German Research Foundation
The "German Funding Programmes" unit is again regularly staffed on site. If you cannot reach us by phone or Skype for Business, please send us an email.
Please note for your application planning that our unit will not be staffed on May 27 and June 17 (both Fridays after the bank holidays).
Please direct all new inquiries exclusively to Dr. Kerstin Theis, head of the unit, e-mail.
Thank you!
- Individual funding for doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers, including those pursuing a habilitation
- Project funding by means of an individual research grant
with the basic module funding line and, if applicable, additional modules via building block principle
(personnel, material and travel funds, if necessary additional funds for publications, workshops, public relations, visiting academics, research sabbaticals etc.). - Postdoctoral funding for your own position
- Walter Benjamin Programme = for academics in the early career phase after their doctorate to carry out a research project in Germany or abroad.
The research fellowship section was terminated in summer 2019. - Emmy Noether Programme = early career researchers
- Heisenberg Programme = preparation for a professorship
- Project funding by means of an individual research grant
- Coordinated programmes = research in alliance
- Priority Programmes = sub-projects in a large consortium project, via call for proposals
- Research Units
- Research Training Groups
- Collaborative Research Centres
- International
- international academic events
- Establishing international cooperation
- Joint projects with Austria and/or Switzerland (D-A-CH funding line)
- Academic infrastructure
- Scientific literature supply and information systems (LIS),
including digitisation and indexing of sources, full-text digitisation procedures, information infrastructures of research data, e-research technologies, acquisition of bequests and collections,
Open Access publications, e-Research Technologies
NEW: Digitisation and indexing - Scientific equipment and information technology (WGI)
- Scientific literature supply and information systems (LIS),
- Knowledge transfer between science and industry or public sectors in the pre-competitive phase. Transfer projects can be applied for in all funding lines, provided they are based on the results of DFG projects.
Update of the Project Proposal Preparation Instructions
In March 2022, the DFG updated the Project Proposal Preparation Instructions (Form 54.01), which is relevant for project proposals under the programme Individual Research Grants, under the Emmy Noether Programme and for Research Units or Priority Programmes, cf. in detail here.
In the future, more detailed statements on the handling of research data (previously chapter 2.4) will be required. A checklist, the DFG and a working group for research data management of the University of Passau provide orientation here.
The section "Handling of research data" and "Relevance of sex, gender and/or diversity" have also been moved to the first, scientific part of the proposal. The page separation for the 25-page proposal is now:
* 17 pages of scientific part (Chapters 1 and 2),
* 8 pages for the chapters "Supplementary information" and "Requested modules/funds".

The DFG funds knowledge-driven basic research in all disciplines in a wide variety of project forms and sizes.
- Eligibility to apply: from doctorate.
- Deadlines: at any time; exception: time-bound special calls for proposals.
- Review procedure: usually at least 6 months.
- In addition to its regular funding lines, the DFG invites tenders for certain funding formats separately, such as project funding in priority programmes, centres, international collaborations and prizes, which are published via the DFG Newsletter.
- The University of Passau supports the development of DFG applications in the internal funding programme Research Pool - as start-up funding in the form of personnel and, if necessary, material resources!

If you have any questions about which DFG funding line your project idea is eligible for and how to submit an application to the DFG, the staff in Section. III/2 and the relevant subject sections of the DFG will be happy to advise you.
Please briefly inform our DFG Liaison Officer, Professor Carolin Haeussler and the Research Officer, Dr Kerstin Theis, if you have submitted an application to the DFG.
An informal e-mail stating the title, chosen funding line and subject area is sufficient.
In cases of conflict within the scope of DFG proposals or projects, you can contact DFG liaison officer and the elected ombudspersons for good research practice at any time.
Further information on the role of the DFG liaison officers.