Individual projects
Within the framework of an individual project, the project leader investigates a specific object of research together with the personnel applied for. In contrast to individual funding, the focus is on the scientific quality of the project. Although the suitability of the applicant is the central evaluation criterion, the position of project leader cannot always be co-financed.
There are a variety of funding formats that you can use to finance your research projects, which are limited in terms of time and topic.
With the Young Academy, TU Dortmund University supports doctoral researchers in the qualification phase.
Funding profile: Internal funding program for doctoral researchers in the qualification phase (below the professorship) at TU Dortmund University to build up a research profile with a strong third-party funding profile. The project funding is intended in particular to enable preliminary work for a third-party funding application.
Funding amount: Up to €10,000 per application.
Application and deadlines: Semi-annual submission deadlines: April 30 and November 30.
Selection procedure: The pre-selected entries after the deadline are invited to a project presentation by a peer panel. A final decision will then be made. Criteria: scientific quality, relevance to the applicant's research profile and to research at TU Dortmund University, as well as an appropriate balance between the use of funds and the expected return.
Funding profile: Funding is focused on basic research in all disciplines and is open to all topics.
Scope: Research projects with a usual scope of 1 to 2 staff positions are funded for 3 years using the “Individual Grant”. In addition to personnel funds, material funds for equipment, conference travel and printing costs as well as funds for workshops can be acquired. Postdocs can apply for their own position as project leader within the framework of an in-kind grant.
Application and deadlines: The procedure is one-stage. Applications for the in-kind grant can be submitted at any time. Applications are submitted via the elan online portal. Unapproved proposals can be resubmitted after revision. The DFG Liaison Lecturer must be informed of every application.
Selection procedure: The review is carried out by specially selected reviewers according to internal scientific criteria. The average funding rate across all subjects is around 30 percent. The processing time for your application - from submission to decision - takes more than 7 months on average.
The funding of foundations is based on the respective foundation's purpose. Due to the very different orientations and sizes of funding foundations, there is a wide range of individual project funding in the foundation sector.
Funding profile: Foundations set their own funding profiles according to their purpose. Depending on the foundation, the focus may be more on basic research or more on application-oriented research. Funding is usually concentrated on specific topics or disciplines. If you are interested in foundation-financed individual project funding, please contact the team from the grants office.
Scope: The scope of project funding from foundations varies greatly and often depends on the size of the foundation.
Application and deadlines: The procedures are usually one-stage and generally somewhat leaner. In most cases, foundations set regular deadlines for applications in their programs - usually annually or semi-annually (usually based on the meetings of the scientific advisory board).
Selection procedure: The assessment is primarily based on the funding objectives of the respective foundation. Depending on the funding objectives, both specialist review systems and review committees in the foundation area are used.
Sponsorship profile
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's Henriette Herz Scouting Program opens up an additional access route to the Humboldt Research Fellowship: selected "scouts" at German research institutions can directly approach particularly sought-after international junior researchers and bring them to Germany for joint research. The aim is to reach new specialist and regional target groups, to award up to 100 additional Humboldt Research Fellowships per year and, in particular, to increase the proportion of sponsored female researchers and diversity in the program.
Scope of sponsorship
Every year, around 40 scouts are selected, each of whom can propose up to three excellent postdocs from abroad for a Humboldt Research Fellowship; the first of these fellowships is to go to a female researcher.
Eligibility to apply and deadlines
The target group is researchers from all disciplines with a (junior) professorship or comparable leadership position (e.g. group leader) at a German university or research institution; there are two program lines for younger researchers (up to 15 years after their doctorate) and for established, internationally renowned researchers. Prerequisites include visible academic success, international networking and a convincing concept for identifying and supervising postdocs who would otherwise not apply to the Humboldt Foundation. Applications to become a scout can be submitted online at any time; the selection committee meets twice a year (at the end of May and the end of November); it is recommended that applications be submitted six to eight months before the desired meeting.
Selection procedure
Additional fellowships are awarded in three stages: (1) selection of scouts in a competitive peer review process, (2) awarding of up to three Humboldt Research Fellowships per scout in a direct award procedure following a formal review and (3) ex-post evaluation of the sponsored fellows approximately one year after the end of sponsorship as a basis for a possible re-application by the scout. For the scout selection, the applications are submitted to two independent experts after formal review; an interdisciplinary selection committee selects the best applications from both program lines on this basis, currently with a selection success rate of around 30%.
Funding profile: Ministerial funding focuses on application-oriented research. Funding is provided within the framework of thematic calls for proposals. The choice of topics is politically motivated, for example due to their current social relevance. Due to the thematic focus, the calls for proposals generally favor certain disciplines.
Scope: The usual project duration is 3 years. The financial scope varies greatly between the individual calls.
Application and deadlines: The application procedure usually consists of two stages. A legally binding signature from the university is often required in the first stage. Each call for proposals has its own submission deadline. In the case of the federal ministries, submissions are made via the easy-Online internet portal.
Evaluation: The evaluation is usually carried out by a more or less inter- and transdisciplinary panel of experts and therefore not by experts in the field. Accordingly, unlike the DFG, the review process is based much less on the relevance of the project within the respective scientific community and more on the potential social benefit of the project.
The Research Funding Division generally advises you on third-party funding applications to all federal ministries. However, experience has shown that the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) are particularly important for funding policy at TU Dortmund University.
Information on calls for proposals and projects
- Information on current calls for proposals can be obtained via our information services or via the federal government's "Research and Innovation" funding advisory service.
- In the federal funding catalog you will find a comprehensive database of funded projects.
- In the federal funding database, the federal government provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of federal, state and EU funding programs.
Funding profile: The state of NRW's research funding is based on the guiding principle of academic freedom and at the same time places a special focus on forward-looking topics such as digitalization, sustainability and social transformation.
Scope: Funding is provided for both individual projects and cooperative projects with variable funding amounts, whereby programs such as the Digital University NRW specifically support structural developments at universities.
Application and deadlines: Applications are usually submitted digitally and by the deadline via the relevant ministries or project management agencies, with regular calls for proposals and transparent information enabling early planning.
Evaluation: Eligible projects are selected through an independent, professionally qualified evaluation process that takes into account both scientific excellence and strategic fit with the objectives of state funding.
The state government emphasizes the importance of digitalization in order to structurally strengthen North Rhine-Westphalia as a location for science, innovation and business. Both the MWIKE with the NRW Digital Strategy and the MKW NRW with the Digitale Hochschule NRW funding programme take the forward-looking importance of digitalization into account.