Recognising the importance of international collaboration in promoting scientific discoveries, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on research cooperation. To facilitate the support of collaborative work between Singaporean researchers and their German counterparts under this MoU, A*STAR and the DFG are pleased to announce a Lead Agency activity in the area of sustainable chemistry.

Chemistry and related fields play a major role for the design of materials and processes that minimise or eliminate the use and generation of substances, that negatively affect our environment. The aim of the joint call is to foster sustainable, environmentally friendly processes, which are vital for our future supply with necessary products for our everyday life as well as clean energy. The proposed Singaporean-German collaborative research projects must focus on curiosity-driven research related to sustainable chemistry and address research challenges related to environmental sustainability. Typical (but not exclusive) areas of sustainable chemistry include substitution of raw materials, resource-conserving chemistry and sustainable catalysis, sustainable computational / data driven chemistry.

Please note that the DFG does not allocate separate funds for this joint initiative. These opportunities follow the general funding guidelines and budget of A*STAR and the DFG. Proposals must succeed on the strengths of their intellectual merit and teams in comparison with other proposals.

Eligibility

Proposals eligible to apply for this Lead Agency activity must have a research focus on the topic areas identified above. Collaborative research proposals for up to 36 months will be accepted by the DFG subject areas(Download) 3.11-3.17, 4.21 and 4.22.

Applicants to be funded by the DFG are required to fulfil the eligibility requirements of a DFG research grants programme (Guidelines on the Duty to Cooperate, DFG form 55.01(interner Link)). This includes the duty to cooperate(Download) (“Kooperationspflicht”) within Germany for members of non-university institutions with permanent positions. Any duty to cooperate for DFG applicants at non-university research institutions can only be fulfilled through cooperation with a partner at a German university.

Singapore-based Principal Investigators (PIs) are eligible to apply if their primary appointment is 75% or more in a local publicly funded research institution. Eligible Singapore-based public sector research performers include the Institutes of Higher Learning (including universities and polytechnics), A*STAR Research Institutes and non-defense-related public sector agencies (e.g. ministries, statutory boards). Proposals must be endorsed by the applicants’ host institution/s (by the Chief Executive Director, Executive Director, the Director of Research or equivalent) prior to submission. Applicants must deliver their project in accordance to the A*STAR Grants Terms & Conditions and Guidelines. Detailed information can be found on the A*STAR website and questions will be answered by an A*STAR contact person (see below).

Proposal Preparation and Submission

In this call, the DFG acts as Lead Agency. The review process follows the DFG proposal processing and review procedures. Each organisation will pursue its own decision-making process. Only if both organisations come to a positive decision, funding can be granted. If granted, each organisation supports the researchers it is responsible for.

The applicants should demonstrate how bringing together researchers based in Singapore and Germany will add value and advance their research. It is expected that each partner substantially contributes to the common project. Projects should be integrated but do not have to be symmetrical. However, work packages are expected to be delivered in a reasonably balanced manner and schedules are to be well coordinated. The team of applicants should ensure there is a plan for effective delivery and coordination of research across the partners.

When preparing the joint proposal, please refer to the Guidelines Research Grants Programme (DFG form 50.01(interner Link)); all documents must be written in English. The proposal must include a description of the full proposed research programme, the research team and the total resources for the joint project (meaning the funds requested for the Singaporean and the German side). The resources and cost justification section should include a clear summary and justification of the costs for both sides (A*STAR and DFG). All budget items must conform to the rules of the respective funding organisation applicable to each applicant.

Please submit your proposal to the DFG by 18 June 2025. Proposals are to be submitted solely via the elan portal(externer Link) in order to ensure proposal-related data is recorded and documents are securely transmitted.

If this is the first time you are submitting a proposal to the DFG, please note that you must register in the elan portal before you can submit your proposal. You must do so by 11 June 2025.

After logging in, please use the link “Proposal for a Research Grant” in the Proposal Forms column (Proposal Submission > New Project > Individual Grants Programme > Proposal for a Research Grant). Please select “Singapore-ASTAR-DFG-Research Projects-2025” under “Proposal Data”. 

For each module, please only enter the funds requested from the DFG in the elan system. Note that only Germany-based applicants should be entered as “Applicants” in elan. Singapore-based partners should be entered as “Cooperation Partners”.

A CV for each of the applying individuals in Germany and Singapore should be provided, formatted according to the Curriculum Vitae (DFG form 53.200(interner Link)). Please upload the CVs of all principal investigators combined in one PDF document.

Information for Singapore-based applicants

Singapore-based applicants should submit the Budget, Milestones and KPIs template as well as additional information stated in the “Acknowledgement and Appendices” document. Required templates and relevant documents can be found here(externer Link). Please add those two documents when submitting your proposal via the elan portal.

Funding

Results can be expected in February 2026. Applicants will be informed in writing of the decision and, where applicable, of the subsequent administrative steps according to the respective national regulations.

Funding will be provided according to the funding rules (incl. reporting) of the respective funding organisation.

Grant holders are requested, where possible, to keep their project components synchronous 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. With regard to the subject-specific focus of this call, the DFG encourages female researchers in particular to submit proposals.

Good Research Practice

According to a resolution of the DFG General Assembly, DFG funding may only be awarded to research institutions that have implemented the guidelines laid down in the Code of Conduct for Safeguarding Good Research Practice(externer Link) in their own regulations. The management of your institution is responsible for implementing the guidelines in a legally binding manner. In order to avoid delays in the disbursement of funding, please verify implementation within your institution in good time. For information regarding the implementation, please refer to the Research Integrity Portal(externer Link). If you have any questions on this subject, please contact the Research Integrity team(externer Link) at the DFG Head Office. 

Further Information 

Proposal Preparation and Submission

Detailed information on DFG's subject classification(Download) and the DFG's Research Grants Programme(interner Link)

When submitting proposals, please use the elan portal(externer Link) and refer to the respective guidelines (DFG forms 50.01(interner Link), 53.01(interner Link) and 53.200(interner Link)). The FAQ on Proposal Submission(interner Link) may also be helpful.

Required templates and relevant documents for Singapore-based applicants can be found on the A*STAR website(externer Link).

Contact Persons at the DFG Head Office

Chemistry

Dr. Kerstin Freitag, Physics and Chemistry, phone +49 228 885-2352, kerstin.freitag@dfg.de(externer Link)

Dr. Markus Behnke, Physics and Chemistry, phone + 49 228 885-2181, markus.behnke@dfg.de(externer Link)

Engineering Sciences

Dr. Simon Jörres, Engineering Sciences 1, phone +49 228 885-2971, simon.jörres@dfg.de(externer Link)

Dr. Sebastian Peukert, Engineering Sciences 1, phone +49 228 885-2834, sebastian.peukert@dfg.de(externer Link)

Inquiries related to general questions on Singapore-German cooperation

Britta Möller, International Affairs, phone +49 228 885-2285, britta.moeller@dfg.de(externer Link) 

Contact at A*STAR

Office of Grants Administration, oga_bilats@hq.a-star.edu.sg(externer Link)

Privacy Policy

We, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), take the protection of your personal data and its confidential treatment extremely seriously. Therefore, please refer to the DFG’s Privacy Policy(interner Link). If you intend to transmit personal data of third parties, please make sure to do so only if the necessary legitimation under data protection law exist. Before transmitting data of third parties to the DFG, please forward the DFG’s Data Protection Notice to the individuals affected (data subjects). If there is a legitimate interest not to inform individuals beforehand (e.g. for reasons of secrecy or in case of a nomination or candidate proposal), these individuals should be informed no later than at the time of publication.