NaviSense – the international Cluster of Excellence for the Sensory Basis, Mechanisms, and Impacts of Animal Navigation is an interdisciplinary research project hosted at the University of Oldenburg.
The scientists of NaviSense aim to provide a thorough, interdisciplinary understanding of the mechanisms used by animals to navigate, and how these mechanisms can inspire technology and impact society, ecology, and biodiversity.
NaviSense is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) from 2026 to 2032 as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments.
Slide1-Monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies
Insects with remarkable navigational skills
Slide2-Northern wheatear
Northern wheatear
Navigating over 10,000 km between wintering and breeding grounds
Slide3-Zooming in
Zooming in
Understanding the senses underlying animal navigation
Slide4-Molecular dynamics simulation of cryptochromes
Molecular dynamics simulation of cryptochromes
Exploring quantum effects at ambient temperature
Slide 5-Out in the field
Out in the field
Elucidating the effects of anthropogenic stressors on animal navigation
Slide 6-Bioinspired navigation systems
Bioinspired navigation systems
Testing animal navigation hypotheses
Imagefilm
Current News
We are hiring!
Become part of our team! We are looking for passionate, talented students, scientist and new members for our management team to join us…
The Joint Science Conference (GWK) of the German federal and state governments officially approved the funding for NaviGate on 10 July 2026. The new research building…
How monarch butterflies keep their sense of direction while walking and flying?
Our project leader Basil el Jundi and his team have published a new study in Current Biology. The research team investigated how monarch butterflies maintain a stable sense of direction when…
Opening of the Kids4Kids Mobile Exhibition on Bird Migration
The kids4kids Bird Migration Exhibition was officially opened in Wilhelmshaven on 19 June 2026. The science communication project, led by Prof. Dr. Miriam Liedvogel at the Institute for Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, was…
