Access to advanced instrumentation technologies plays an important role in many branches of science. The shared use of these resources – for example in core facilities – can ensure effective capacity utilisation and deliver beneficial research services.
The Core Facilities funding programme focuses on usage and management concepts that promote professionalisation of the operation and management of core facilities and support the development of stable structures for the use of these facilities. The aim of the programme is to deliver improved facilities for users and better accessibility of instrumentation-based research infrastructures, including for external researchers from other institutions.
The applicant is formally the university, which appoints a person to be responsible for the proposal. This person acts as the research coordinator. The applicant university must be willing to support the facility financially with funding for staff and direct project costs and to continue operating it after the funding comes to an end. The maximum funding duration for a core facility is five years. For this period, universities can normally apply for up to €150,000 per year.
Note: Funding for the acquisition of major instrumentation is not available in this programme, as this is covered by other programmes (e.g. the Major Research Instrumentation Programme as per Art. 91b of the Basic Law and the State Major Instrumentation Programme).