Advice and support concerning research funding, project acquisition and all accompanying topics is given by the staff of the Research Planning and Coordination Department  - detailed information and contact

See here for a list of major research networks and projects with participation of the IPF sponsored by different organizations and bodies (selection)

Publically funded projects listed according to sponsoring organization or body....

Biophysical Characterization of Diatom Adhesive Mucilage, 8/2025 - 7/2028
Dr. Jens Friedrichs, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

Mineralized cryogels to recapitulate the bone marrow microenvironment in acute myeloid leukemia, 7/2025 - 6/2028
Dr. Valentina Magno, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

Exploring the physiochemical principles of formation and functions of mesoscale biomacromolecular clusters, 7/2025 - 6/2028
Dr. Mriryunjoy Kar, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

3DRP-AML: 3D hydrogel-based ex vivo drug response profiling platform to personalize therapy in high-risk acute myeloid leukemia, 4/2025 - 3/2028
Dr. Maximilian Fusenig, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

Multiscale hybrid modeling of magneto-active elastomers for enhanced understanding of tunable performance, 1/2025 - 12/2027
Dr. Dirk Romeis, Div. Theory of Polymers

Electrochemical Switching of Functional Polymer Brushes and Coronas ("E-Brush"), 1/2025 - 12/2027
Dr. Alexander Münch, Dept. Nanostructured Materials
Dr. Petra Uhlmann, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

Reengineering thermal field-flow fractionation for biocompatibility: A novel approach for characterizing binding affinity and microstructural dynamics between biopharmaceutical nanostructures and active pharmaceutical ingredients, 1/2025 - 12/2027
Dr. Upenyu Muza, Dept. Advanced Macromolecular Structure Analysis

Impact of co-nonsolvency effects on dynamic wetting, 6/2019 - 10/2027
Dr. Günter K. Auernhammer, Dept. Polymer Interfaces
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Nanostructured Materials
Dr. Petra Uhlmann, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

NSF-DFG MISSION: Imaging interfacial mass; change, and energy transfer in nanoparticle/conductive polymer hybrids, 8/2024 - 7/2027
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Functional Colloidal Materials

Subµ- to nano-scaled strategies to control initial bacterial colonization in the oral cavity and ex vivo - efficacy and mode of action, 7/2024 - 6/2027
Dr. Ralf Helbig, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

Investigation of tailored in-situ texturing for the fabrication of elastic embroidered mesh structures, 6/2025 - 5/2027
Dr.-Ing. Robert Tonndorf, Dept. Fiber Engineering

Active colloidal molecules and chains in inhomogeneous activity: effect of interactions, hydrodynamics, and confinement, Walter-Benjamin-Programm, 5/2025 - 4/2027
Hossein Vahid Dastjerdi, Div. Theory of Polymers

Structurally Anisotropic Functional Nanocomposite Thin Films from Cellulose Nanocrystals and Gold Nanoparticles, 3/2025 - 2/2027
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Nanostructured Materials
Dr. Christian Roßner, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

Self-assembly of polymer-decorated nanorods: General principles and molecular dynamics simulation, 3/2024 - 2/2027
Dr. Cheng-Wu Li, Div. Theory of Polymers

Exploring the Physics of Polymer-Assisted Condensation: A Polymer Physics Concept for Biomolecular Condensates, 9/2023 - 2/2027
Prof. Dr. Jens-Uwe Sommer, Div. Theory of Polymers

Probing Molecular Transport through Polymer Brushes: A Fluorescence View of Brush Functionalised Microfluidics, 3/2025 - 2/2027
Dr. László Mérai, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

Modeling of azopolymer surface restructuring under complex irradiation patterns, 10/2023 - 9/2026
PD Dr. Marina Grenzer, Div. Theory of Polymers

Enzymatic cross-linking of casein nanoparticles across the scales: Fundamental mechanisms and technological potentials, 8/2021 - 7/2026
Prof. Dr. Albena Lederer, Dept. Advanced Macromolecular Structure Analysis

Viscoelastic microbead stress sensors and validation based on organoid mechanobiology, 7/2022 - 6/2026
Dr. Nicole Träger, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

Conductive polymer hydrogels combining tunable electrical conductivity and biomolecular affinity for multimodal in vitro stimulation, 4/2023 - 3/2026
Dr. Christoph Tondera, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

Solid Lubrication of Worm Gears based on PTFE, 10/2018 - 3/2026
Dr. Michaela Gedan-Smolka, Dept. Materials Engineering

Mechanofluorescent Surfaces for Investigating Microscopic Contact Forces at Aqueous Interfaces, 3/2022 - 2/2026
Dr. Quinn Alexander Besford, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

Novel responsive and biodegradable hydrogels from radical ring-opening polymerisation and their in-depth characterisation using advanced light scattering, 2/2023 - 1/2026
Dr. Jens Gaitzsch, Dept. Bioactive and responsive Polymers

Bacteriophage loaded polyelectrolyte coatings for the reduction of implant-associated infections, 4/2022 - 1/2026
Dr. Martin Müller, Dept. Functional Colloidal Materials

Beyond uni-directional hierarchical wrinkle formation, 1/2023 - 12/2025
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Polymer Interfaces

Plasmonic-Organic Microcavity Lasers, 2/2021 - 12/2025
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Functional Colloidal Materials
PD Dr. Tobias König, Dept. Functional Colloidal Materials

Verifying the precision of complex polyolefin structures, 2/2022 - 12/2025
-Weave Lead Agency Inititative, Cooperation with GACR (Czech Republic)-
Prof. Dr. Albena Lederer, Dept. Advanced Macromolecular Structure Analysis

Tailored Hybrid Nanomaterials for Plasmon-Mediated Photocatalysis, 1/2022 - 12/2025
Dr. Christian Roßner, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

MUSE: Mechanics of polymers using sensitive molecular force sensors, 2/2022 - 9/2025
Dr.-Ing. Eric Euchler, Dept. Elastomers

Expanding the matrix space - modulating growth factor signals by cell instructive GAG-peptide hydrogels with customizable viscoelastic properties, 4/2021 - 8/2025
Prof. Dr. Carsten Werner, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

Self-Powered, Hybrid Triboelectric-Piezoresistive Tactile Sensor array-based Artificial Skin for Soft Robots, 6/2022 - 7/2025
Dr. Amit Das, Dept. Elastomers
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

3D structure and dynamics of plasma-treated polymer materials, 10/2020 - 3/2025
Dr. Mirko Nitschke, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

DFG Colloborative Research Centre (CRC)

CRC 1415
Chemistry of Synthetic Two-Dimensional Materials
subproject: Effect of extended defects on optoelectronic properties in novel 2D materials, 7/2024 - 6/2028
Dr. Ilka Hermes, Dept. Polymer Interfaces
subproject: Converting 1D Conjugated Polymers into Functional 2D Materials, 7/2024 - 6/2028
subproject: 2D Organic/Metal Halide Materials, 7/2020 - 6/2024
Prof. Dr. Brigitte Voit, Dept. Sustainable Polymer Structures
subproject: Wrinkle-Based Strain Engineering of 2D Materials, 7/2024 - 6/2028
subproject: Wrinkling Metrology and Strain Engineering of 2D Materials, 7/2020 - 6/2024
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Polymer Interfaces

SFB Transregio 280
Design Strategies for Material-Minimized Carbon-Reinforced Concrete Structures;
TP: Interface structuring for improved toughness according to biological principles, 7/2024 - 6/2028
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Scheffler, Dept. Fiber Engineering

DFG Graduate College

Supracolloidal Structures: From Materials to Optical and Electronic Devices, 4/2022 - 9/2026
TP: Understanding charge transport in hybrid colloidal nanowires
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Functional Colloidal Materials
TP: Defined conjugated polymer nanostructures through self-assembly
Prof. Dr. Brigitte Voit, Dept. Sustainable Polymer Structures

Mineral-bonded composites for enhanced structural impact safety, 5/2017 - 4/2026
subproject: Strain-rate dependent composite behavior of fiber reinforcement in mineral-based matrices,
subproject: Fiber and interphase modification for energy adsorption at high strain rates
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Scheffler, Dept. Fiber Engineering

Interactive fiber rubber composites, 11/2018 - 10/2027
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven Wießner, Dept. Elastomers
PD Dr. Marina Grenzer, Div. Theory of Polymers

Heisenberg professorship

In silico - From theoretical models to bio-inspired materials, 8/2023 - 5/2027
Prof. Dr. Arash Nikoubashman, Div. Theory of Polymers

ERC Consolidator Grant
GELECTRO - Hydrogel Machines for Seamless Living System Interfaces, 7/2024 - 6/2029
Prof. Dr. Ivan Minev, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

ERC Consolidator Grant
CHIPIN - Tissue-engineering the tumour microenvironment to improve treatment of pancreatic cancer, 4/2021 - 3/2026
Prof. Dr. Daniela Lössner, (currently Monash University, Melbourne, Australia)
Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

ERC Starting Grant
3DPartForm - 3D-printing of Particulate Formulations utilizing polymer microparticle-based voxels, 4/2020 - 3/2026 
Prof. Dr. Julian Thiele, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

DELIGHT - Designing of multifunctional nanomaterials for light-driven innovation technologies, 1/2024 - 12/2027
Prof. Andreas Fery, Dept. Functional Colloidal Materials

GlaS-A-Fuels - Single-Atom Photocatalysts Enhanced by a Self-Powered Photonic Glass Reactor to Produce Advanced Biofuels, 3/2024 - 8/2027
Dr. Beate Krause, Dept. Sustainable Polymer Structures

FITNESS - Flexible IntelligenT NEar-field Sensing Skins, 4/2023 - 3/2027
Prof. Dr. Franziska Lissel, Dept. Sustainable Polymer Structures

ESiM - Energy Storage in Molecules, 4/2022 - 3/2026
Prof. Dr. Franziska Lissel, Dept. Sustainable Polymer Structures

PEPSA-Mate: Nanopeptides and Nanosaccharides for Advanced and Sustainable Materials, 3/2020 - 8/2025
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

Design2Guide - Cell-instructive matrices to reconstruct tumour tissues, 1/2024 - 6/2025
Prof. Daniela Lössner, (currently Monash University, Melbourne, Australia)
Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

VolkswagenStiftung - Volkswagen Foundation

Freigeist-Fellowship
Unidirectional Light Propagation in Macroscopic Self-Assembled Gain-Loss Nanomaterials, 8/2017 - 12/2025
PD Dr. Tobias Anton F. König, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

Alexander v. Humboldt Stiftung

Optical detection of protein targets via controlled clustering of patchy gold nanoparticle aptasensors, 12/2024 - 11/2026
Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Dept. Nanostructured Materials

https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de

uTissueFab - Multiphasic hydrogels for high throughput human in vitro tissue and disease models, 1/2022 - 5/2026
Prof. Dr. Carsten Werner, Div. Polymer Biomaterials Science

LIKAT - Leibniz-Institute for Catalysis Research, Rostock
https://www.catalysis.de
SUSTAIN - From waste to value - concepts for the depolymerization and upcycling of bio-based polymers, 5/2024 - 4/2027
Prof. Dr. Brigitte Voit, Dept. Sustainable Polymer Structures

IFW - Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden
https://www.ifw-dresden.de
TESSERAE - Towards Efficient and Stable Semi-transparent pERovskite photovoltaics by plAsmonic Enhancement, 1/2024 - 12/2026
Prof. Dr. Franziska Lissel, Dept. Sustainable Polymer Structures
Dr. Ilka Hermes, Dept. Polymer Interfaces

TROPOS - Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig
https://www.tropos.de
AirPlast - Abundance and Fate of Synthetic Materials in Atmospheric sub-10 m Particles, 5/2022 - 12/2025
Dr. Dieter Fischer, Dept. Advanced Macromolecular Structure Analysis

IVW - Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH, Kaiserslautern
https://www.ivw.uni-kl.de
ML4ProcessSimulation - Machine Learning for Simulation Intelligence in Composite Process Design, 1/2022 - 6/2025
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Scheffler, Dept. Fiber Engineering
Dr. Günter K. Auernhammer, Dept. Polymer Interfaces