UAS under private sponsorship are also eligible to apply providing they are recognised as non-profit and implement the rules of good research practice.

A relevant publication track record is important and helpful, but it is by no means the only criterion for assessing a researcher’s qualifications. Depending on the area of specialisation and the intended role within the proposed Research Impulse, relevant practical experience can also be vital and serve as essential proof of qualification.

A UAS does not need to hold the right to award doctorates to be eligible to submit a proposal under the Research Impulses funding programme.

Provided they do not have a status equivalent to that of a regular university, art colleges are also eligible to apply. They must be recognised as non-profit organisations and implement the rules of good research practice.

It is possible to revise a proposal and resubmit it in the form of a draft proposal in one of the subsequent call rounds. In this case it is advisable to follow the advice of the review panel and if necessary reach out to the DFG Head Office.

Each UAS eligible to apply may submit one draft proposal per call round and subsequently no more than one proposal for the establishment of a Research Impulse. In view of the fact that only five to seven projects can receive funding per round of calls, an extremely competitive selection process is to be expected in which as many UAS as possible should be able to submit a successful proposal.

The plan is to organise one round of calls per year.

It is not possible to apply for a Research Impulse for a funding period that is shorter than five years. A relatively long funding period provides a much sounder basis than a shorter period when it comes to sustainably strengthening research priorities and conditions at higher education institutions – which is one of the key objectives of the new funding instrument.

Success in obtaining third-party funding can certainly be a criterion for assessing the qualifications of participating researchers, although of course this does not necessarily have to be DFG funding. So experience of other DFG procedures is not a requirement for being allowed to participate in the proposal for a Research Impulse.

There is no restriction on the part of the DFG regarding the maximum number of people who can participate in a proposal. This decision is up to each UAS submitting a proposal and should be based on considerations of subject matter and organisation. With regard to the maximum budget of €1 million per year and proposal, a group size of five to ten lead participants would appear to be reasonable, although it would also be possible to have fewer or more participants.

Since Research Impulses is a programme that is not restricted in terms of topics, so proposals from all academic disciplines compete with each other, the DFG’s subject area structure has no bearing on the decision-making process. The composition of the review group is based solely on the subject-specific profile of the proposal or draft proposal in question.

After the letter of intent, all that is initially required is for you to submit a draft of the planned Research Impulse. Only if the review of the draft proposal indicates that the project has a good chance of receiving funding will you be asked to elaborate a full proposal.

The review and decision-making process for the draft proposals submitted at the beginning of 2024 is expected to be completed in autumn 2024. Another year will then be needed for the proposals to be prepared and reviewed and for a decision to be reached, so funding is expected to begin on 1 January 2026.

When the proposal is being elaborated after the invitation to submit has been received, any details set out in the draft proposal may essentially be changed. However, it should be noted that major changes (such as a change of spokesperson or in the thematic orientation of the project) will give rise to questions during the review and should therefore be substantiated.

No, draft proposals can only be submitted electronically via elan.

If a project involves research on humans, identifiable human material or identifiable personal data, a supporting statement is required from the locally responsible ethics committee. The statement must be submitted no later than when funding starts. If you are planning studies of this kind, please mention this in the draft proposal and contact the ethics committee responsible.

In view of the fact that suitable reviewers have to be found, the draft proposal should be written in English if possible, providing there are no compelling reasons for not doing so. Another source of guidance here is to look at the most commonly used language of academic publications in the relevant subject area.

This is entirely possible over the full term of the project, both within a funding period and in the case of a renewal proposal. For example, it would be possible to build up a person’s profile during the first five-year funding period so as to have them take on a leading role in the second funding period.

The spokesperson should chair the RI for the entire duration of the first funding period. This is a position that is both fundamental and representative. The spokesperson assumes a leading role within the Research Impulse. Externally, this person is the central point of contact for the DFG and a visible figurehead for the Research Impulse. Due to this very important function, the spokesperson must be a full-time professor with a permanent appointment at the applicant higher education institution and be able to represent the concerns of the Research Impulse on the university’s committees (see DFG form 50.11). If the RI goes into a second funding period, another person can take on the role of spokesperson, providing the appropriate preparations are made.

Formally speaking, the applicant under the Research Impulses Programme is the respective institution (UAS); UAS staff who hold a doctorate can certainly act as lead participating researchers and also apply for a position as an independent junior research group leader if this seems appropriate to the proposal. In this case, it is important for the organisation to promise that, in the event of funding being approved, the position of the person concerned will be guaranteed for the duration of the funding period.

The applicant is formally the UAS at which the researchers involved are mainly active. Within this group of researchers, one person assumes the function of spokesperson, also acting as the primary contact person for the DFG.

The lead researchers involved are expected to make a significant contribution to the realisation of the project on a permanent basis. For this reason it is necessary to ensure that these persons hold a position from the first to the last day of the funding period applied for, ideally at the university submitting the proposal.  The type of position is not specified (i.e. civil servant/permanent/temporary etc.). If a researcher retires during the funding period applied for, it makes sense to involve them as co-operating or participating researchers. If the intention is to include the person in the group of those in charge nonetheless, the proposal must explain to what extent the expertise provided by this person will be available during the period in which it is required. This can be ensured either by the fact that the expertise is only required in the initial phase and is less important after the person has left the university, or by the university attaching a statement that the person will have access to work opportunities and the necessary core support throughout the entire funding period, thereby enabling them to continue to participate in the network even after they have left active service.

As set out in the Funding Guidelines (in German only), the personal remuneration of those designated as lead researchers in the proposal cannot be financed from project funds.

In principle both are possible, although a proposal within an existing research subject focus is more appropriate. If a new subject focus is to be established with the help of a Research Impulse, this requires particularly intense preparation as well as further activities that go beyond the Research Impulse in order to create the basis for sustainable anchoring of the new subject focus area.

The main programme objective is to tap into the potential of particularly research-oriented UAS. Relevant preliminary work that demonstrates the fundamental potential and feasibility of planned approaches is regarded as a prerequisite for a promising proposal. At the same time, proposals should also clearly illustrate to what extent those involved plan to take existing work a step further.

This is derived from the DFG’s statutes, which state that the focus of its activities is on funding projects developed by the research community itself in the field of knowledge-driven research. The adjective refers to the underlying motivation of a research project. DFG-funded projects are typically fuelled by a sense of curiosity and the desire to answer a research question, and less by the incentive to solve a practical problem. As such, knowledge-driven research projects always aspire to be innovative. At the same time, knowledge-driven research projects can have an applied focus, too, for example by serving as starting points for new applications.

Yes, this is possible, but not necessary. Research Impulses can differ significantly in terms of their structural orientation; the decision in each individual case should be based on the (subject-matter) orientation and the objective of the Research Impulse.

The UAS called upon to submit proposals are to set themselves the goal of establishing and deepening subject specialisations; generally speaking, they will decide for themselves which areas of research they wish to place a particular focus on. The selected research areas can also be interdisciplinary. In most cases, these are areas to which researchers at the institution have already made significant contributions in the past, or where there is a particularly good basis for conducting research at a high level for other reasons (such as the availability of specialised laboratories or highly capable cooperation partners).

This decision is the responsibility of the UAS submitting the proposal. It is important for a recognisable profile and a clear-cut research focus to emerge through the collaborative work in the consortium. The further apart the specialisms of the researchers involved, the more challenging this is to achieve.

As is the case with all DFG programmes, adequate core support is expected for a Research Impulse and the funding should also have a lasting impact beyond the maximum possible duration of the respective RI. The federal states in Germany are subject to widely differing organisational and legal factors, and these have to be taken into account when assessing the respective “support” in the review process.

Research Impulses are collaborative in the sense that several researchers work jointly on a project. The persons involved can all be – and the majority should be – employed at the applicant UAS. It is also possible to involve researchers who work at other academic institutions or application partners, but this is by no means a requirement.

Yes, the onward transfer of funds within consortia is possible and should be regulated internally based on cooperation agreements. However, only academic institutions may receive DFG funding; industrial partners must raise their own funding to cover the cost of their share of the project.

Research Impulses are applied for by a UAS as the sole applicant, and it is here that most of the planned work is to be carried out. Nevertheless, it is also possible to involve researchers at other UAS, universities or non-university institutions as well as those in industry. In this case, funding can be passed on to cooperation partners on a pro rata basis; this must be regulated internally based on on-lending agreements. Cooperation partners in the private sector who are not recognised as non-profit organisations may not receive DFG funding: they must finance their contributions themselves.

Research Impulses offer various opportunities for establishing international cooperation: both individuals conducting research abroad and significantly involved academics based in other countries can strengthen consortia, providing they are able to contribute key expertise. Guest stays by foreign researchers at the applicant UAS can be financed from project funds, and it is also possible for project participants at the applicant UAS to undertake guest stays with cooperating project partners abroad.

Cooperation partners can of course be from anywhere in the world. Restrictions apply only with regard to the possibility of transferring funds abroad to finance implementation of those parts of the project which are to be carried out in other countries. The funds required for this purpose must usually be acquired by a foreign funding organisation or by the local partners themselves. If you are planning such a cooperation, it is advisable to get in touch with your contact person at the Head Office at an early stage.

Participation by researchers at a UAS in a proposal submitted by another UAS does not count as a separate proposal. So yes, this is possible.

Whether it makes sense to involve one or more cooperation partners or not can vary greatly from one proposal to the next. Among other things, this question depends on whether the expertise needed to work on the research topic is all already available at the UAS submitting the proposal, or whether a gap can be closed or else clear added value can be generated in some other way by joining forces with a cooperation partner. Since this programme seeks to promote cooperation between higher education institutions, cooperation is particularly suitable if there is another institution in the geographical vicinity of the applicant UAS that is conducting research on a related thematic focus area.

Yes, the onward transfer of funds within consortia is possible and should be regulated internally based on cooperation agreements. However, only academic institutions may receive DFG funding; industrial partners must raise their own funding to cover the cost of their share of the project.

The programme allowance to cover indirect project expenses is granted in addition to the maximum funding amount. Please note that from 2023 onwards, the programme allowance can only be awarded to institutions that have established guidelines for its use.

Yes, project funds may also be used to pay the fees involved in using external infrastructure. If you have specific questions regarding major instrumentation, please contact a staff member of the group.

No, the payment of maintenance costs for an institution’s own major instrumentation falls in the category of Core Support.

UAS enjoy a high degree of flexibility in applying for and using the funds. Accordingly, positions for doctoral researchers who have already begun their work are eligible for continued funding, providing this involves a substantive contribution to the respective Research Stimulus.

Yes, the approved funds are paid out in full via the DFG, which in turn is funded proportionally by the federal and state governments.

The funds for Research Impulses are not granted to specific individuals: the recipient of the funding is the UAS submitting the proposal or administering the funds. It is up to the respective UAS to decide what individual arrangements apply in the case of departures.

In principle, the approved project funds are to be spent on a project-specific basis, but this does not exclude the use of personnel or material funds for project-specific purposes where the project is based at an internal institute or central facility within the UAS. Funds to cover the cost of posts for coordinators involved in a collaborative project would qualify as project-specific funding, for example.

If successful, the applicant UAS is the recipient of the funding. so funds are not allocated to a specific person.

Please ensure that the spokesperson has their own elan user account and that the contact details stored for this person and for the university management are up to date. As several steps are required to set up an elan user account, please allow at least one week for the process to be completed.  Also, please refer to the “Guide to proposal submission under the Research Impulses programme on elan” here: “Draft proposal” (in German only), which explains the process step by step.

An elan account is assigned to an individual; the proposal must be submitted by the spokesperson for data protection reasons, see also form 16.01, page 22 of page 22. A personal elan account is required for this purpose. That individual is then the central contact person for the DFG. In addition, the digitally generated compliance form you receive after submitting the proposal via the elan portal must be signed by you and the management of the UAS and sent to the DFG Head Office by post within five working days.