Purpose

Promotion of graduated Early Career Researchers.

Eligibility Requirements

Universities and equivalent institutions with the right to award doctorates as well as universities of applied sciences that have an independent right to award doctorates or which, in cooperation with institutions that have been granted the right to award doctorates, can lead doctoral candidates to a doctorate in the subjects relevant to the Research Training Group.

Proposal Requirements

Research programme - high scientific quality and originality (interdisciplinary approach desired) at an international level.

Qualification programme - of direct relevance to the research programme, including innovative teaching and supervision elements, which should clearly extend beyond the courses (doctoral colloquia) usually offered in doctorate programmes.

Visiting researcher programme - integrated into the qualification programme, adding internationalisation to the training provided.

Type and Extent of Funding

Posts for doctoral researchers and postdocs.

Funds i.a. for visiting researchers, assistants, travel, workshops, small equipment, consumables, coordination, miscellaneous.

Funding Period

Up to nine years.

In the case of Research Training Groups whose establishment proposal was decided on in November 2021, one funding period lasts four and a half years.

For Research Training Groups whose establishment proposal was decided on in May 2022 or later, the first funding period is five years and the second funding period is four years.

Forms and Guidelines

You can find all the necessary forms for this program in the overview of forms and guidelines(interner Link).

In International Research Training Groups, a group of researchers at a German university and a group at a partner institution abroad assume joint responsibility for the structured research and qualification programme of the doctoral researchers. The programmes are developed collaboratively and involve dual supervision. Doctoral researchers in the participating groups are expected to spend at least six months abroad at the respective partner institution. Here you can find out more about the International Research Training Groups(interner Link).

Research Training Groups are established by means of a two-stage decision-making process. The following page provides a detailed description of the route to proposal submission as well as to the review and decision-making process(interner Link).

Draft proposals may be submitted at any time;
Establishment proposals may – following consultation with the DFG’s Head Office – also be submitted at any time.
Renewal proposals are submitted approximately one year before the end of the first funding period.

Senate Committee on Research Training Groups

This Senate Committee is responsible for advising the DFG’s decision-making bodies on issues relating to Research Training Groups, for giving the final recommendation for draft proposals and for preparing the final decisions by the relevant Grants Committee. The members of the Senate Committee(interner Link) also serve as the academic and scientific members of the DFG Grants Committee on Research Training Groups.

Meetings of the Senate Committee:

• 28 May 2026
• 12 November 2026

Grants Committee on Research Training Groups

The Grants Committee on Research Training Groups is responsible for the establishment and funding of Research Training Groups. The committee is made up of 39 scientific and academic members(interner Link) elected by the DFG's Senate from all research areas, and one representative of the federal government (Bund) and one representative from each of the 16 federal states (Länder).

Meeting of the Grants Committee:

• 29 May 2026
• 13 November 2026

As of 1 May 2026, 212 Research Training Groups are in receipt of DFG funding, including 28 International Research Training Groups. According to the 2026 budget, a total of approximately €297 million is available for funding Research Training Groups (including the programme allowance for indirect project costs). This is around 7% of the DFG’s total budget.

For further information please refer to the Statistical Reports on Researchers in Collaborative Research Centres(interner Link).

Various funding opportunities are available within the Research Training Group programme for universities of applied sciences (HAW/FH). Among other things, HAW/FH may themselves submit proposals for Research Training Groups to the DFG, providing they are entitled to supervise doctoral researchers in the disciplines relevant to the Research Training Group, either independently or in cooperation with a degree-awarding institution in accordance with the respective state regulations.

For further information please refer to our website on universities of applied sciences (HAW/FH)(interner Link) (in German only).

• Personnel Structures in Research Training Groups 2020
• 20 Years of Research Training Groups, September 2010
• Research Training Groups – English Version of the Supplement to the Monthly Science Magazin "Spektrum der Wissenschaft", Juli 2005

• Information Letters(interner Link) (in German only)
• International allowances(interner Link) (in German only)
• Support of Equity and Diversity(interner Link)
• The RISE (Research Internship in Science and Engineering) Programme(interner Link)
• Self-evaluation in Research Training Groups(interner Link)

Content-related queries

Contacts of the DFG Head Office(interner Link)

Financial queries

Group Financial Queries(interner Link)