Funding opportunities

Several funding programmes are available for young academics at the Göttingen Campus:

If you are part of the University, check out the Research Department, here and (for EU projects) here and Göttingen International for Education and Mobility programmes. If you are part of the wider Göttingen Campus see the GAUSS page.
 

External Sources

  • A very useful external source of advice is the Federal Funding Advisory Service on Research and Innovation. They can help you identify a whole range of funding opportunities from various German government initiatives. They can also help you find local, national and EU research schemes, recommend partners, support international projects and much more.  You can contact them by phone or email.
  • You may like to sign up to FIT (Forschung Internationales Transfer) which provides current calls from a range of funders. You can subscribe to FIT and select the type of calls and how often you want to be informed.
  • Postdocs will also find this funding website useful - Research in Germany.
  • Individual grants: German Research Foundation (DFG) has published a How-To Guide about individual grants programmes - whether for individual projects or people. It also includes tips for your proposal.  

Upcoming Funding opportunities

Sorted by deadline

November

  • Volkswagen Stiftung: Forschung über Wissenschaft: Sommerschulen und Workshops, Research about Research: Summer Schools and workshops – researchers with a doctorate or higher in a discipline that conducts research about science can get funding to run summer schools and workshops aimed in particular at early career researchers in Germany. Deadline: 1 November 2022
     
  • (in German)BMBF Veranstaltungsreihen zur Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der empirischen Bildungsforschung: funding for events to support junior researchers in empirical educational research – a framework to support and develop researchers in projects and in research groups headed by postdocs in the early phase of their careers. Cross-institutional events in Germany, Switzerland etc will be funded with the idea is to strengthen interdisciplinarity and intensify the application and transfer of educational research. Deadline: 4 November  
     
  • Max-Eder Junior Research Group by the Deutsche Krebshilfe to support highly qualified early career researchers (under 35 years) specializing in oncology to establish an independent research group and further develop their scientific career by changing location. They last 4 years (+ 3 years extension) and cover salaries, consumables, facilities, travel. Deadlines: 4 November 2022 (note deadline has changed and is earlier), 23 February 2023
     
  • Deutsche Krebshilfe Mildred-Scheel-Postdoc Program for early career medical doctors and natural scientists (PhD within 10 years) with permanent residence in Germany to carry out projects in clinically oriented oncological basic research or clinical cancer research at renowned institutions abroad.  Funding is a stipend, monthly allowance for conferences and consumables plus one-off start-up fund, family travel allowance. Funding lasts 3 months to 2 years. 4 November 2022 (note deadline has changed and is earlier), 23 February 2023

  • EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) New Venture Fellowshipssupport internationally mobile early career scientists in any field of life science research to enter a new field. Deadline: 7 November

  • John F Kennedy Memorial Fellowships for German citizens in the process of writing up their habilitation (or similar) and within 7 years of completing their PhD provide a stipend for 10 months of residential research between September and June. Fellows should be working on topics focussing on Europe or the US in the fields of political science, contemporary history, economics, sociology, political economy, anthropology and international relations. Fellows will join other visiting researchers at Harvard’s Centre for European Studies. Deadline: 11 November

  • Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowship are open to all researchers around the world in all fields who received their PhD after 1 Nov 2019, to enable them to carry out research in a number of Israeli universities or research centres. All nationalities are eligible except those who have Israeli citizenship/residency. Deadline: 15 November

  • European Defence Fund/Research and Development: calls for proposals for research and development projects cover 33 topics including information superiority, sensors, cyber, space, digital transformations, materials and components and energy and environment. Deadline: 24 November (for most topics)

  • Laura Bassi Scholarships– established to provide editorial assistance to early career researchers whose research focuses on neglected topics of study in any discipline. Costs awarded are $2,500 for PhD students, $500 for other early career researchers. Note that there is a voluntary application fee of $10.  Deadline: 25 November, 31 March 2023, 25 July 2023

  • (in German)Gewisola-Preiseconsists of two annual prizes from the Society for economic and social sciences in agriculture: one for the best dissertation and one for communication between the economic and social sciences of agriculture and society. Deadline: 30 November
     
  • BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung): Adolf Martens Fellowship Programmefunds postdoc junior scientists who obtained their PhD (in an area of expertise matching BAM’s scientific direction) outside Germany within the last 3 years. BAM tests, researches and advises on protection for people, the environment and materials, and sets safety standards in technology and chemistry for Germany and its global markets. Funding is for one year: Deadline: 30 November, 31 March 2023, 31 July 2023
     
  • Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard-Foundation: supports talented women with children by enabling them to create the freedom and mobility to further their scientific careers. Specifically for graduates and postdocs in experimental natural sciences and medicine. The focus is on funding to pay for assisting in household chores and additional childcare. Deadline: 30 November
     
  • Hochschulwettbewerb im Wissenschaftsjahr 2023is a call to early career researchers from all disciplines for proposals which focus on projects that make scientific topics and methods accessible and tangible to the general public, conveying the social importance of research.The theme this year (Our Universe) offers communication potential for many disciplines – audio guides, simulation games, workshops, social media. Applications can be in English, but note that some part of the communication being put forward for the prize must be in German. The organisers suggest including a German-speaking student or colleague for instance who could do some social media. The top 15 suggestions will get €10,000 to implement the idea and the award includes workshops and training courses on science communication and access to their alumni network. Deadline: 30 November

December and later

  • VolkswagenStiftung Challenges and Potentials for Europe: intergenerational futures. Humanities, cultural and social sciences (lead) with natural, life, data and technological sciences possible. Funding for international research projects and summer schools for research teams working on demographic change in Europe. Deadlines: 1 December (summer schools), 14 December (international research projects)
     
  • MINT (STEM) Challenge: seeking projects from teachers and students at universities and non-profit organisations that provide solutions to certain challenges that are part of MINT education with the ten best projects presented as best practice on Club Mint’s website with cash prizes for the first three prizes. This call asks for projects that make students competent for sustainable development. Deadline: 7 December
     
  • (in German)Walter Schulz Stiftung:Cancer research research prize €10,000 for early career scientists under 40 years of age who have made outstanding achievements in tumour research. Deadline: 31 December
     
  • Roman Herzog Forschungspreis Sociale Marktwirtschaftis for early career researchers who, in their dissertations or habilitations, deal with the future viability of the social market economy, and thus with the central regulatory issues of the 21st century. The prize is awarded annually and is endowed with prize money totalling €35,000. Deadline: 31 December
     
  • BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany) research dissertation prize for sustainable development to recognise outstanding achievements and contribute to a stronger alignment of the science system to the major social challenges. All disciplines can apply, interdisciplinary work is especially welcomed, applications in German or English for work completed at a German university or research institute. Prizes for Bachelor/Master’s theses or dissertation (€500, €1,000, €2,500 respectively). Deadline: 15 January 2023
     
  • Deutsche Lungenstiftung German Dissertation Prize Pneumology 2023 for the best experimental dissertation work in the field of pneumology to early career researchers (under 35 when completing doctoral procedure). Dissertation must be carried out in Germany, written in German (or a translation into German provided). Award includes an invitation to give a lecture and €3,000. Deadline:30 January 2023
     
  • William Stern Programme: Karg Stiftungfunding for early career researchers in the field of applied talent research (whether or not they have previously carried out research in this field) to stimulate research on the subject of giftedness. Open Science and interdisciplinary approaches are particularly welcome. The following themes are of particular interest: aptitude justice; early education/preschool; family research; digitalization; underachievement. Deadline: 31 January 2023
     
  • (in German) Klee Prize:German Society for Biomedical Engineering with the Klee Family Foundation provides prizes for early career researchers in a relevant field for the promotion of early career researchers (under 35). Deadline: 31 January 2023
     
  • ERC consolidator grantsfor excellent researchers who are at the point of consolidating their independence by establishing a research team and continuing to research career in Europe. They can also be for those who have recently created an independent excellent research team and want to strengthen it. Open to any nationality and any field, normally 7-12 years’ experience since successful defence of PhD. Funding is for 5 years. If you are considering an application, please contact your internal EU research grants advisors where you want to hold the grant immediately (see below). Applications are a lot of work and there may be internal procedures to follow. Deadline: 2 Feb 2023

On-going

  • MSC4Ukraine (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions for Ukraine)has been launched to support postdocs and PhD candidates from Ukraine (in residence on 24 February 2022 and displaced after that date or ready to relocate). The programme will match researchers with institutes and fellowships will be offered on a rolling basis from January 2023.  Deadline: open
     
  • DFG Emmy Noether programme applications: for highly qualified early career researchers and junior professors (normally up to 4 years after PhD completion and at least 2 years of postdoc experience) on temporary contracts who want the chance to qualify for the post of professor at a university by leading an independent junior research group for six years. (The eligibility period has been extended by 3 months due to the coronavirus pandemic for those who would otherwise have to apply by 31 December 2022). Deadline: proposals can be submitted at any time.
     
  • DFG Walter Benjamin Programmeenables researchers in the postdoctoral training phase to independently conduct their own research project at a location of their choice for 2 years. The project can be carried out at a research institution in Germany or abroad, with the host institution providing support for the project. Applications can be submitted at any time. Frequently asked questions are here.  Contacts are subject-specific and can be found here. Deadline: at any time
     
  • EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Postdoctoral Fellowshipssupport researchers for two years and international mobility is a key requirement. Fellowship includes a salary or stipend, laboratory leadership training, access to an EMBO global network, relocation allowance and support for those with kids. Applications accepted throughout the year.
     
  • EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Scientific Exchange Grantssupport researchers for up to three months between laboratories in eligible countries – facilitating collaborations with research groups with expertise, techniques or infrastructure that is unavailable in the applicant’s laboratory. They cover travel and subsistence costs. Applications accepted throughout the year.
     
  • EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Core Facility Fellowshipssupport training for core facility staff (including scientists and technicians) in specific techniques in core facilities that provide services to research institutions or universities. The fellowships contribute towards travel and subsistence costs. Applications accepted throughout the year.
     
  • Exist Business Funding for University-based Business Start-ups  by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate funding. The application comes from the University/research institute but is driven by researchers (potential entrepreneurs) who hand their business idea to the University. More info about the scheme is here. Applications must be in German. Deadline: on-going
     
  • Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship - the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation provides sponsorship for research stays worldwide (length of 6 to 24 months for postdocs), for researchers from Germany in all disciplines and all career stages. Applicants choose an academic host from some 15,000 academics in the Humboldt Network abroad. Deadline: Apply throughout the year but well in advance of committee meetings in February, June and October
     
  • Fritz Thyssen Foundation Research Stipendsto support highly qualified individual junior scholars who generally received their doctoral degree one or two years ago. It provides postdocs with an opportunity to focus on a research project for a limited period of time and the stipends can be used to enable scholars to familiarise themselves with a new field of research or to write an article for publication. Funding in the following areas: history, language and culture; interdisciplinary field “image-sound-language”; state, economy and society; medicine and the natural sciences. Deadline: applications can be submitted at any time and an answer is generally provided within 8 weeks.
     
  • Fulbright Germany: Reisestipendien für deutsche Wissenschaftler*innenfor scientists with German citizenship for teaching or research stays in the US for 3 to 12 months. Fulbright Germany encourages applications from diverse groups who are traditionally underrepresented in academia. No deadline but apply at least nine months before you intend to travel
     
  • Liebig Postdoc Fellowships are to help start the careers of prospective university teachers in the field of chemistry. Postdocs from chemistry and related fields can get funding to continue their scientific experience at another working group and university (different from their PhD which should have been completed within three years). Deadline: at any time
     
  • Leopoldina Postdoc ScholarshipPostdoctoral scientists in Germany, Austria and Switzerland who already show independence in natural science or medicine to conduct research abroad. Contact: PD Dr Andreas Clausing. Deadline: applications can be submitted at any time and are considered four times a year.
     
  • VolkswagenStiftung: support in Germany for Scientists/Scholars from Afghanistan (or who have fled Afghanistan): scientists in Germany are eligible to apply if they have received research funding from the VolkswagenStiftung in the last 10 years. Scientists can apply to bring researchers from Afghanistan (or scholars/scientists who have fled Afghanistan) to work on their research project. Potential PhD students could be funded although the initial funding period would only cover 2 years. In all cases, please discuss potential applications directly with the VolkswagenStiftung before applying. Open deadline.
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