Photonics will be one of a variety of research topics in the spotlight over the next several years thanks to funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, the German Research Foundation).

DFG will establish 16 priority programs in which researchers will have the chance to study topical and emerging areas of science, including humanities and social sciences, life sciences, natural sciences and engineering sciences.

Topics will range from the analysis of historical foundations for economic activities to investigation and development of electromagnetic sensors to engineering.

Among areas to be explored will be “Tailored Disorder: A Science- and Engineering-Based Approach to Materials Design for Advanced Photonic Applications.” This study will be conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen.

A total of €89 million (about $121 million) will be divided among the programs over the next three years, beginning in 2015.

The 16 programs, chosen from a pool of 72 originally proposed, are highly interdisciplinary and notable for their application of innovative methods. Involvement of early career researchers in such programs, as well as active support for them, is a key criteria for participation.

Other research topics chosen include economics, chemical biology, cell behavior, information processing, quantum dynamics, wireless communication systems and life sciences.

For more information, visit: www.dfg.de/en