By focusing on key research priorities, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) fulfills one of the essential requirements for international competitiveness – and does so with great success. Our particle physicists in the PRISMA++ Cluster of Excellence are world leaders in their field. JGU also plays a pioneering role in other disciplines, including the materials sciences, quantum and atomic physics, sustainable chemistry and polymer chemistry, the life sciences and translational medicine.

In shaping the university’s strategic research profile, the JGU Executive University Board is advised by the Gutenberg Research College (GRC), whose executive committee comprises leading researchers from JGU and external academic partners.

Within Germany’s Excellence Strategy program, JGU is applying for funding under the Universities of Excellence funding line as part of the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU). In November 2025, JGU, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Technical University of Darmstadt submitted a joint proposal entitled “RMU-EXCITE – Excellent. Collaborative. Transformative.”

The strong performance of the three universities in the Clusters of Excellence funding line made this application possible: In May 2025, five RMU projects were approved for funding starting in 2026.