DFG and JSPS Renew Funding Opportunity for Japanese-German International Research Training Groups
As an expression of the long and fruitful scientific collaboration between their two countries, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) are pleased to announce the renewal of the Memorandum of Cooperation for a joint funding scheme to support Japanese-German International Research Training Groups. Both organisations are dedicated to strengthening the joint researcher development systems for doctoral researchers at Japanese and German universities.
Background and Description of International Research Training Groups
International Research Training Groups (IRTGs), in which German universities cooperate with research institutions in other countries and regions, combine innovative top-level research and the structured promotion of excellent researchers in early career phases. As bilateral collaborations set up by experienced researchers, IRTGs promote systematic scientific cooperation through joint research programmes and corresponding qualification measures for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. A central feature of IRTGs are coordinated and reciprocal research visits by doctoral researchers at the respective partner institutions. IRTGs can only be established by universities, universities of applied science and research institutions entitled to confer doctoral degrees.
Structure of Japanese-German Research Training Groups
Proposals for Japanese-German IRTGs intended for JSPS-DFG funding are open to all subject areas covered by the JSPS, and interdisciplinarity in joint projects is encouraged. An IRTG should be run by two teams of participating researchers in Japan and Germany, respectively. Each team should have members with proven expertise both in the IRTG’s main research topic and in providing outstanding supervision to doctoral researchers. The participating researchers’ expertise at the two locations should be complementary and provide added value to the IRTG. Each team of participating researchers in an IRTG should be based at a single institution in Japan and Germany, respectively. In convincingly justified cases, an IRTG may be based at more than two institutions.
The Japanese and German teams in an IRTG should jointly formulate a high quality and coherent research and training programme to be implemented at both sites. The teams should have common research interests and objectives, and these must be reflected within a common framework and joint project. Proposals are submitted by the host institutions. For every IRTG, one member of the team on each side serves as spokesperson, being responsible for the proposal and the scientific coordination of the IRTG. This also includes the responsibility to report to the JSPS and the DFG, respectively.
The programme should provide for regular exchanges of academic staff and doctoral researchers for the purposes of joint research and training. Doctoral researchers should spend a period of at least six months (and up to one year) in total during their PhD project at the respective partner institution for research and training, and each doctoral researcher should have both a Japanese and a German supervisor. On the German side, approximately ten to fifteen doctoral researchers will be funded by the DFG within a single IRTG in parallel. The partner site in Japan should support a group of doctoral researchers of roughly the same size.
Please note: Proposals are only open to consortia that are planning to establish a novel joint degree or double degree programme for the doctoral researchers between the two institutions within the framework of the IRTG.
Submission and Evaluation of Proposals
The Japanese-German consortium will firstly need to submit a joint IRTG draft proposal to the DFG. Submission will be possible at any time without calls or deadlines, and proposals are processed continuously. Draft proposals will be evaluated by means of written peer review carried out by reviewers selected by both the JSPS and the DFG. On average, around six to nine months are needed for this process, in which the DFG evaluates the draft proposals according to its established procedures. The DFG and the JSPS will share information about the submission of proposals and their evaluation outcome. In case of a positive outcome of the review process, the JSPS and the DFG then invite the consortium to submit a joint full proposal. The joint full proposal must be sent to the JSPS and the DFG simultaneously. Submission must be in accordance with the respective funding organisation’s guidelines and through the established submission systems. Full proposals will be evaluated separately by the JSPS and the DFG.
Preparatory Workshops
For new Japanese-German IRTG initiatives, the DFG offers the possibility to support a workshop for the preparation of an IRTG proposal. Funding can be granted only if a research cooperation is already established and plans for the IRTG have already been consolidated. The workshop funding may either be applied for prior to the draft proposal submission, or prior to the submission of the full proposal, hence after the positive evaluation of the draft proposal.
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.
Good Research Practice
Please note that according to a resolution of the DFG General Assembly, as of 1 August 2019, DFG funding may only be awarded to institutions that have implemented the guidelines laid down in the Code of Conduct for Safeguarding Good Research Practice in their own regulations in a legally binding manner. This means that also for international proposals, funding from the DFG can only be received if the guidelines for safeguarding good research practice (see link below) have been implemented by the German applicant’s institution. If you have any questions on this subject, please contact the Research Integrity team at the DFG Head Office (see contact below). Further information regarding the implementation can be found on the Research Integrity website (see link below).
Further Information
Comprehensive information about Research Training Groups is available on the DFG website:
The “Guidelines for Research Training Groups and International Research Training Groups” provide a concise overview of the funding programme:
Draft proposals shall be prepared in accordance with DFG form 1.303 (“Draft Proposal Preparation Instructions for Research Training Groups and International Research Training Groups”):
Full proposals are to be prepared in accordance with DFG form 54.05 (“Proposal Preparation Instructions for Research Training Groups and International Research Training Groups”):
It is advisable to consult the “Guidelines for Differentiating International Research Training Groups from Research Training Groups”:
Information on how to apply for funding towards preparatory workshops can be found in DFG form 1.306:
Information on the review criteria are specified here:
for draft proposals:
for establishment proposals:
Please note the DFG’s data protection notice on research funding, which can be viewed and downloaded at:
If necessary, please also forward this information to those individuals whose data will be processed by the 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):
Contact details for queries:
For the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation):
For questions specifically addressing the international component of the IRTG initiative:
- Dr. Martin Roatsch, Division Research Careers, phone +49 228 885-3157, martin.roatsch@dfg.d
For general questions regarding the RTG and IRTG programme, please also refer to the contact persons in the DFG Head Office responsible for the location of the applicant university:
For the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS):
- International Research Cooperation Division II, externship@jsps.go.j