The UoC strongly believes that individual academic excellence is at the heart of progress in research and should therefore be encouraged and rewarded. That is why the UoC awards one Max Delbrück Prize (life and natural sciences), one Leo Spitzer Prize (arts, humanities, and human sciences) and one Hans Kelsen Prize (law, management, and social sciences) to UoC senior researchers for outstanding academic achievements. Moreover, the University awards three junior research prizes to outstanding early career researchers.

In the UoC Forum cooperative projects (e.g. lecture series, workshops) are funded with the main purpose of advancing scientific exchange within the University of Cologne and with partners from the Research Alliance Cologne. Programs and projects having impact on the strategic research development of the UoC in general and on its Competence Areas in particular will receive priority. The UoC Forum provides a flexible funding structure that encourages innovative projects with new ideas. Calls are open every two years.

UoC Emerging Groups represent promising research collaborations that have the potential to initiate new research foci at the UoC. Calls are open every three years,

The Cluster Development Program is a new funding line within the Excellent Research Support Program (ERSP) of the University of Cologne (UoC).  The aim of the Cluster Development Program is to support research initiatives at the University of Cologne in preparing proposals for DFG Clusters of Excellence.