the dfg - who we are and what we do

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Dr. Dietrich HalmDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftBonn / Germany

…Who We Are and What We Do

central public funding organization for

academic research in Germany

promoting academic excellence on a

competitive basis

serving science and the arts in all fields

advisory activities in politics

special focus on supporting junior academics

promoting international research co-operation

fostering links between science and industry

the DFG as a non-governmental organisation

science-driven funding

peer review

Mission

Self-government of science and the humanities

quality: funding decisions based on the highest standards

rewarding scientists and scholars demonstrating excellence

Promoting scientific excellence in a competitive setting

Structures of German Research Funding

Basic funding relations

Federal Government

Länder

Business enterprise sector

Project funding

Federal Government


DFG

Federal Government

Länder


Based on: Bundesbericht Forschung 2004

Intramuralresearch laboratories

Federationof Industrial CooperativeResearch Associations

DFG

HGF

MPG

FhG

WGL

Federal institutionsperforming R&D

Länder insti-tuitions per-forming R&D

Academies

Higher EducationSector

Gottfried WilhelmLeibniz-Programme

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz-Programme

Communicator Prize

Eugen and Ilse Seibold-Prize

Albert Maucher-Prize

Prizes

Mercator-Visiting Professorships

Promoting Scientific contacts

International Academic Conferences in Germany

Travels to Conferences

International Co-operation

Membership in Inter-national Organizations

Bilateral collaboration

Project Funding

Sabbatical

Publication Costs

Individual Grants Programme

Priority Programmes

Research Units

Humanities Research Centres

Collaborative Research Centres / Transfer Centres

DFG-Research Centres

Centres of Excellence

Co-ordinated Programmes

Research Training Groups(national & international)

Programme "Independent Position"

Research Fellowships

Emmy Noether Programme

Heisenberg -Programme

Direct Funding of Young Researchers

Infrastructure funding

DFGFunding

Programmes

www.dfg.de

Types of Funding

Projects Personnel: Graduate Students, Postdocs

People Fellowships

Scientific equipment, Consumables

Emmy-Noether- & Heisenberg-Program

Travel and guest funds

Postdoc position

www.dfg.de

Funding Programs

Type Typical number of projects

typical duration (years)

Number (cost in Mio. € p.a.)

Local Individual Grant 1 3-6 4832 (460)

Research Unit 5-10 6 175 ( 90) Collaborative Research Centre

10-20 272 (380) DFG Research Centre

12 12 6 ( 30)

Research Training Group

20 graduate students

9 257 ( 80)

Distributed Priority Program 20-30 6 134 (150)

Example: The Individual Grants

Scope

- to carry out a well defined individual research project within a limited time period

- open to researchers (holding a PhD) from all disciplines working at German research institutions, especially universities

- Applications with two and more partners also

possible

Project requirements

- clearly defined research project of high scientific quality and originality, carried out at an internationally competitive level

Funding duration

- is based on the individual project needs

(typically 2 or 3 years, continuations possible)

proportion relative to DFG‘soverall volume of approvals:

36,6% (2005)

What may be funded?

Cost categories:

- personnel (graduate students, postdocs)

- scientific equipment

- consumables

- travel, guests, conferences

- new: funding for one’s own position (only for fresh postdocs!)

- German share of funds necessary for international cooperation

Funding cannot be provided for:

- one’s own salary as PI (except fresh postdocs)

- basic equipment in your field of work

- general institute utilities (office material, postage & telephone)

- buildings, their equipment and rent

- upgrades and repair of instruments which are not DFG property


Proposal submission

first proposal: any time, no submission deadlines prolongations: at least 4 months before approved funds will be

exhausted

Proposal evaluation

peer review takes about 6 months from the submission until decision for individual proposals normally no fixed decision dates


The Way towards the Funding Decision (research grants within the individual grants programme)

consultation before application

formal check of the proposal

selection of reviewers

analysis & evaluation of the reviews

(comparative) evaluation by review board members

recommendation

decision by DFG´s grant committee notification of the applicant notification of the reviewers

Criteria for the Evaluation of Proposals

Project:

• relevance• what is new and rewarding?• methods, working programme

Applicants:

• preparatory work and achievements • track record• publications (qualitatively & quantitatively)

Reviewers consider in their evaluation of a proposal

Infrastructure:

• prerequisites (equipment)• prerequisites (personnel)• collaborations

Cost positions:

• personnel• equipment• consumables, travel ...

Applications with Partners from Foreign Countries

Application requirements

need to comply with the formal requirements of DFG

a detailed description of the aims and methods of the research project and the costs, differentiated into German and non-German components

parallel submission to the respective funding organizations

before approval by DFG: co-funding for the non-German partner should be secured from sources of the partner country

"green light" from all sides funding

The DFG: Scientific Fields and Funding Instruments

Scientific Fields 2005 (in %)*

* Data: individual grants, funding for young researchers & coordinated programs (including humanities research centres)

538,2

754,4

85,8

57,7

15,7

1,6 22,1

individualgrants

funding foryoung researchers

coordinated programs

prizes

infrastructure boards & committees

international cooperations

Funding Instruments 2005 (in Mio €)

overall funding: 1,469.5 Mio €

Humanities and Social Sciences

14,6%

Natural Sciences

25,2%

Life Sciences37,9%

Engineering22,3%

International Agreements / Contracts

Promoting International Cooperation

Preparatory trips and Cooperation stays (max. 3 months) enable researchers to build up or intensify cooperation

Bilateral Symposia / Seminars can be held in either

country application to be submitted by the

German coordinator

Illustration taken from: http://www.n-tv.de/images/200108/2266436_Lufthansa.jpg; http://www.flightpix.com/pix/big/t_010.jpg http://www.bgo.ch/Berufsvorbereitung/Bilder/Arbeitsgruppe.gif; http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/01/0604/m/wang.jpg; http://www.wet.kuleuven.ac.be/wet/mercator.gif ; http://www.touropnet.com/beytours/allied_tours/images/scuola.gif

Both instruments:

Application to be submitted by the German partner

„Mobility funding“

Our strategic goals

Internationality

Interdisci-plinarity

Promotion ofYoung Researchers

Illustration unter Verwendung von: http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/~jpdesign/MPR.html

A Focus on Promoting Young Researchers

Illustration unter Verwendung von: http://nest.csusb.edu/graphics/owl.gif

Internationality

ExcellencyEarly Independence

DFG

International dimension of DFG programmes

• researchers from all countries can be employed in DFG projects• parts of projects can be performed abroad with foreign partners• projects can contribute to international coordinated programmes

• most research grants include funds for cooperation: travel, invitation of guest scientists, international workshops

• joint projects based on complementary funding principle (examples) : •Individual Grants•International Research Training Groups •International Collaborative Research Centres (SFB)

• Mercator-Visiting Professorship• all fellowship programmes are open to candidates from abroad• international peer review

DFG

Mercator Visiting Professorships

Aims:

To provide a visible accent of quality in the host university's activities

To contribute to the internationalization of Higher Education and research in Germany

Features:

Applications related to focal points in the university's scientific profile

Contribution to

Research

Research-related educational activities

Graduate Research Training at the respective university department

Intended stay between 3 and 12 months

NOTE: APPLICATIONS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE GERMAN HOST UNIVERSITY

To enable German universities to invite highly qualified scientists and scholars from abroad

Illustration taken from: http://www.wet.kuleuven.ac.be/wet/mercator.gif DFG

Perspectives:

Aims: increase the project numbers in the co-operation, new flagship projects? strengthen the institutional co-operation

build up of a network of bilateral structures on an institutional level promote a more intense collaboration between scientists (information!)

Implementation: joint thematic workshops joint evaluation of applications co-funding of projects / programmes staff exchange

The Triad of Internationality

Illustration taken from: http://www.jakob-ag.de/images/erde.jpg

People wishing to cooperate

A Frameworkfacilitating

cooperation

Programmesencouraging cooperation

Illustration taken from: http://www.med.cornell.edu/oac/contact.html; http://www.mazeltovs.com/postcard/pictures/graduation.jpg; http://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/dekanat/graphiken/diplmhat.gif

Thank you for your attention!

Info: www.dfg.de

Dr. Dietrich HalmProgramme OfficerInternational Co-operation Latin-America Kennedyallee 4053175 [email protected]

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

the dfg - who we are and what we do

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