145 Letters of Intent for New Clusters of Excellence

(07.02.23) 145 letters of intent for draft proposals for new Clusters of Excellence were received by the DFG by the deadline of 1 February under the Excellence Strategy. They were submitted by a total of 54 institutions, with 91 letters of intent coming from a single applicant university, 40 from two and 14 from three universities. The next step is to submit the draft proposals by 31 May. more

70 Proposals Submitted for the First "Research Impulses" (RI) Funding Instrument for Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW/FH)

(07.03.23) The DFG has received 70 proposals for the new "Research Impulses" (RI) funding instrument for universities of applied sciences (HAW/FH). These will be reviewed in the coming months. A decision on which of them will receive funding is expected to be made in December. RI are part of a comprehensive set of measures offered by the DFG to help HAW/FH further develop their research strengths and scientific profiles. more

2023 Communicator Award Goes to Steffen Mau

(27.03.23) This year’s Communicator Award presented by the DFG and Stifterverband goes to the Berlin-based sociologist Steffen Mau. He receives the award worth €50,000 for his bold approach to communication as well as the impressive variety of formats through which he attempts to bring objectivity to heated public discourse. The award will be presented at the DFG annual meeting in Saarbrücken on 26 June 2023. more

13 New Research Units

(27.3.23) The DFG is establishing 13 new Research Units. This was decided by the DFG Joint Committee on the recommendation of the Senate. The new Research Units will receive total funding of approximately €48.6 million, including a 22 percent programme allowance for indirect project costs. In addition, it was decided to extend four Research Units, two Clinical Research Units and one Centre for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences for a second funding period. more

DFG Establishes Six New Priority Programmes

(27.03.23) The DFG is establishing six new Priority Programmes (SPP) which are due to start in 2024. This was recently decided by the DFG Senate in Bonn. The six new networks were selected from 33 submitted initiatives and will receive a total of approximately €44 million for an initial period of three years. In addition, there will be a 22-percent programme allowance for indirect project-related costs. more

The Coronavirus Pandemic – Consequences and Opportunities for Science and the Humanities

(29.03.23) In a recently published report, a DFG Senate Working Group sheds light on the wide-ranging effects of the coronavirus pandemic on science and the humanities, on researchers and on the research system as a whole. The issues addressed include challenges in organising work and research activity as well as those confronting individual career paths and the DFG’s funding activities. more

DFG supports plans for legislation on research data

(11.04.23) The DFG supports the federal government’s current plans to introduce legislation on research data. The DFG has now issued a statement which systematically summarises all the scientific positions on this issue and classified these into legal, organisational and infrastructural aspects. more

• To the statement (in German only)

"Science is essential if we want to address global humanity questions"

(05.05.23) The DFG President and Chair of the Governing Board of the Global Research Council (GRC), Professor Dr. Katja Becker, stressed to the United Nations in New York the pivotal importance of science and research in relation to addressing global humanity questions and realising the UN Sustainable Development Goals. If we want to reach the SDGs in a meaningful time, science has to play a more active role than before, said Becker at the UN headquarters. more

Eleven new Research Training Groups

(08.05.23) The DFG is establishing eleven new Research Training Groups (RTGs) to further bolster the support offered to researchers in early stages of their academic career. From autumn 2023 onwards, they will receive total funding of approximately €76 million over an initial period of five years. The Grants Committee also agreed to extend funding for another nine RTGs for an additional funding period. more

Katja Becker to Run for a Second Term in Office

(15.05.23) The DFG has published the list of candidates for the presidential election to be held at the end of June at its annual meeting in Saarbrücken. The sole candidate for election at the General Assembly is Professor Dr. Katja Becker, who has been President since 2020 and is running for a second term. more

Eleven New Collaborative Research Centres

(19.05.23) The DFG is establishing eleven new Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) to further support top-level research at universities. This was decided by the responsible Grants Committee in Bonn. The new networks will be funded for an initial period of three years and nine months from 1 October 2023. 20 other CRCs have had their funding extended for an additional period. more

DFG Presents Awards to Selected Jugend forscht Winners

(22.05.23) The DFG has awarded its Europa Prize to three teams who were successful in the national Jugend forscht competition. They received the distinction at the Jugend forscht finals Bremen on 21 May 2023 in addition to their other awards. The aim is to prepare the winners for the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) in Brussels in September. more

DFG Welcomes EU Council Conclusions on Scholarly Publishing

(23.05.23) The DFG has welcomed the Council Conclusions on Scholarly Publishing adopted by the Competitiveness Council of the European Union and commented on them in detail in a current statement. From the DFG's point of view, the conclusions contain a series of trend-setting recommendations based on quality, open access and sustainable funding. more

Call for Science-Based Discussion on Animal and Non-Animal Approaches in Research

(23.05.23) On the occasion of a European Parliament’s ENVI Committee hearing on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) ‘Save cruelty-free cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ on 25 May 2023, the German Alliance of Science Organisations has underlined that the complementarity of research methods is indispensable for scientific progress. more