Second Call is open now
SusMax is a new interdisciplinary research initiative of six Max Planck Institutes that integrates basic materials science with green chemistry, systems‐level sustainability, and life‐cycle engineering to redefine how materials, waste, and byproducts are designed, used, and reused, and thus aims for a sustainable circular materials economy.
This initiative plans to tackle challenges including programmable material behaviour, recyclability, and controlled disassembly, waste‐free material production, industry waste‐to green material synthesis, fossil‐free metal production, responsible use and recovery of rare earth and other high‐risk materials for modern electronics and global electrification. To achieve these goals, SusMax leverages advanced machine learning, in situ experimentation, and multi‐scale simulation to create a new paradigm of materials optimized not just for performance but for longevity, adaptability, and environmental stewardship. Read more about SusMax and the projects that were selected for funding in the first call here.
Research areas:
1. Enabling recyclability, longevity and sustainability of material systems
2. Product longevity through corrosion protection, lifetime extension, self‐repair, damage tolerance and reuse
3. A material “gene” for recycling
4. Sustainable production and manufacturing of materials
5. Life cycle assessments
6. Technical and social needs for enabling sustainable materials development
7. Frontier Research Area 1: Sensing‐based programmable behavior
8. Frontier Research Area 2: Controlled disintegration and disassembly
9. Machine Learning
Application:
We invite researchers from all MPIs to apply for participation in the next SusMax call with their project idea. The research proposals have to fit into the scientific scope of SusMax and they have to be joint projects of at least two MPIs. Deadline for applications is 5 December 2025, and the start of the granted projects will be in spring 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.