New Excellence Cluster for the Leibniz Universitat Hannover
 

With QUEST scientists are investigating the secrets of gravitation and quantum physics

The decision has been made. Today, October 19th, 2007 the approval committee announced its decision: The Leibniz Universität Hannover is getting a new excellence cluster. For the next five years initially, the funding of the QUEST research project is guaranteed at a high level: on average, excellence clusters are funded to the extent of 6.5 million euros per year.
University President Prof. Erich Barke has every reason to be pleased: “This is a very special moment for the university. The great involvement of all those concerned has been worthwhile, the decision in favour of Hannover is more than justified. “ “That is absolutely fantastic!” is how Prof. Klaus Hulek, Vice-President for Research at the Leibniz Universität Hannover expresses his joy: “it shows that the Leibniz Universität is a place where top-class research is carried out. We shall also continue along our path in future by providing special funding for research centres with an interdisciplinary outlook.”
It is already the second excellence cluster being worked on at the Leibniz Universität Hannover: during the first round of approval of the excellence initiative the Hannover Medical School and the Leibniz Universität jointly received funding for REBIRTH. This cluster has the subject of regenerative medical technology.

The new cluster

The project name QUEST is the abbreviation for Quantum Engineering and Space-Time Research. QUEST combines quantum physics and time research - two hypotheses in physics which so far have been in conflict with each other. The methods of quantum physics are to be linked with questions from the theory of relativity and thus find their application, for example, in improving measurement of the climate and the earth. One goal of QUEST is to make even more precise those measurements which are already possible today with great precision. On the one hand, exact measurement methods are necessary in order to re-examine natural laws, and, on the other hand, to optimise the usual procedures, for example in observing the earth from the surface or from space.

The scientific facilities participating in QUEST are:

• Leibniz Universität Hannover


• Max-Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert-Einstein Institute/AEI), Hannover


• Hannover Laser Centre (LZH.), Hannover


• Gravitational Detector GE0600, Ruthe


• Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig


• Centre for Space Travel and Microgravitation (ZARM), Bremen

Prof. Wolfgang Ertmer
ertmer@iqo.uni-hannover.de
Institute of Quantum Optics

Prof. Karsten Danzmann
karsten.danzmann@aei.mpg.de
Institute of Gravitation Physics and Albert-Einstein-Institute, Max-Planck-Institute of Gravitation Physics

The second application

The project not funded in this round has the title PRO³GRESSION. Its goal is the achievement of an optimum in production costs, delivery time, quality and ecology in industrial production, for example in the making of vehicle components. Thus no unified product is to be constructed, but an adaptation of the production of different models is to be possible at all times, both quickly and without complications. All the working steps of the production of components takes place in the closed system, so that the appropriate production technology can react intelligently. The experts call this type of production “Diligent Production”. Institutes from the Faculties of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and of Economics are participating in this.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
denkena@ifw.uni-hannover.de
Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools

The excellence initiative

The German federal and state governments want to support research and innovation in Germany with the excellence initiative for universities. Until the year 2011 projects in the excellence initiative will be funded to the total of 1.9 billion euros , 75% of which is provided by the Federal government and 25% by the Federal states. A total of 40 graduate schools are each to be funded to the tune of one million euros each year for the training of up-and-coming young scientists. For networks of scientific top-class research, so-called excellence clusters, 195 million euros are available per year. Universities which have at least one scientific excellence cluster of international renown, a graduate school as well as a well thought out overall strategy for a “lighthouse of science” recognised all over the world, can also apply with “concepts for the future for top-class University research”. 210 million euros are available each year for this line of support.

More information can be found at: www.uni-hannover.de/en/forschung

Meldung vom 19.10.2007