Change
Quantum Technologies

Join the Grand Challenges Conference 2026!

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Berlin Science Week x Berlin University Alliance

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Global Health

In BUA's second Grand Challenge Initiative, scientists conduct research in a network around the topic of global health beyond disciplinary boundaries.The focus is on research and application areas that provide scientific knowledge on resilient and equitable health systems and the social determinants of health. Scientists from the Alliance pool their knowledge together with partners as well as international colleagues.

Image Credit: Saulo Meza (Unsplash)

Responsible Innovation in Times of Transformation

Innovative processes and practices, both on a technical and social level, can help to create solutions to the major challenges of our time. How can we create innovations that are sustainable? How can necessary transformation processes be accepted by society? Researchers from the Excellence Network work together with civil society to develop visions, concepts and solutions for the responsible design of innovations.

Image Credit: Lukas Tennie (Unsplash)

Climate and Water under Change

What can the Berlin-Brandenburg region teach us about the effects of climate change on water supply? How can we adapt to shifting water resources? The Excellence Alliance brings together expertise from the social and natural sciences, along with practical knowledge from regional stakeholders, to study the water-related risks of climate change in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Image Credit: Vladimir Visotsky (Unsplash)

Quantum Technologies

How can quantum computers solve problems that even today’s most powerful supercomputers cannot? And how can quantum technologies help us tackle complex societal challenges? The Excellence Alliance promotes the sustainable development of quantum technology expertise and fosters interdisciplinary research into the potential of the quantum-digital transformation.

Image Credit: Lars Ploughman (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Shaping Research Agendas Together

When civil society is involved in research, it becomes more relevant and impactful. To identify the theme for one of its Grand Challenges, the Excellence Alliance launched an extensive participatory process. Through dialogue between researchers, students, and members of the public — including young people — the topic for a new Grand Challenge Initiative was developed.

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Steering Committee

Prof. Dr. Petra Knaus, Freie Universität Berlin

Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Prof. Dr. Stephan Völker, Technische Universität Berlin

Prof. Dr. Joachim Spranger, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Contact

Dr. Jeanette Schlief, Acting Head of the Grand Challenges Office
Email: jeanette.schlief@berlin-university-alliance.de

Nehle Frerick, Program Manager Global Health
Email: nehle.frerick@berlin-university-alliance.de

Dr. Sunčica Klaas, Program Manager Grand Challenge Initiatives
Email: suncica.klaas@berlin-university-alliance.de

Dr. Claudia Wiedner, Program Manager Grand Challenge Initiatives
Email: claudia.wiedner@berlin-university-alliance.de

Beatrice Ihoual, Project Assistant Grand Challenges und Sharing Resources
Email:beatrice.ihoual@berlin-university-alliance.de