Letter of Intent
to submit a proposal for a Cluster of Excellence
General Instructions
The Letters of Intent of the universities to submit proposals for a Cluster of Excellence are non-binding, are not reviewed and only serve to plan the review process. 
Submission is requested  
•	for renewal proposals: by 4 pm on 29 January 2024.
•	for establishment proposals: by 4 pm on 15 April 2024.
The information contained is preliminary and may differ from the actual proposal.
Please use the following template for the Letter of Intent, delete the instructions (in grey font) and convert the document to PDF format. Create a PDF file without password protection and without restrictions regarding reading, copying and printing. The PDF should be submitted via elan as “correspondence” regarding the draft proposal/establishment proposal, respectively. Please note that Letters of Intent can only be submitted by the spokespersons. 
Submission of the Letter of Intent via elan:
•	Please log in to your elan account. Only the spokesperson(s) can submit the Letter of Intent.
•	Select “Proposal Submission” - “Proposal Overview/Renewal Proposal”.
•	Search for the Cluster of Excellence (draft) proposal in the list and select “Continue”. 
•	Click the button next to “Form for submitting comments, inquiries and additions to the DFG Head Office” to start the online form.
•	Upload the Letter of Intent as a PDF file and select “Continue”.
•	Select “Send” to send the form to the DFG Head Office.
•	You will be provided with a PDF summary of your submitted form for download. Please note that this PDF summary also serves as confirmation of your submission and you will not receive a separate confirmation e-mail.

Letter of Intent to submit a proposal for a Cluster of Excellence 
1.	Proposal Type
 New proposal
Reference number of draft proposal: EXC 3______/0

 Renewal proposal
Reference number of establishment proposal: EXC 2______/1
2.	Title in German and English
<German title>
<English title>
3.	Applicant university/universities and spokesperson(s)
Managing University	
<university>	

Further applicant universities	
<university>	
<university>	

Please indicate the university that will administer the funds of the Cluster of Excellence. Where applicable, please list all other applicant universities.
Renewal proposals only: please highlight changes in comparison to the establishment proposals in bold.  

Spokesperson(s)
Authorised spokesperson at the 
Managing University	<spokesperson>	

Further spokesperson(s)	Institution	
<spokesperson>	<institution>	
<spokesperson>	<institution>	

Please indicate the Managing University’s authorised spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence. Up to two additional spokespersons may be listed in the proposal. For spokespersons not affiliated with the Managing University, their respective institutions should also be provided. 
Changes in comparison to the establishment proposal/draft proposal should be highlighted in bold.
4.	Participating Institutions
Participating institutions	Location	
<participating institution>	<location>	
<participating institution>	<location>	
<participating institution>	<location>	

Please list all participating entities with which intensive cooperation is planned and which are to receive funds from the Cluster of Excellence’s budget (e.g. non-university research institutions, other universities, institutions in the public domain).
Changes in comparison to the establishment proposal/draft proposal should be highlighted in bold.

5.	Summary of the Proposal
Please provide a plain-language summary of no more than three pages of the research and structural objectives of the proposed Cluster of Excellence.
6.	Principal Investigators
No.	Principal investigators	Location/Institution	Field of expertise	Position	
1	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
2	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
3	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
4	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
5	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
6	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
7	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
8	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
9	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
10	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
11	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
12	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
13	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
14	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
15	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
16	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
17	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
18	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
19	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
20	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
21	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
22	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
23	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
24	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
25	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	

Please list in alphabetical order up to 25 researchers, including the spokesperson(s), who are significantly involved in the Cluster of Excellence and in the preparation of the proposal. Also indicate the principal investigator’s respective location and institution, their field of expertise and their position (e.g. W3, W2 or W1 professorship, independent junior research group leader, core facility leader, etc.). 
Changes in comparison to the establishment proposal/draft proposal should be highlighted in bold.
7.	Fields of Research
No.	Fields of research	
1	<field of research>	
2	<field of research>	
3	<field of research>	
4	<field of research>	
5	<field of research>	
6	<field of research>	
7	<field of research>	
8	<field of research>	
9	<field of research>	
10	<field of research>	

Please list up to ten disciplines primarily involved in the Cluster of Excellence, using the five-digit codes of the DFG subject structure: www.dfg.de/en/dfg-profile/statutory-bodies/review-boards/structure. Please prioritise entries in descending order of relevance.

8.	Key Methods and Models
No.	Method / Model	
1	<method / model>	
2	<method / model>	
3	<method / model>	
4	<method / model>	
5	<method / model>	
6	<method / model>	
7	<method / model>	
8	<method / model>	
9	<method / model>	
10	<method / model>	

Please list up to ten methods and/or models primarily used in the Cluster of Excellence.
9.	Collaborations/Conflicts of Interest 
No.	Collaboration partners	Location/Institution	
1	<collaboration partner>	<location, institution>	

The purpose of this list is to help the DFG Head Office to rule out potential conflicts of interest in the review process. Therefore, please list – for all the PIs – those researchers in Germany and abroad with whom close and direct research cooperation has taken place within the past three years or is planned, within the Cluster of Excellence or otherwise. Relevant collaborations are those that may result in an appearance of bias in a review process (e.g. joint research projects with and without third-party-funding, joint publications, PI guest residencies and/or memberships in an advisory board of the partner’s institution and vice versa). The DFG Guidelines for Avoiding Conflicts of Interest provide further orientation:
www.dfg.de/formulare/10_201   

10.	Persons who are to be excluded from the Review Panel
No.	Person	Location/Institution	
1	<person>	<location, institution>	
2	<person>	<location, institution>	
3	<person>	<location, institution>	

If required, you may name a maximum of three persons who should be excluded from the review for reasons of potential Conflict of Interest.
Signatures

place and date	signature	

	name
(Authorised spokesperson of the managing university)	
place and date	signature	
	name
(Rector / president of the managing university)

place and date	signature	
	name
(Rector / president of other applicant universities)
	
place and date	signature	
	name
(Rector / president of other applicant universities)
	
.	

This page must be signed by the Rector/ President of the applicant university/ by the Rectors/Presidents of all applicant universities.