The 2026 edition of the ANR-DFG collaboration in the Natural, Life and Engineering sciences (NLE) will take place with the DFG having the role of the ‘lead agency’, i.e., the DFG will be responsible for processing the proposals and conducting the review process. However, the proposals need to be submitted to both the ANR and the DFG using their respective web interfaces.

Note that from the viewpoint of the DFG, proposals within this call are a special case of the DFG’s Research Grants programme (Sachbeihilfe), with a few additional provisions explained below.

Step 0

You need to comply with the usual eligibility rules of the DFG and the ANR.
For the DFG, see the general rules of Research Grants(interner Link).

The eligibility requirements on the side of the ANR are documented in the generic call for proposals 2026 (AAPG 2026) at https://anr.fr/en/call-for-proposals-details/call/generic-call-for-proposals-aapg-2026/(externer Link).

Notably, if applicable to you, the duty to cooperate (Kooperationspflicht) for members of non-university research institutions has to be fulfilled with universities in Germany.

Also check the specific annex for ANR-DFG proposals at the bottom of the ANR’s AAPG 2026 webpage. Note that the submission within this call is not subject to the ANR’s preregistration.

Step 1

Prepare your project description based on the structure and numbering defined by the template. Also note the page limits mentioned within the template, which are strict.

Please find the template(Download) here.

The project description must describe the whole project (French and German sides, and their interaction) and justify all funds requested, both from the ANR and from the DFG, respectively. The maximum project duration is 36 months.

Note that CVs also must be based on the DFG’s template 53.200 elan(interner Link).

Step 2

Submit your proposal to the DFG at http://elan.dfg.de/(externer Link).

This is only possible if all applicants on the German side have a valid account with up-to-date contact information on elan. If not, please register for/update your account as early as possible, at the latest on 7 January 2026. If there are multiple applicants on the German side of a proposal, only one of them needs to submit and to enter the relevant information for all of them. The French partners may register for an account on elan, too, in order to provide their correct contact information. However, the latter is not compulsory.

Submission to the DFG opens on 17 November 2025 and is possible until 14 January 2026 (whole day until midnight).

Please submit your proposal under Proposal Submission – New Project as a “Proposal for a Research Grant” in the Individual Grants Programme (as shown on the screenshot). Within the submission process, you need to select the call “Frankreich-ANR-DFG 2026 NLE”.

Please find the screenshot(interner Link) here.

Only the funds requested from the DFG need to be entered in the elan web forms
(for every German applicant).

The corresponding French applicants need to be entered as “cooperation partners” in the elan web forms. Please refrain from entering further participating persons (other than the actual applicants).

Step 3

The French partner submits a copy of the proposal to the ANR according to the instructions of the ANR (AAPG 2026 and the specific annex for ANR-DFG proposals). See:

• https://anr.fr/en/call-for-proposals-details/call/generic-call-for-proposals-aapg-2026/(externer Link)
• This has to be completed by 15 January 2026, 5 p.m. (Paris time). Note that there is no pre-proposal stage for these bilateral proposals. Submission to the ANR opens on 17 November 2025.
• Important: A budgetary data sheet (annexe budgétaire obligatoire) for the French partners, detailing the requested means by major expense categories for the analysis of the consortium's budget is requested by ANR. This document is mandatory for the project proposal to be eligible. The template of the document is available for download on the webpage dedicated to AAPG 2026

The final decision after selection by the DFG and confirmation by the ANR can be expected to be available in October 2026, with a start of funding at the beginning of 2027. Funding will be awarded to the selected projects according to the general financial regulations of the ANR and the DFG, respectively.

The 2025 edition of the ANR-DFG collaboration in the Natural, Life and Engineering sciences (NLE) will take place with the ANR having the role of the ‘lead agency’, i.e., the ANR will be responsible for processing the proposals and conducting the review process. However, the full proposals need to be submitted to both the ANR and the DFG using their respective web interfaces.

The ANR had requested unilaterally a pre-registration before 15 October 2024.

Only if you have been invited by the ANR to submit a full proposal, you may proceed.

Once you have submitted your joint proposal to the ANR (before 27 March 2025, 5 p.m. CET), you have to submit one copy of the same proposal (same pdf document, one submission per project) to the DFG through the DFG’s elan system(externer Link).

The DFG needs to receive its copy at latest on 31 March 2025.

The documents of the full proposals (which have to be prepared and submitted according to the rules of the ANR) have to be submitted identically to the DFG. The proposals must clearly justify the financial request both to the ANR and to the DFG. Note that the overhead from the DFG (“Programmpauschale”) is always requested implicitly without further mention.

Please submit scientific CVs of all German and French applicants to the DFG. They do not need to be in any ANR- or DFG-specific form.

Additionally, you will need to fill in and upload a project data form(Download).

Concerning the ANR requirements, all relevant information can be found at the ANR website(externer Link) (notably, read the “Annexe PRCI – franco - allemands – DFG”).

Be aware that from the viewpoint of the DFG, proposals within this call are a special case of the DFG’s Research Grants programme (Sachbeihilfe). The German applicants of a French-German project need to comply with the DFG’s eligibility rules.

In particular, for proposals from non-university research institutions in Germany the duty to cooperate “Kooperationspflicht” needs to be fulfilled (if applicable to the specific institution). Please note the “Kooperationspflicht” cannot be fulfilled with the international cooperation partner.

Please check yourself whether you need to submit further documents according to the DFG’s general regulations (e.g., employer statements for temporary PI positions, ethics votes, etc.).

A submission to the DFG is only possible if all German applicants of a French-German project have a valid account with up-to-date contact information on elan. If not, please request/update your account as early as possible – at latest on 23 March 2025. The French partners may request an account, too, in order to provide themselves their correct contact information to the DFG. However, the latter is not compulsory.

If within a project, there are two ore more applicants on the German side, it must only be submitted to the DFG once by one German applicant. This applicant needs to enter all information with respect to all applicants on the German side.

Please submit your proposal within elan under Proposal Submission – New Project as a “Proposal for a Research Grant” in the Individual Grants Programme, and select the call “Frankreich-ANR-DFG 2025 NLE” during the submission process.

Solely the funds requested from the DFG need to be entered in the elan web forms (for every German applicant), for a project duration of either 24, 30, or 36 months. As usual, the overhead funds (“Programmpauschale”) do not need to be requested explicitly. If applicable, they will be granted automatically.

The corresponding French applicants (and only them) need to be entered as “cooperation partners” in the elan web forms.

The final decision after reviewing and selection by ANR, and confirmation by the DFG, can be expected to be available in October 2025, with a start of funding at the beginning of 2026. Funding will be awarded to the selected projects according to the general financial regulations of the ANR and DFG, respectively.

The results of the 2024 edition of this call are now available(externer Link).