Research Infrastructures

Research infrastructures at the University of Cologne are divided into three categories:

Centrally operated research infrastructures
Serve users from at least two faculties, providing specialized equipment, technologies, and services. They feature professional management and usage regulations and are embedded within a Central Scientific Institution. Most will be developed into UoC Core Facilities in the long term.

Decentrally operated research infrastructures
Managed by individual faculties, institutes, or departments, following the same core principles as central infrastructures—particularly technical specialization, professional management, and defined usage policies.

Cooperatively operated research infrastructures
Run jointly with national or international partners, often involving shared use or ownership of large-scale or specialized equipment. Operations are usually financed by the participating faculty; in strategically important cases, the Rectorate may provide additional support.