As part of the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments, the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) – consisting of Goethe University Frankfurt, Technical University of Darmstadt, and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz – submitted a joint proposal to be recognized as a University Excellence Consortium under the Universities of Excellence funding line. The proposal, titled “RMU-EXCITE – Excellent. Collaborative. Transformative.”, highlights the shared goal of transforming the Rhine-Main Universities alliance into an internationally leading center for cutting-edge research that provides groundbreaking solutions to complex scientific and societal challenges. At the same time, the alliance is committed to fostering a research culture that strengthens the connection between science and society, emphasizing dialogue, participation, and the collaborative creation of knowledge as integral components of scientific excellence.