Federal government funding
Federal funding programmes typically have the following characteristics:
- As a rule, they fund joint/collaborative projects involving several partners – such as R&D projects with corporate partners.
- Applications can only be submitted within the framework of deadline-bound calls for proposals.
- Projects should be application-orientated and in cooperation with SMEs and/or university partners.
- They usually have a two-stage application procedure.
At the federal level, the following institutions, among others, fund programme-oriented research projects:
The BMBF funds projects with targeted funding lines and topic areas, which are announced by newsletter [German content]:
- High-tech strategy and innovation (including information and communication technologies, future of work, production and consumption, climate, energy, health, mobility)
- Digital economy and society [German content]
- Environment and sustainability [German content] (including sustainable development/FONA, biodiversity, energy, society and economy)
- Energy transition and sustainable economy [German content], including bioeconomy [German content] and electromobility [German content]
- Health research [German content]
- Humanities, cultural and social sciences (ended in 2017)
- International research collaborations, including start-up aid and scientific and technological cooperation with partners in certain countries, varying according to the call for proposals
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) supports projects for the reduction of environmental pollution at home and abroad.
The following funding priorities are currently defined and will be advertised via newsletter:
- Climate and energy (including climate action and adaptation, emissions trading, energy efficiency)
- Environmental protection and nature conservation (including resource efficiency and conservation, biodiversity, species protection)
- Water, Resources and Waste
- Air, noise and mobility (including transport and electromobility)
- Health (e.g. chemicals, nanotechnology)
- Sustainability, digitalisation
- Consumer Protection
- Europe, International
- Education, participation
The BMWK supports application-oriented collaborative projects between higher education institutions and companies.
The following funding priorities are currently defined and will be advertised via newsletter:
- Technology-open project funding
with collaborations between higher education institutions and companies, including via the Central Innovation Programme ZIM). - Key technologies
including biotechnology, electromobility, information and communication technologies, microsystems, production and optical technologies, aviation, transport and logistics systems - Energy research
- Pre-competitive research for SMEs
The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM) particularly promotes research, preservation and presentation of German culture and history in Eastern Europe. The same applies to the Federal Institute for Culture and History of the Germans in Eastern Europe (BKGE).
The Research Services Division does not advise on funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
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