The new coalition government comprising the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) took office on 6 May 2025. Prior to commencing their official duties, the new German government decided to restructure several ministries, including the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The latter was renamed the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), and responsibility for education was transferred to the newly named Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). 

Dorothee Bär will lead the BMFTR. She has been a member of the German Bundestag for the CSU since 2002. From 2018 to 2021, she served as Minister of State at the Federal Chancellery and Federal Commissioner for Digitalisation. In her most recent role, she served as Deputy Chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group for family affairs and culture matters. Karin Prien will head the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. She has extensive experience in the field, having served as the State Minister of Education, Science and Culture of Schleswig-Holstein from 2017 to 2025. 

The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) continues to oversee and fund, together with the federal states, research alliances and outstanding universities as part of the Excellence Strategy. This strategy has supported internationally competitive fields of research or so-called clusters of excellence at German universities and university alliances since 2016.  

On 22 May 2025, the Excellence Commission, consisting of 39 scientific members of the expert panel, and federal and state ministers responsible for science, decided to fund 70 Clusters of Excellence at 43 German universities. The federal and state governments will be investing EUR 539 million in cutting-edge research pursued by these clusters over the next seven years.