The Institute

The Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies was established in 2010 by the physicist and SAP co-founder Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) and the Klaus Tschira Foundation as a private, non-profit research institute. It conducts basic research in the natural sciences, mathematical and computer sciences. Major research directions include complex simulations across scales, making sense of data, and enabling science via computational research. Application areas range from molecular biology to astrophysics. An essential characteristic of the Institute is interdisciplinarity, implemented in numerous cross-group and cross-disciplinary projects.

Main shareholder of the HITS gGmbH is the HITS-Stiftung (HITS Foundation, see below), which is a subsidiary of the Klaus Tschira Foundation (KTS). Its primary purpose is to provide base funding for HITS, with funds received by the KTS. Other shareholders are Heidelberg University and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Part of their cooperation are shared appointments of HITS group leaders, who will also hold a professorship at one of the two universities. In addition, HITS cooperates with other universities and research institutes, as well as with industrial partners; its primary third-party funding agencies are the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the German Research Foundation and the European Union.

The international Scientific Advisory Board is composed of distinguished scientists and supports the management of HITS in directing the institute and orchestrates the evaluation of the research groups.

The HITS campus is located near Heidelberg Castle, a second site is at the “Mathematikon” on the Heidelberg University campus. Larger events, such as the colloquia series, scientific workshops and conferences take place in the conference center Studio Villa Bosch, next to the HITS main building.  

The “HITStory” provides a historical review of the institute.