Norbert Frank
Prof. Dr. Norbert Frank
Heidelberg University
Institut of Environmental Physics
Im Neuenheimer Feld 229 (4th floor, room 420)
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone: +49 6221 54 6332
Email: norbert.frank ( at ) uni-heidelberg.de
Curriculum Vitae
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10/2023 – 10/2025 | Geschäftsführender Direktor, Institut für Umweltphysik, Universität Heidelberg |
12/2012 – present | Brücken-Professor, Institut für Umweltphysik und Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Heidelberg |
01/2023 – present | Mitglied des DFG Ausschuss für Wissenschaftliche Geräte und Informationstechnik |
08/2011 | Habilitation, Université Versailles St. Quentin, Frankreich |
10/2002 – 11/2012 | Wissenschaftler und Gruppenleiter, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climate et de l' Environnement, CEA, CNRS, UVSQ, Gif-sur-Yvette, Frankreich |
09/2001 – 10/2002 | Postdoktorand, Marie-Curie Fellow, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climate et de l' Environnement, CEA, CNRS, UVSQ, Gif-sur-Yvette, Frankreich |
01/2000 – 02/2001 | Postdoktorand, DFG-Eigenstelle - Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Heidelberg |
06/1997 – 12/1999 | Postdoktorand, DFG-Auslandstipendiat, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, New York, USA |
03/1997 – 05/1997 | Postdoktorand, Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Forschungstelle Radiometrie, Heidelberg |
02/1997 | Dissertation, Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften (Radiometrie und Archäometrie) sowie Institut für Umweltphysik, Universität Heidelberg |
02/1993 | Diplom, Physik, Universität Heidelberg |
Forschungsprojekte
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CO-Koordinator; PI-Mitantragsteller; PA- Partner | [k€] | ||
2023-2025 | DFG | Searching the proposed Northern Source of the MPT start of the 100-ka climate cyclicity is a project to detect the change in Northeast Atlantic weathering patterns off Ireland to affirm or reject the hypothesis of changing Regolith ice sheet base to favor a large northern hemisphere ice sheet (CO) | 150 |
2022-2025 | DFG | Investigating climate change during the period of Maya collapse is a project to reconstruct hydroclimate variability on the Yucatan peninsula during the past 3000 years to test hypothesis on the role of recurrent dry episodes impacting the stability of the Maya culture (CO) | 250 |
2022-2025 | DFG | Quantifying post Little-Ice-Age freshwater discharge using 234U–(P)SST–14C is a project to demonstrate the usefulness of the 234U/238U ratio in seawater to infer freshwater fluxes to the ocean in the Caribbean (CO) | 250 |
2019-2023 | DFG | Radiocarbon in speleothems II – the soil carbon cycle and climate (CO) | 258 |
2019-2023 | DFG | Deep-Atlantic Interhemispheric Water Mass Competition since the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (ODP 1063 versus ODP 1094/1090) (CO) | 175 |
2019 | Wilhelm und Else Heareus Stfitung | Workshop and Group retreat: Projectmanagement | 5 |
2017-2020 | DFG | Atlantic radiocarbon calibration using cold-water corals (CO) (Project to develop benchmark marine radiocarbon calibration records using cold-water corals from the Gulf of Cadiz, Mauritania, and Angola) | 277 |
2017-2020 | DFG | Cruise proposal ATHENA M151 (RV Meteor) (CO) (Research cruise to study cold-water corals of the temperate East Atlantic Seamounts using RV Meteor and the MARUM ROV SQUID) | 346 |
2017 | DFG | Cruise proposal UFO M141-2 (RV Meteor) (CO) (Research cruise to study U isotopes in the eastern north Atlantic waters and across the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea.) | Use of Vessel |
2017-2020 | DFG | MIS-11 Variation in Atlantic Deep Water Nd Isotopic Composition across MIS11 (CO) (Project on the spatial variability of Nd-Isotopes in the deep western Atlantic spanning at high temporal resolution climate stage MIS11 to confirm or reject recent observations on strong Labrador Sea influences on deep water flow) | 85 |
2015-2018 | DFG | Tropical Indian Ocean and East African seasonality during the Holocene: orbital forcing and ocean atmosphere interactions. (IndoOrb) (Coordinator - Prof. Miriam Peiffer, University Kiel) (PA) | 5 |
2016-2019 | DFG | The seawater 234U/238U ratio in the past (CO) (Project to develop benchmark records of past seawater U-isotopes using cold-water corals from the Gulf of Cadiz and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the presently available U-series data from tropical and deep sea corals) | 211 |
2015-2018 | DFG | Fluid inclusion water isotopes in speleothems using CRDS - understanding carbonate d18O responses to climate variability (PA) (Involved in the chronology of speleothems as well as the speleothems general geochemical composition and the use of water isotopes through CRDS analysis: Coordinator: Dr. Tobias Kluge, IUP Heidelberg) | 15 |
2016 | DAAD | Exchange Fellowship for Freya Hemsing at Oxford University (PA - Involved in the planning and supervision of the exchange project with University Oxford to conduct Ba/Ca and Ba-Isotope analysis on seawater and cold-water corals) (Coordinators - MSc Freya Hemsing and Prof. G. Henderson) | 12 |
2014-2017 | DFG | Hydrology Influenced Variation of the 14C Reservoir Ages in Speleothems and Reconstruction of Atmospheric 14C Levels (PI) (Reconstruction of radiocarbon levels in U-series dated speleothems. This project is a joined project with Dr. Jens Fohlmeister at the time at University Potsdam) | 271 |
2014-2017 | DFG | 900ka Variation in Deep Water Nd Isotopic Composition in IODP core 1063 (CO) (Project on the temporal variability of Nd-Isotopes in the deep western Atlantic spanning at high temporal resolution the past 900 thousand years) | 196 |
2014-2016 | DFG | Spatial Analyses of the Atlantic Circulation during Heinrich Events (PI) (This project concerns the study of the 231Pa/230Th ratio in marine sediments from the time of ice sheet collapses one and two some 20 to 30 kyr before present. It is the prolongation of a project coordinated jointly by Prof. A. Mangini and Dr. Jörg Lippold) (the coordinator of this project was Dr. J. Lippold) | 63 |
2013 | HCE | Climate, GIScience and Archaeology of a small travertine body in Southern Germany (PI): Project on the 3D detection and climate evolution of calcareous tufa formations in southern Germany including their archeological significance regarding the retreat of the Roman Empire | 12.5 |
2013–2016 | DFG | DFG Ocean Circulation between the Last Glacial and Interglacial – high resolution Nd Isotope stratigraphy on IODP/ODP cores from the Atlantic (PI): This project concerns the study of the 231Pa/230Th ratio in marine sediments from the past glacial to present spanning a large spatial area in the North An partly South Atlantic. The project is coordinated together with Dr. Jörg Lippold (CO) | 180 |
2011 | CNRS | CNRS Cruise proposal: Iceland Coral Ecosystems - Climate and Thermocline Ocean Circulation (CO): Planning and coordination of a cruise to collect seawater and cold-water corals south of Iceland with the French research vessel N/O Thalassa and the remotely operated vehicle Victor 6000 provided by IFREMER | 1300 |
2010–2012 | CNRS | CNRS LEFE: Iceland Coral Ecosystems: Climate and ocean circulation (CO) (Project to reconstruct cold-water coral ecosystem dynamic and water mass exchange off south Iceland using U-series dating and numerous geochemical tracers) | 35 |
2009–2012 | EU | HERMIONE: Hotspot Ecosystem Research and Mans Impact on European Marginal Seas (PI): Integrated European project involving studies of cold-water coral ecosystems and mans impact through fishery, climate change and pollution. Involved in the dating of cold-water coral reef accumulations and the use of geochemical tracers to study the corals environmental conditions) (CO - Prof. A. Weaver, Southhampton, UK) | 32 (3500) |
2008–2011 | EU | EPOCA: European project on Ocean acidification (PA): Project on the observation and consequences of present, past and future ocean acidification due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions; CO - Prof. Jean Pierre Gatusso, Villefranche sur Mer, France | 60 (6000) |
2008–2011 | CNRS - LEFE | Phare: Paleo-pH Calibration (PA): Involved in the geochemical study of tropical and cold-water corals using Boron Isotopes to trace pH. Development of mass spectrometric protocols and standards and correction model for coral vital effects (CO - Dr. E. Douville) | 5 |
2008-2010 | EU - IOF Marie Curie | MEDATArchives: Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean circulation and climate (Host-PI) (Individual research fellowship project of Dr. Paolo Montagna hosted by LSCE, but conducted in close cooperation with LDEO at Columbia University where two years of the research project where carried out: LDEO host: Prof. Steven Goldstein) | 450 |
2006- 2010 | ANR | NEWTON: North Atlantic Ocean circulation viewed from novel geochemical water mass tracers in deep sea corals (CO) (Project to reconstruct the North Atlantic ocean response to decadal climate variability prior and after the anthropogenic global warming based on novel marine archives and instrumental data) | 360 |
2005 - 2009 | EU | HERMES: Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of the European Seas (PA) (Integrated European project involving studies of cold-water coral ecosystems from the Mediterranean Sea to the Norwegian Shelf, CO - Prof. A. Weaver, Southampton, UK) (12,000 k€) | 56 (12 000) |
2005 - 2009 | ESF | MICROSYSTEMS: Micro-scale Processes in Active Mound Systems (PA) (Project on the micro-scale growth and fluid venting dynamics in vast coral mound structures of Morocco and within the Mediterranean Sea; CO - Prof. David van Rooij, Ghent University) | 50 |
2003 - 2006 | CNRS - ECLIPSE | Reef ecology and sea level through time in New Caledonia (PA) (Project on the relative sea level change as recorded by dated tropical corals of several locations in the southern equatorial Pacific; CO - Dr. Guy Cabioch - IRD - Nouméa) | 7.5 |
2002 - 2004 | EU | Geological drivers of carbonate mound formation (PA) (Project on the geological drivers of coral carbonate mound evolution including climate change and coral isotope geochemistry; CO - Prof. Jean Pierre Henriet - Ghent University) | 50 (5 000) |
2002 - 2005 | CNRS - PNEDC | Ampoule - Climate changes during the Holocene (PA) (Project in which numerous sedimentological climate archives have been explored for the Holocene climate records; CO - Dr. Pascal Yiou) | 5 |
2001 - 2003 | EU - Marie Curie Action | Ocean ventilation viewed through deep sea corals (CO) (Project on the use of radiocarbon to trace the state of ventilation of modern, post-modern and past mid-depth water masses in the eastern North Atlantic) | 132 |
1999 - 2001 | DFG | European Travertine Deposits as Climate Archive (PI) (Project on the use of central European travertine deposits as climate archive. Involved in high precision U-series dating and the development of stable isotopes and other geochemical tracers to determine the environmental conditions and Karst water provenance and pathway) (CO - Prof. Augusto Mangini / Dr. B. Kober) | 53 |
1997 - 1999 | DFG | Climate Signals from Stalagmites (PA) (Involved in the development of U-series dating of stalagmites and its use for Paleoclimate reconstruction) (CO - Prof. Augusto Mangini) | 90 |
1997 - 1999 | DFG | Nd Isotopes in Foraminifera as Tracers of Past Ocean Circulation (CO) (Foreign exchange post-doctoral project with the aim to develop Nd-Isotopes as a new water mass provenance tracer using foraminifera as archive, conducted at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory New York, USA) | 67 |
BMBF | Micro Sampling U-series dating of Late Quaternary travertine deposits with relevant archeological remains (PI) (Development of a mineralogical approach to identify travertine depositional phases for accurate micro-scale U-series dating. CO - Prof. G. Wagner, HAW, MPIK Heidelberg) | 130 | |
1996 - 1998 | DFG | Paleomagnetic Signal Preservation in Travertine Deposit (PA) (Involved in the study of travertine using natural radionuclides and the absolute dating of the magnetic “semi” - reversal observed in the Bad Cannstatt travertine deposit "Biedermann" CO: Dr. Ulrich Hambach) | 30 |
1995 - 1997 | DFG | Sea Level Changes in Western Australia (PA) (Involved in the development of mass spectrometric U-series dating of corals, the planning of the sampling and the development of a mobile U-series laboratory including a Silena compact Alpha-Spectrometer: CO - Dr. Anton Eisenhauer) | 60 |
1993 - 1995 | BMBF | Peru-Basin: Boundary Layer Processes (PA) (Involved in the study of 231Pa and 230Th in manganese crusts and nodules to determine the nodules accumulation rate - Diploma Thesis) | 5 |
Preise und Ehrungen
- Teaching Price of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy (2018)
- Price for exceptional success CEA (2009)
- EU Marie-Curie Fellowship (2001) (100 k€)
- DFG individual International Research Fellowship (1997) (32 k€)
Images from my Research
Toughts about Achievements
When I think about my personal achievements after so many years in science and teaching, one stands out above all: I did not give up. Despite countless rejection letters and many critical voices along the way, each “no” became a reason to try harder. Every skeptical comment became a motivation to critically reassess my thinking—either to change direction or improve my ideas until I could convince even my strongest opponents.
I have not become a particularly clever, successful, or visible scientist when compared to some of my brilliant early-career peers. But I take pride in my work, and I am honoured to hold a professorship at the prestigious Heidelberg University.
My path has not been straightforward. I started out with a teacher who didn’t believe I should even attend high school due to my struggles with reading, writing, and managing anger. During my university studies, I often felt inadequate and doubted whether I would ever succeed—until my master's project, where I not only finished with distinction but also made breakthroughs that fueled my confidence.
In my PhD, I became a respected expert in dating “dirty” carbonates and investigating early human history. I helped push my mentor’s team into new scientific fields and technologies, gaining recognition in the process. Still, I consider my two most significant achievements to be the establishment of two fully funded, state-of-the-art geochemistry laboratories: one at LSCE in France, and one at the IUP in Heidelberg.
Securing funding and setting up these LA-MC-ICPMS facilities—each with multiple mass spectrometers and improved clean lab environments—was a long and difficult process, often met with resistance. Yet today, these labs are thriving research hubs, worth many millions of euros in third-party funding, and instrumental to hundreds of scientific discoveries. More importantly, they have trained hundreds of students over the past 15 years.
But my greatest achievement is, without doubt, my passion for teaching. Despite my nervousness and lack of natural teaching talent, I have always dreamed of inspiring students to explore our environment with curiosity and wonder. Perhaps, at times, I have succeeded. I’ve long since stopped counting the extra hours I’ve invested in mentoring, guiding, and building a supportive environment for student growth—and I do not regret a single second of it.