Dioscuri Centres of Scientific Excellence 

A program initiated by the Max Planck Society to support scientific excellence in Central and Eastern Europe

Dioscuri aims to establish internationally competitive research groups at Central and Eastern European scientific institutions with the support of partners from Germany. The person-centered program was initiated by the Max Planck Society and is funded by the German Federal government as well as the government of the respective host country.

Dioscuri was initiated by the Max Planck Society to support the development of centres of scientific excellence in Central and Eastern Europe. The program seeks to support outstanding scientists who would like to establish and lead a highly visible research group in this region. Dioscuri Centres are established at research institutions that are capable of providing adequate infrastructure and that offer an environment for cutting-edge research. Centres are supported by experienced partners from Germany. Each Centre is funded with up to € 300,000 per annum for an initial five years and can be extended for a further five years after successful evaluation by external experts. Funding is provided equally by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the government of the respective country.

The Dioscuri Programme aims to strengthen international standards of scientific excellence in Central and Eastern Europe and to support the on-going transformation processes in the EU-13 countries. By helping attract international researchers to the region, MPG contributes to the overall strengthening of the European Research Area.