Research campaigns

In order to find holistic answers to the critical questions of our time, we have combined research projects into dedicated thematic programs with guaranteed long-term funding. However, it is crucial we remain agile and flexible so we can also respond quickly to immediate challenges. Our research campaigns therefore build bridges between our scientists at the Helmholtz Association and partners working in industry and academia. Together they strive to bring scientific findings and innovations to application as swiftly as possible.

Our research campaigns complement the research programs of the PoF, enabling us to research highly relevant topics in a timely, cross-program and solution-oriented manner.

We fund each campaign with around 17 million euros from the President's Initiative and Networking Fund for a period of about five years.

Three new research campaigns to start in 2026

Helmholtz Biomedical Engineering Initiative

he aim of the Helmholtz Biomedical Engineering Initiative is to position Germany as a leading location for biomedical technologies, applications, and start-ups, and to accelerate the transfer of new research results into clinical practice and everyday life. To this end, the initiative connects Helmholtz Centers in the field of health research with other Helmholtz Centers and with partners from science, clinical practice, and industry.  The initiative’s projects translate these goals into concrete applications and develop pioneering solutions that enable earlier diagnoses, targeted prevention, and more effective, individually tailored therapies.

SENSE-FLU is developing an innovative diagnostic system that detects influenza infection via a bitter taste in the mouth – without the need for laboratory technology.

The RoboT project is developing microscopic, magnetically controllable robots (“BrainBots”) that navigate through the brain in a targeted manner to combat difficult-to-treat glioblastoma tumors directly in the tissue with high precision using therapeutic agents and radiation.

The CiliaMAT project is developing biohybrid microrobots that use living cilia, smart materials, and physiological stimuli such as pH value and flow to navigate autonomously through the body and release drugs specifically at hard-to-reach tumor sites – a novel approach for precise, minimally invasive cancer therapies.

The REVOPT project is developing miniaturized ultrasound detectors directly on glass fibers to enable precise, completely non-invasive glucose measurement in the blood—a potential breakthrough for diabetes management and the next generation of wearable biosensors.

The INSIGHT project is developing a high-precision technology platform to analyze the human gut microbiome at the single-cell level under realistic conditions – with the aim of developing targeted probiotic therapies against multi-resistant germs and making microbiome-based medicine plannable and controllable.

ProtheraEGFR is using artificial intelligence to develop novel protein therapeutics that specifically target two key vulnerabilities in EGFR-driven tumors in order to overcome resistance mechanisms and enable more sustainable cancer therapy.

ENGENED is developing a new gene therapy platform that uses intelligent, targeted particles to safely and precisely transport CRISPR-based gene editors into cells of the central nervous system – with the aim of providing sustainable treatment for difficult-to-treat genetic brain diseases such as SYNGAP1 and IRF2BPL encephalopathies.

MIB2 is developing new technologies for 7 Tesla CEST MRI to visualize molecular changes in the brain and body in a radiation-free, contrast-free, and clinically useful manner – a decisive step toward precise, non-invasive diagnostics for cancer, neurodegenerative, and metabolic diseases.

3D-PREDICT is developing an AI-supported 3D diagnostic platform that, for the first time, provides a complete spatial analysis of tumor structures and environments in colon carcinomas in order to predict the risk of recurrence more accurately and place personalized therapy decisions on a new molecular basis.

The FOCUS project is developing a novel platform that combines precise imaging and targeted radiotherapy in an FAP-based drug to improve the visibility of sarcomas during surgery and effectively treat microscopic tumor remnants—a promising approach to preventing recurrence after tumor surgery.

Quantum Use Challenge

the Helmholtz Association is promoting the targeted transfer of quantum technologies into previously untapped fields of application. The aim of the initiative is to harness the potential of quantum computing, simulation, and sensor technologies for specific societal and industrial challenges where conventional methods are increasingly reaching their limits. Close collaboration between developers and users plays a central role in anchoring quantum technologies firmly in research and practice. To this end, the initiative brings together expertise from five Helmholtz research areas to develop more powerful batteries, visualize cancer cells and micrometastases at early stages, and create more realistic models of groundwater, energy, and environmental systems.

qFLOW develops quantum-assisted simulation methods for complex flow processes to solve pressing challenges in the areas of water, climate, and energy—thereby laying the foundation for digital twins of physical systems and the transfer of quantum technologies to environmental and energy research.

QT-Batt combines quantum computing and quantum sensor technology to model new battery materials more precisely and make the smallest changes in operation measurable – with the aim of developing longer-lasting, safer, and more powerful batteries for the energy transition.

QuBiopsy is developing a novel, multimodal quantum diagnostic that uses magnetic and photonic quantum technologies to visualize even rare tumor cells and micrometastases at an early stage and in high resolution – a promising approach for more precise early cancer detection and personalized oncology.

QuWIRK is developing specialized quantum algorithms for various phases of digital drug discovery—from the analysis of cellular data to the optimization of drug candidates—with the aim of enabling faster and more precise drugs against infectious diseases in the future.

Helmholtz Water Safety and Security Initiative

Drought and heat stress, as well as flooding and heavy rainfall, are significantly altering the water cycle. In countries of the Global South, an unreliable water supply is already hampering social and economic development; in the future, industrialized countries will also have to prepare for increasingly variable availability. In view of these growing global crises and risks, the Helmholtz Water Safety and Security Initiative focuses on the central challenge of ensuring sustainable and safe water management. 

SOLVE develops scientifically sound, integrated strategies to retain water in the Elbe river basin, mitigate extreme events, and stabilize ecosystems and biodiversity in the long term—in close cooperation between science and practice, thus creating a transferable blueprint for sustainable water management in the face of climate change.

URBAN LE develops integrative, digitally supported solutions for climate-resilient cities by systematically linking water, green, and energy infrastructures in a blue-green-red approach, testing them in co-designed real-world laboratories together with the city of Leipzig, and simulating and optimizing them in functional digital twins – with Leipzig as a model city for sustainable urban transformation.

Solution Lab Rur Erft (SLRE) is working with stakeholders to develop new, transferable technical and nature-based strategies to make regions more resilient to climate-related water risks in the face of drought and flooding, using an AI-supported digital twin of the water cycle and interactive scenario rooms.

Corona pandemic: recognition, management, prevention

Sustainability Challenge