Letter of Intent
to submit a draft proposal or proposal for a 
Cluster of Excellence

General Instructions
The Letters of Intent of the universities to submit proposals for a Cluster of Excellence are non-binding, are not reviewed and only serve to plan the review process. They are requested by 4 pm on 01 February 2023.
The information contained is preliminary and may differ from the actual proposal.
Please use the following template for the Letter of Intent, delete the instructions (in grey font) and convert the document to PDF format. Create a PDF file without password protection and without restrictions regarding reading, copying and printing. The PDF should be submitted via elan. 

Submission of the Letter of Intent via elan:

•	Please log in with your elan account. 
•	Select “Proposal Submission” - “New Project / Draft Proposal” – “Letter of Intent/Declaration of Interest” (at the bottom).
•	Start the online form and follow the instructions. Only the mandatory fields must be filled in. Optional fields (i.e. Subject Classification, List of PIs and Participating Institutions) can be left blank. 
•	In the last step, upload the Letter of Intent as a PDF file and send the form.
•	You will be provided with a PDF summary of your submitted form for download and you will receive an automatic confirmation email.
Letter of Intent to submit a draft proposal or proposal for a Cluster of Excellence 
1.	Proposal Type
 New proposal
 Renewal proposal
Reference Number of Establishment Proposal: EXC 2______/1
2.	Title in German and English
<German title>
<English title>
3.	Applicant university/universities and spokesperson(s)
Managing University	
<university>	

Further applicant universities	
<university>	
<university>	

Please indicate the university that will administer the funds of the Cluster of Excellence. Where applicable, please list all other applicant universities.

Spokesperson(s)
Authorised spokesperson at the 
Managing University	<spokesperson>	

Further spokesperson(s)	Institution	
<spokesperson>	<institution>	
<spokesperson>	<institution>	

Please indicate the Managing University’s authorised spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence. Up to two additional spokespersons may be listed in the draft proposal. For spokespersons not affiliated with the Managing University, their respective institutions should also be provided. 
4.	Participating Institutions
Participating institutions	Location	
<participating institution>	<location>	
<participating institution>	<location>	
<participating institution>	<location>	

Please list all participating entities with which intensive cooperation is planned and which are to receive funds from the Cluster of Excellence’s budget (e.g. non-university research institutions, other universities, institutions in the public domain).
5.	Summary of the Proposal
Please provide a plain-language summary of no more than three pages of the research and structural objectives of the proposed Cluster of Excellence.
6.	Principal Investigators
No.	Principal investigators	Location/Institution	Field of expertise	Position	
1	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
2	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
3	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
4	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
5	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
6	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
7	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
8	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
9	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
10	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
11	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
12	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
13	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
14	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
15	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
16	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
17	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
18	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
19	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
20	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
21	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
22	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
23	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
24	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	
25	<principal investigator>	<location, institution>	<expertise>	<position>	

Please list in alphabetical order up to 25 researchers, including the spokesperson(s), who are significantly involved in the Cluster of Excellence and in the preparation of the proposal. Also indicate the principal investigator’s respective location and institution, their field of expertise and their position (e.g. W3, W2 or W1 professorship, independent junior research group leader, core facility leader, etc.). 

7.	Fields of Research
No.	Fields of research	
1	<field of research>	
2	<field of research>	
3	<field of research>	
4	<field of research>	
5	<field of research>	
6	<field of research>	
7	<field of research>	
8	<field of research>	
9	<field of research>	
10	<field of research>	

Please list up to ten disciplines primarily involved in the Cluster of Excellence, using the DFG subject structure www.dfg.de/en/dfg_profile/statutory_bodies/review_boards/subject_areas.

8.	Key Methods and Models
No.	Method / Model	
1	<method / model>	
2	<method / model>	
3	<method / model>	
4	<method / model>	
5	<method / model>	
6	<method / model>	
7	<method / model>	
8	<method / model>	
9	<method / model>	
10	<method / model>	

Please list up to ten methods and/or models primarily used in the Cluster of Excellence.

9.	Collaborations
No.	Collaboration partners	Location/Institution	
1	<collaboration partner>	<location, institution>	

Please list all researchers in Germany and abroad with whom the up to 25 primarily involved PIs collaborate, plan to collaborate or have collaborated in the past three years on joint research projects. The purpose of this is to help the DFG Head Office to rule out potential conflicts of interest in the review process.
10.	Persons who are to be excluded from the Review Panel
No.	Person	Location/Institution	
1	<person>	<location, institution>	
2	<person>	<location, institution>	
3	<person>	<location, institution>	

If required, you may name a maximum of three persons who should be excluded from the review for reasons of potential conflict of interests.

Signatures

place and date	signature	

	name
(Authorised spokesperson of the managing university)	
place and date	signature	
	name
(Rector or president of the managing university)

place and date	signature	
	name
(Rector(s) / president(s) of other applicant universities)
	
.	

This page must be signed by the Rector or President of all applicant universities