Project Calls

Third Project Call

The third call in our programme is currently open. Like the first two calls, the third call will also focus on the following research areas:

Research areas:

  • Enabling recyclability, longevity and sustainability of material systems
  • Product longevity through corrosion protection, lifetime extension, self‐repair, damage tolerance and reuse
  • A material “gene” for recycling
  • Sustainable production and manufacturing of materials
  • Life cycle assessments
  • Technical and social needs for enabling sustainable materials development
  • Frontier Research Area 1: Sensing‐based programmable behavior
  • Frontier Research Area 2: Controlled disintegration and disassembly
  • Machine Learning

What will be new is that at least one of the participating MPIs must be new to the SusMax network. With the first two calls, the following MPIs are now involved:

  • Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
  • Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials
  • Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society
  • Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
  • Max Planck Institute Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems
  • MPI Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology
  • Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion
  • Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
  • Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung
  • Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
  • Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics
  • Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
  • Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology

We would like to explicitly encourage scientists on all career levels (postdocs, group leaders, directors) from fields that are not yet represented in the network to submit proposals. These are primarily scientific fields in the Biology and Medicine Section (BMS) and the Human Sciences Section (GSHS).

Application:

The research proposals have to be joint projects of two MPIs. Deadline for applications is 26 March 2026, and the start of the granted projects should be latest in summer 2026.

Applications must contain the following documents combined into a single PDF file:

  • Letter of motivation (one joint letter from both applicants, relating the proposal to one of the nine research areas above)
  • Research proposal (one joint proposal for the project)
    • Project title (full title and acronym)
    • Involved partners
    • Project idea
    • Indication of the requested budget (max. sum requestable: 125 T€ per institute)
    • Max. length of the proposal: 2 pages (no other formal restrictions)
    • Max. project duration: 2 years
  • CV for each applicant, including publication list
  • Written confirmation from the director of each applicant stating that they will support the project with an additional own contribution of 32% on top of the approved amount

Questions and the application to be sent to info@susmax.org.

Previous Calls

First Project Call
  • Opening date: May 5, 2025
  • Closing date: June 9, 2025
  • Scope: Internal call open to the six core institutes

General Requirements for Project Proposals

  • SusMax is committed to support the careers of group leaders and other qualified scientists by encouraging them to submit project proposals to the steering committee according to the rules above.
  • Each joint project must involve at least two Max Planck Institutes (MPIs)
  • Each participating MPI must contribute one postdoc
  • This means two postdocs per joint project as a minimum
  • Project proposals must be submitted to the Steering Committee for Discussion and the final selection

To be considered under the SusMax program, projects must align with at least one of the following topical blocks (or bridge between them):

  • Sensing-based programmable behavior of materials
  • Recyclability and sustainability of materials and material systems
  • Controlled disintegration and disassembly of materials
  • Alternatively: Address themes relevant to the broader perspective of SusMax

SusMax is committed to support the careers of group leaders and other qualified scientists by encouraging them to submit project proposals to the steering committee according to the rules above.

Second Project Call
  • Opening date: October 23, 2025
  • Closing date: December 5, 2025
  • Scope: Internal call open to all Max Planck Institutes

General Requirements for Project Proposals

  • SusMax is committed to support the careers of group leaders and other qualified scientists by encouraging them to submit project proposals to the steering committee according to the rules above.
  • Each joint project must involve at least two Max Planck Institutes (MPIs)
  • Each participating MPI must contribute one postdoc
  • This means two postdocs per joint project as a minimum
  • Project proposals must be submitted to the Steering Committee for Discussion and the final selection

To be considered under the SusMax program, projects must align with at least one of the following topical blocks (or bridge between them):

  • Sensing-based programmable behavior of materials
  • Recyclability and sustainability of materials and material systems
  • Controlled disintegration and disassembly of materials
  • Alternatively: Address themes relevant to the broader perspective of SusMax

In the second SusMax Call, the programme was extended to all institutes of the Max Planck Society. Nine new projects were selected in January 2026.

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