Weave Lead Agency Initiative: New Collaboration Opportunity with ARIS (Slovenia)
Funding opportunity for bi- to trilateral research projects within the Weave Lead Agency Initiative
The Weave Lead Agency Procedure (Weave) developed by European funding organisations to support excellent collaborative research across borders was launched in December 2020. By means of a single review process, the initiative aims to simplify the submission and selection procedures for closely integrated collaborative research proposals involving researchers from up to three European countries or regions. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) already applies Weave together with FWF (Austria), FNR (Luxembourg), F.R.S.-FNRS and FWO (Belgium), NCN (Poland), GACR (Czech Republic) and SNSF (Switzerland).
Background information on the Weave Lead Agency Procedure
- Within Weave, researchers from two up to three European countries or regions are able to submit a collaborative research proposal to any of the participating funders.
- To submit a proposal, all applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of their respective Weave signatory organisation.
- Weave is based on the Lead Agency Procedure principle. The team of applicants selects a coordinating applicant, who submits the joint proposal to the respective Weave funding organisation in his/her country. This organisation acts as the Lead Agency for the proposal and conducts the evaluation process. Following the assessment, it communicates its funding recommendation to the other funding organisations involved (the Partner Agencies) for approval and budgetary purposes.
- Please note that there are no separate funds available for this joint initiative. These opportunities follow the general funding lines and budgets of the funding organisations. Proposals must succeed on the strengths of their intellectual merit and teams in competition with other proposals. The funding organisations aim to support the proposals among the top 20 percent in the respective evaluation.
- For further information on the Weave Lead Agency Procedure, please refer to the information on Weave on the DFG-webpage and the website of the Weave Initiative (see links below).
Implementation of the Weave Lead Agency Procedure
The DFG funding scheme open to Weave is the Individual Research Grants Programme (“Sachbeihilfe”). In addition to the research organisations listed above and from now on, the DFG will apply the Weave Lead Agency Procedure also together with The Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS).
DFG as the Lead Agency
For details on the DFG’s application process, please refer to:
- the DFG website on the Weave Lead Agency Procedure (see link below)
- the supplementary instructions for proposals within the Weave Lead Agency Procedure (DFG-form 54.019; see link below)
Proposals with DFG as the Lead Agency can be submitted any time. Please make sure to also consult ARIS’s website (see link below) as there may be important information to consider prior to submitting a proposal, e.g. eligibility requirements, deadlines, submission of additional documents, etc.
DFG as the Partner Agency
To submit a Weave Lead Agency Proposal with ARIS as the Lead Agency please consult their website for important information on further eligibility requirements, deadlines etc. (see links below).
A copy of the proposal as well as all other required documents have to be submitted to the DFG within 7 days upon submission to the Lead Agency. For further details, please refer to the DFG website on the Weave Lead Agency Procedure (see link below).
Important note on proposals with Slovenia
Please note that ARIS allows one applicant per proposal on the Slovenian side, regardless of whether ARIS acts as the Lead or the Partner Agency. For further specifics please refer to the ARIS website and information.
Ethics votes
Please note that if an ethics vote is required for the German part of the project or the project part abroad, it must be submitted together with the proposal. However, in exceptional cases, an ethics vote by the responsible local German ethics committee can be submitted no later than three months after proposal submission. Otherwise, the funding organisations may stop processing the application. Please note that the submission of an ethics vote by the German ethics committee is also necessary if only the project part abroad is affected, as it is a cooperation project.
Decision processes
Funding recommendations by the Lead Agency will be subject to approval by the decision bodies of the involved funding organisations (for the DFG: involvement of the responsible DFG review board and Joint Committee), taking into account the availability of funds.
Funding of the joint research projects is contingent upon positive assessment and decision by both funding organisations. If granted, each organisation supports the researchers for whom it is responsible. Unilateral funding of only one part of the project is not possible.
Notification of Results
Applicants will be informed in writing of the decision and, where applicable, of the subsequent administrative steps according to the regulations of the respective funding organisation.
Funding will be provided according to the funding rules (incl. reporting) of the respective funding organisation, adhering to their general financial regulations.
Grant holders are requested, where possible, to synchronise their project components and initiate their grants in a timely manner.
Equity and Diversity
The DFG strongly welcomes proposals from researchers of all genders and sexual identities, from different ethnic, cultural, religious, ideological or social backgrounds, from different career stages, types of universities and research institutions, and with disabilities or chronic illness.
Further Information
Information on Weave in German (Antragstellung mit europäischen Kooperationspartner*innen im Weave Lead Agency-Verfahren):
Information on Weave in English:
Supplementary instructions for proposals within the Weave Lead Agency Procedure; „Ergänzender Leitfaden zur Antragstellung im Rahmen einer grenzüberschreitenden Kooperation im Weave Lead Agency-Verfahren (Weave LAV)“ (DFG-Vordruck 54.01).
Project Data Form (compulsory to submit together with the proposal):
DFG’s FAQ on Proposal Submission within the Weave Lead Agency procedure:
DFG’s Electronic Proposal Processing System for Applicants – elan:
Data protection:
Please note the DFG’s data protection notic on research funding. If necessary, please forward this information to any individuals whose data will be processed by DFG due to their involvement in your project.
Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Research Practice – Code of Conduct:
Information on the implementation of the Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Research Practice (Code of Conduct):
Contact of the DFG´s Research Integrity team (Good Research Practice): gwp@dfg.d
Contact at DFG: weave@dfg.d
Contact at ARIS: razpis-projekti@aris-rs.s
Further information provided by ARIS:
- ARIS’ website on (Co-)financing of research projects according to the Lead Agency Principl
- ARIS’ website on DFG as Lead Agenc
- ARIS’ Weave Information for applicant (currently only available in Slovene)
General website of the Weave Initiative: www.weave-research.ne