The University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced the recipients of the 2025–2026 UMass–Baden-Württemberg Joint Research Seed Fund, a competitive program that supports collaborative research partnerships between UMass Amherst and leading universities across the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
The seed fund is designed to strengthen existing relationships and foster new international collaborations. The 2025–26 awardees represent a diverse range of disciplines, including Advanced Materials, Applied Life Sciences, and Climate, Sustainability, and Energy, with projects addressing global challenges in sustainability, health, materials innovation, and human–environment interactions.
The UMass–Baden-Württemberg Joint Research Seed Fund reflects a shared commitment to international engagement, interdisciplinary scholarship, and global impact, advancing research that connects scientific discovery with societal needs.
The two institutions are pleased to announce the following successful candidates, and their project titles:
UMass Amherst – Professor Alfred Crosby with University of Freiburg – Professor Thomas Speck (and Dr. Thomas Masselter), entitled “Bioinspired Mechanics for Adaptive, Sustainable Soft Materials.”
Abstract: Plants achieve complex and efficient movement through biological actuation mechanisms that remain largely unexplored from a mechanical perspective. This project initiates a new collaboration between a soft matter physicist and materials engineer (Dr. Crosby) and plant biomechanics (Drs. Speck and Masselter) to investigate how plant tissues dynamically change their mechanical properties during actuation. By developing experimental methods to measure these changes and translating the insights into synthetic systems, the partnership aims to inspire the design of adaptive, sustainable soft materials and responsive devices with tunable stiffness and energy-efficient motion.
UMass Amherst – Professor Friederike Jentoft with University of Tübingen – Professor Reiner Anwander, entitled “Designer Hybrid Catalysts for Sustainable Chemical Processing.”
Abstract: Catalysis plays a central role in enabling sustainable chemical transformations, yet many industrial processes rely on energy-intensive methods and scarce elements. This project establishes a collaboration between a catalysis expert (Dr. Jentoft) and an organometallic and materials chemist (Dr. Anwander) to design advanced hybrid catalysts composed of earth-abundant elements. By combining precise synthesis of surface-functionalized materials with detailed performance testing and spectroscopic analysis, the partnership aims to develop catalysts that enable renewable feedstocks, reduce waste, and reveal fundamental structure–function relationships relevant to sustainable chemical processing.
UMass Amherst – Professor Ilia Karatsoreos with University of Ulm – Professor Stefan Reber, entitled “Investigating Functional Links Between Stress Hormones and Immune Function to Improve Immunological Resilience.”
Abstract: Immune function is shaped by complex interactions between the brain, the endocrine system, and environmental stressors, yet these connections remain incompletely understood. This project builds a new collaboration between a circadian and neuroimmunology researcher (Dr. Karatsoreos) and an expert in stress–immune interactions (Dr. Reber) to explore how stress hormones and biological timing influence immune resilience. By integrating approaches from neuroscience, immunology, and psychosomatic medicine, the partnership aims to uncover mechanisms that regulate immune responses and recovery, with potential implications for improving health outcomes following infection and stress-related immune challenges.
UMass Amherst – Professor Paige Warren with University of Stuttgart – Professor Leonie Fischer, entitled “Linking U.S.–German Sustainability Research Networks to Foster Human–Nature Coexistence.”
Abstract: As urban regions expand, cities increasingly function as shared landscapes where people, built environments, and biodiversity must coexist. This project connects two established research networks in the United States and Germany to advance comparative, interdisciplinary research on human–nature interactions in urban systems. Bringing together expertise in urban ecology, conservation science, and landscape planning, the collaboration will examine how sustainability strategies, such as nature-based solutions, can promote biodiversity, climate resilience, and human well-being. The partnership aims to generate shared knowledge, foster practitioner engagement, and position the team for future international funding.
Additionally, Baden-Württemberg awarded:
University of Mannheim – Doctoral Researcher David Avagian with UMass Amherst – Professor Lauren A. McCarthy, entitled “Opposition Parties and Authoritarian Resilience.”
Abstract: Authoritarian regimes increasingly rely on managed opposition parties to neutralize democratic movements and sustain political control. This research visit supports a developing collaboration between a doctoral researcher in comparative politics (Mr. Avagian) and an expert in authoritarianism and repression (Dr. McCarthy) to advance dissertation research on how co-opted opposition parties operateunder authoritarian rule, with a focus on Russia. During a two-week stay at UMass Amherst, the project will benefit from expert theoretical guidance, exposure to quantitative text analysis and computational social science methods, and engagement with faculty and graduate students. The visit also contributes to the UMass academic community through workshops and knowledge exchange, laying the groundwork for sustained transatlantic collaboration.
University of Stuttgart – Dr. Dominik Schlechtweg with UMass Amherst – Professor Katrin Erk, entitled “Probabilistic Models of Lexical Semantic Structure.”
Abstract: Understanding how meaning is organized in the mental lexicon remains a central challenge in lexical and cognitive semantics. This research collaboration brings together expertise in lexical semantics, psycholinguistics, and Bayesian modeling to analyze Word Usage Graphs as representations of semantic structure. Through an in-person research stay at UMass Amherst, Dr. Schlechtweg and Professor Erk will jointly develop and evaluate probabilistic models that test competing theories of how word senses are represented and organized. The project aims to produce a joint journal publication, strengthen methodological foundations for semantic modeling, and establish a platform for longer-term collaborative research and external funding.
University of Heidelberg – Doctoral Researcher Fernando Hidalgo Pineda with UMass Amherst – Assistant Professor Yuan Li, entitled “Multiphase Gas Dynamics in the Circumgalactic Medium.”
Abstract: The circumgalactic medium (CGM) plays a critical role in galaxy evolution, yet the physical processes governing its structure and turbulence remain poorly understood. This project supports a research visit focused on combining advanced three-dimensional (magneto-)hydrodynamic simulations with observation-ready diagnostics of turbulent gas flows. Working with Professor Li and the UMass Astronomy Department, Mr. Hidalgo Pineda will develop physically grounded velocity structure function diagnostics that connect theoretical predictions with observational signatures. The collaboration is expected to yield joint publications and establish a durable theoretical–observational partnership to support future research on galaxy evolution.
University of Konstanz – Dr. Sandra Rudman with UMass Amherst – Associate Professor Stephanie Fetta, entitled “The Anti-Racist Turn in Latin American Literature: Decolonizing Poetics of the Corpus-Cuerpos.”
Abstract: This project fosters a transatlantic humanities collaboration examining decolonial and anti-racist approaches in contemporary Latin American literature, with a focus on embodiment and racialization. Through a research exchange at UMass Amherst, Dr. Rudman and Dr. Fetta will engage in sustained scholarly dialogue connecting critical race theory, literary studies, and embodied epistemologies. The collaboration aims to refine shared analytical frameworks, generate joint research outputs, and explore future co-teaching and curriculum development opportunities. In the longer term, the partnership seeks to establish a durable research network supporting socially engaged, internationally visible humanities scholarship