Freie Universität Berlin was the first German university to declare a state of climate emergency back in December 2019. By doing so, the university pledged to incorporate climate protection and sustainability across the university to a greater extent in the future.

For this reason, the Idea & Innovation Management at Freie Universität Berlin is guided by our sustainability mission statement, adopted in 2016, and the objectives of our climate emergency declaration.

Every year, the FUturist call for applications promotes and funds ideas for socio-ecological change that have a positive impact on teaching, research, administration or on campus of our university (examples relating to teaching, administration and management, as well as with research components).

The criteria for the fifth FUturist call for proposals can be found here.

The application deadline for the fifth FUturist call for applications is November 30, 2025 (11:59 pm).

This presentation briefly summarizes the call for proposals. An online information event in German language will take place on October 07, 2026, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Please inform Sabine Heckmann if you are interested in an English-speaking talk. We will be happy to organize that.

This page provides answers to a range of frequently asked questions (FAQ) that potential applicants of "FUturist" may have. 

Questions are divided into the following categories:

1. Before submitting your applications
2. During the application process
3. After applying to FUturist

Sabine Heckmann, Project Coordinator for Idea & Innovation Management within the Unit for Sustainability & Energy, will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Schwendenerstraße 17, 14195 Berlin | Phone: +49 30 838-70984 | Email: sabine.heckmann@fu-berlin.de.