Digital research practice and scientific information infrastructures are becoming increasingly interconnected. With the option to combine proposals submitted under the Research Grants Programme(interner Link) and the programmes for the development and enhancement of Scientific Library Services and Information Systems (LIS)(interner Link), flexible opportunities are offered for funding projects at the interface between research and information provision. 

Examples of projects under the Combination of Research and Infrastructure (KoFI) scheme include those that combine the development of data infrastructures with the investigation of specific research questions, the digitisation and indexing of collections with research based on those collections, the infrastructural enhancement of research software together with methodological research, or the development of software-related methods and technologies (through the e-Research Technologies programme) alongside thematically aligned research projects. 

The KoFI scheme enables closely related Research Grant and LIS proposals to be submitted together. It is also possible to combine multiple Research Grant proposals and multiple LIS proposals. The review, evaluation and funding decision processes are carried out jointly for all proposals. With regard to eligibility, type, scope and duration of funding, and project requirements, the respective conditions and regulations of the Research Grants Programme or the relevant LIS programme apply.
 

The KoFI programme replaces the funding option “Bridge Projects” with immediate effect.

Submission of Proposals and Procedure

In order to facilitate the processing of proposals, applicants are asked to contact the responsible programme officers at the DFG Head Office prior to submission. The individual project proposals are then submitted via the elan portal(externer Link) under the respective programmes and are identified by the DFG Head Office as a “Combination of Research and Infrastructure (KoFI)”. 

The proposals are reviewed from both a subject-specific and an information infrastructure perspective and are evaluated according to the standard assessment criteria by the relevant review boards and by the Committee on Scientific Library Services and Information Systems (AWBI).

Project requirements

The respective proposals submitted under the Combination of Research and Infrastructure (KoFI) scheme must fulfil the funding requirements of the Research Grants Programme and those of the relevant LIS programme. The work programme of each proposal should clearly demonstrate how discipline-specific research interests are linked with activities in the field of LIS. 

Forms and guidelines

Here you can find an overview of forms and guidelines for the Research Grants Programme(interner Link) and LIS(interner Link).