Research Funding in the European Context
Multilateral Cooperations within Europe
The DFG funds research at the European level on the basis of scientific competition. To this end, and to promote cross-border scientific cooperation, the DFG has established numerous bilateral and European programmes. This requires sustainable networks which the DFG has been building in Europe for a long time. In addition to developing international funding programmes, the DFG also holds symposia, workshops, exhibitions and lectures to stimulate scientific discourse across borders.
The European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi), which provides information and advice on EU funding opportunities for scientists and scientific organisations, is particularly important in this respect. It is supported by the DFG as a central research facility.
ESF – European Science Foundation
The ESF is a nongovernmental organisation located in Strasbourg. Its membership currently consists of 70 national organisations working in the field of scientific research and research funding and academies of sciences and humanities. The DFG actively participates in the conception and announcement of ESF programmes as well as in funding the German project sections.
EUROCORES (European Collaborative Research Programmes)
EUROCORES (European Collaborative Research Programmes) is a framework created by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in 2000 to promote Europe-wide collaboration on particular research topics.
Individual EUROCORES programmes are comparable to DFG Priority Programmes in terms of their structure. EUROCORES programmes are intended to contribute towards improving science in Europe by enabling larger scale collaborative research programmes, thus improving European cooperation. The programme is also intended to continue after announcement of the instruments of the European Research Council (ERC), since an overlap between its instruments for individual research funding for young researchers and leading research teams is not to be expected.
The first EUROCORES programmes have been funded since 2001. The scheme involves funding organisations that participate in calls for proposals on a voluntary basis (“à la carte”). Twenty three EUROCORES have been funded in the calls to date – the most recent of which was in 2005/2006 – ten involving participation by the DFG. The calls for proposals and the review process for EUROCORES initiatives are organised by the ESF and the projects are funded by the member organisations involved.
EUROHORCS – European Heads of Research Councils
This is a forum of national research organisations and research funding organisations that discusses current research policy issues in the European context. The President of the DFG serves as is its representative in this forum.
KoWi
The European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi), which provides information and advice on EU funding opportunities for scientists and scientific organisations, is particularly important in this respect. It is supported by the DFG as a central research facility.
D-A-CH
The DFG and its partner organisations in Austria (Austrian Science Fund, FWF) and Switzerland (Swiss National Science Foundation, SNF) have established a permanent cooperative association, which holds annual meetings of their presidents and secretary generals.
In future, bilateral and trilateral research projects covered by the “Individual Grants Programme” involving Germany (DFG), Austria (FWF) and Switzerland (SNF) will only be administered and peer reviewed by one of the three funding organisations (the Lead Agency). The funding of such D- A-CH projects will remain separate.
Similar agreements on the international transferability of funding have now also been reached with other funding organisation. So far, twelve European countries have signed a Letter of Intent and more are set to follow.
EUPRO – European Union of Physics Research Organisations
EUPRO is an association of representatives of European funding organisations for the promotion of physics. The organisation aims to stimulate science in Europe through the exchange of experiences and the preparation of joint initiatives in the area of physics.
CERC 3 – Chairmen of the European Research Councils´ Chemistry Committees
The aim of this association is to enable better coordination of national research programmes in chemistry in the EU, in order to achieve a more effective use of both national and international resources and raise the visibility of chemistry research in Europe. Its activities include transnational applications for chemical research grants and the organisation of Young Chemists´ Workshops.
International Research Training Groups
International Research Training Groups provide opportunities for joint doctoral training programmes between German universities and universities abroad. The research and study programmes are jointly developed and supervised. Doctoral students in the programme complete a six-month research stay at the respective partner institution.
