Solvation Science alive

Facts & Figures

Facts & Figures

FACTS

RESOLV is a Cluster of Excellence within the German Excellence Initiative (DFG code EXC 2033). RESOLV is short for Ruhr Explores Solvation. It was founded in 2012 and since then already funded for two periods (2012-2018 and 2019-2025). The third funding period officially started in January 2026. Within the Cluster, a steadily growing number of scientists successfully investigates the role of solvents in the most diverse processes, thus laying the foundations for innovative, environmentally friendly and smart solutions.

43

Million euros funding

For the period from 2026 to 2032, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities support RESOLV as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal Government and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia with 43 million euros (50 million US dollars). RESOLV researchers collect further funding for solvation related research, for example from DFG, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research or the European Research Council (ERC)

200+
 

STAFF SCIENTISTS

RESOLV currently enlists about 200 scientists (professors, independent researchers, postdocs, and PhDs) from around 50 research groups in 6 institutions. Our scientists cooperate with leading international scientists from over 20 partner institutes worldwide. 

27

New professorships

Since its inception in 2012, RESOLV appointed 27 new professorships. More than 30 percent of those positions going to female scientists, reflecting RESOLV's commitment to diversity and equity.

2300+

publications

RESOLV scientists have so far published more than 2300 articles on refereed journals. More than 550 of them appeared in Nature, Science, JACS, Angewandte, PNAS, PRL. More than 550 involve at least 2 RESOLV groups. More than 150 are cover papers.

200+

Honors and awards

RESOLV scientists so far collected more than 200 prizes, among them one Nobel Prize, 27 ERC Grants, 4 Leibniz Prizes, Max Planck Fellowships, the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award, and one Alexander von Humboldt Professorship.