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English Logo - Department of Physics - TU Dortmund
Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund

"An application like this only works if you give it absolute priority"

© Beran Kosan
Prof. Johannes Albrecht has been Heisenberg Professor of Experimental Physics at TU Dortmund University since 2020 and Co-Speaker of the new Cluster of Excellence "Color Meets Flavor" since 2025.
Prof. Johannes Albrecht researches the most fundamental building blocks of the universe at the Department of Physics - elementary particles and subatomic particles formed from them. Since 2025, he has been co-spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence "Color Meets Flavor", a research alliance of TU Dortmund University, the Universities of Bonn and Siegen and Forschungszentrum Jülich, which is being funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with several million euros annually for the next seven years. In this interview, he shares his experiences in the joint application process.

Prof. Albrecht, which puzzle of your discipline would you like to solve?

The standard model of particle physics currently assumes four fundamental forces in our universe: Gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak interaction. Time and again, however, we come across phenomena that cannot be explained using this model. One example is dark matter, which plays a very essential role in our universe but can only be observed indirectly so far. Our experiments and measurements at CERN, for example, also point to contradictions. Two conclusions can be drawn from this: Either the theoretical calculations are incomplete or inaccurate and therefore need to be readjusted and adjusted. Or there is a reorganization of physics behind it, which could call the current standard model into question. I would like to solve this puzzle - in both cases it would be a step forward for physics. This is also one of the big questions of the Cluster of Excellence.

From the initial ideas to the final approval, you spent around four years working on the application for this cluster - how did you find this time?

Labor-intensive. As particle physicists, we are used to cooperating with a lot of people in large-scale and lengthy projects. But the decision to apply for a Cluster of Excellence is still quite a commitment. At the beginning, we were a small group and didn't know whether this topic was really eligible for funding. Scientifically, it was obvious, but of course particle physics is very abstract basic research that is difficult to grasp in everyday life. Nevertheless, it soon became clear that we would give it a try. We then thought about the research areas in which we are really leading and can therefore be convincing. We then specifically approached the most renowned colleagues from other fields who would complement our topics in a meaningful way in order to form a strong consortium. It was a feat of strength for everyone involved. There were longer phases in which the application process dominated everything, so you have to make compromises elsewhere. But an application like this only works if you give it absolute priority.

What helped you and the team in particular?

All cooperation partners in the project are involved out of conviction in terms of content. Nevertheless, the chemistry between the people has to be right - fortunately, that was always the case with us and very motivating. On such a basis of trust, the work on the application can be sensibly distributed and structured. We had a writing team of four people who also did the groundwork in terms of content. Of course, we also exchanged ideas with all 20 colleagues involved: We regularly coordinated online, and there were also four meetings with all members on site, including overnight stays. You have to take this time on site, it was very important. It also helped that we launched some projects together in the planning phase, for example on science communication. We also rehearsed the review itself intensively, with the funding advisory service, the rectorates and three trial rounds in person - we flew in some high-ranking Critical Friends especially for this. The excellent support from the rectorates during the inspection was particularly good. We were able to rely on the fact that the university management was fully behind the project.

Personal details:

  • 2009 PhD in physics, University of Heidelberg
  • 2009-2012 Senior Research Fellow, CERN, Switzerland
  • 2013-2018 Emmy Noether Group Leader at the TU Dortmund University
  • 2018-2020 Deputy Physics Coordinator of the LHCb Collaboration (Large Hadron Collider), CERN
  • 2016-2020 ERC Starting Grant Research Group Leader, TU Dortmund University
  • since 2020 Heisenberg Professorship for Experimental Physics, TU Dortmund University
  • since 2025 Co-Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence "Color Meets Flavor" together with the University of Bonn, University of Siegen and Forschungszentrum Jülich

Further information:

The Color Meets Flavor Cluster of Excellence
About the Ruhr Innovation Lab (joint application by TU Dortmund University and Ruhr-Universität Bochum in the Excellence Strategy)
Funding advice from the Research Funding Department at TU Dortmund University