Evaluation Studies and Statistical Reports
With the evaluation of a DFG funding programme, it is possible to (a) assess the success of a process and (b) lay an empirical basis for DFG funding policy. In doing so, evaluative studies utilise sociological methods, such as statistical analyses, surveys or bibliometric assessments.
Evaluation of Clinical Research Units
Clinical Research Units aim to promote research collaborations in disease- or patient-oriented (translational) clinical research. For this purpose, scientific working groups and structures are established in clinical facilities on a long-term basis. An evaluation study conducted by inspire research sheds light on the extent to which the funding instrument has achieved its stated goals. Based on this, an Evaluation Commission has prepared a statement containing recommendations for the further development of the programme.
Statistical information on the develop- ment of the Heisenberg Programme
The report “Statistical Information on the Development of the Heisenberg Programme”, last published in 2017, was updated for the seventh Heisenberg Networking Meeting. The report contains key figures regarding the development of the Heisenberg Programme from 2014 to 2021. The report sheds light on the subject profile and demographic structure of Heisenberg funding as well as showing which DFG project funding recipients are involved in.
Further Studies and Reports
Statistical Reports on Researchers in the Coordinated Programmes (2022)

Three statistical reports on researchers in Collaborative Research Centres, in Research Training Groups and in Clusters of Excellence provide information on the personnel structures in the DFG’s Coordinated Programmes. They focus on their distribution by gender, their place of employment before joining the team and the funding of these researchers. The reports reflect the developments in these three thematic areas during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
DFG Funding Activities in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022)

The COVID-19 pandemic posed major challenges to the research community in 2020 and 2021. These also had an impact on DFG’s funding activities, as shown in the statistical report. The report provides facts and figures on grant applications, international cooperation and peer review during the height of the pandemic. It furthermore highlights the scope and the topics of research into pandemics, and COVID-19 in particular.
Doctoral programme lengths and doctoral degrees in DFG-funded consortia (2021)

Doctoral programme lengths and doctoral degrees are highly relevant to research policy, but information on them is scarce. In two statistical reports, the DFG analyses data on doctorates completed in the context of Collaborative Research Centres, Research Training Groups, Clusters of Excellence and Graduate Schools.