Huge interest in new funding instrument for knowledge-driven collaborative research / funding decision expected in December

Huge interest in new funding instrument for knowledge-driven collaborative research / funding decision expected in December

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) received 70 proposals for the new "Research Impulses" (RI) funding instrument for universities of applied sciences (Hochschulen für Angewandte Wissenschaften and Fachhochschulen, HAW/FH) by the deadline of 1 March deadline.

The Research Impulses programme is part of a comprehensive set of measures recently developed by the DFG that explicitly invites proposals from HAW/FH. RI are specifically designed to support promising collaborative research projects, thus helping HAW/FH to build upon their research strengths and sharpen their respective scientific profiles in a targeted manner.

The first RI call for proposals was issued at the end of October 2022 and invited HAW/FH to submit a research proposal. Of the 70 proposals received, many are pursuing interdisciplinary approaches. The HAW/FH made extensive use of the comprehensive consultation services offered by the DFG Head Office.

DFG President Professor Dr. Katja Becker emphatically welcomes the response to the first call for proposals: "The large number and diversity of proposals received," said Becker, "reflect the potential and interest of HAW/FH in high-level research and in our new funding instrument. That is an extremely gratifying development at such an early stage," Becker emphasised, adding that: "We will be monitoring this new funding instrument closely over the next few years and gaining further experience, particularly in terms of the proposal submission and review process. However, we also encourage applicants to remain in close contact with experienced colleagues as well as the DFG Head Office."

The proposals submitted in response to the first call for proposals will be reviewed by panels consisting of national and international reviewers in a series of video conferences. The reviews are expected to take place between mid-April and mid-September 2023.

It is expected that the DFG Joint Committee will decide upon which proposals will be funded in December 2023 based on a recommendation from the Senate. The DFG will then fund the approved Research Impulses for an initial period of five years, starting in 2024.

Further Information

Media Contact

• Marco Finetti
  Head of Press and Public Relations at the DFG
  Tel. +49 228 885-2230
  presse@dfg.de

Contact persons at the DFG Head Office:

• Dr. Christine Petry
  Head of the Excellence Strategy and Research Impulses
  Tel. +49 228 885-2355
  christine.petry@dfg.de

For more detailed information on the Research Impulses, see:

• www.dfg.de/research_impulses/