Joint Committee
The Joint Committee is responsible for the financial support for research provided by the DFG. It is the DFG’s main decision-making body. It bases its final research-policy decisions that relate to the DFG on resolutions passed by the Senate. These especially pertain to decisions regarding the DFG’s budget and the general development of its funding policy. The Joint Committee decides on the implementation of new funding programmes and on modifications to existing funding instruments. In addition, it makes the funding decisions in the DFG’s Individual Grants Programme, Priority Programmes, Emmy Noether Programme, Heisenberg Programme and on proposals submitted to fund research information infrastructure. As well as decisions relating to funding major equipment, the Joint Committee also makes the final selection in the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Programme and decides on cases involving scientific misconduct.
The Joint Committee is made up of 39 members of the Senate, representatives from the federal government (with a total of 16 votes), 16 representatives from the federal states and 2 representatives from the Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Sciences and the Humanities in Germany.
Subcommittees of the Joint Committee
Committee for Executive Board Affairs
The Committee for Executive Board Affairs handles employer functions with respect to the members of the DFG's Executive Board. These include the conclusion of employment contracts, matters relating to ancillary activities and the determination of rights and obligations under the terms of their employment.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is responsible for auditing the legality and regularity of the DFG’s implementation of the budget and accounting.
Grants Committees on Research Training Groups and Collaborative Research Centres
The Grants Committees on Research Training Groups and Collaborative Research Centres are responsible for funding decisions in the two programmes.
- Interner LinkGrants Committee on Research Training Groups
- Interner LinkGrants Committee on Collaborative Research Centres
Committee on Scientific Library Services and Information Systems
The Committee on Scientific Library Services and Information Systems is responsible for advising the DFG on all projects and activities relating to the development and support of scientific library services and information systems in Germany.
Committee on Scientific Instrumentation and Information Technology
The Committee on Scientific Instrumentation and Information Technology provides advice to the DFG’s bodies with respect to their tasks, including all projects and measures dealing with development and funding of scientific instrumentation and information technology.
Selection Committee for the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Programme
The decision on the prizewinners in the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Programme is made by the Joint Committee on the basis of a recommendation submitted by the Selections Committee.
Committee of Inquiry on Allegations of Scientific Misconduct
The Committee of Inquiry on Allegations of Scientific Misconduct investigates allegations of scientific misconduct particularly those involving applicants, funding recipients, and DFG reviewers and review board members.
Committee for the German-Israeli Project Cooperation Programme
From the proposals submitted annually by the eligible institutions in Israel, the Committee for the German-Israeli Project Cooperation Programme chooses up to four projects for funding. These are then finally decided on at the December meeting of the Joint Committee.