Call For Proposals Support Of Research Initiatives Within Field Of Focus 2

The Research Council of the Field of Focus in the Natural and Engineering Sciences (FoF2) aims to stimulate innovative research by harnessing the interdisciplinary potential of the Heidelberg campus to identify and develop emerging research fields. It therefore supports proposals that initiate new interdisciplinary research nuclei and open novel research directions at Heidelberg University. The program seeks to establish new research areas through strong interdisciplinary networks that foster collaborative initiatives and enable the formation of competitive research consortia. Proposals that address these aims may follow but are not restricted to the following funding lines:

• Explorer Projects – seed funding for high-risk, high-gain collaborative projects involving at least one junior PI;
• Thematic Research Networks – to connect researchers across the disciplines and develop competitive research consortia; 
• Research Infrastructure – to advance shared resources for frontier research.

The projects must start in 2027 and may extend to 2028. The requested project budget should not exceed €100,000 in total. Exceptions must be well justified in the proposal. More than 50 % of the funding must be spent in 2027. Note that funds cannot be transferred from 2027 to 2028 or beyond 2028. The budget of the project must be administered by a university member; transfer of funds to non-university institutions is not permitted. A project can be co-financed by the applicant’s own funds. An applicant’s own position cannot be funded via this call.

The project outline is limited to 4 pages (budget plan, CV, and further appendices excluded) and may be submitted by senior and junior group leaders of FoF2. The proposal should highlight the novelty and strategic relevance of the proposed research direction and explain its relevance to the aims of this call. The proposal should include the following items:

• Title
• Project team
• Project aims: The idea in a nutshell
• Brief project description
• Relevance with respect to the aims of this call (novelty, strategic relevance, synergies, potential of sustainably developing new research lines, interdisciplinary aspects, particular scientific background or methods available in Heidelberg etc.)
• If applicable: Transfer strategy and entrepreneurship
• If applicable: Plans for acquiring subsequent third-party funds
• Appendix: Budget plan (please list personnel, consumables, investments for 2027 and 2028); if applicable: co-financing; CV of applicants or beneficiary

The Research Council will select proposals and suggest them to the rectorate for funding. Please make sure that you will be available in the afternoon of October 6, 2026, for a possible short interview with the Research Council. The evaluation can involve additional experts for advice. Annual reporting on activities to the Research Council as well as a final report will be expected.

Deadline for proposal submission is September 25, 23:59. Proposals should be sent in a single pdf and with the subject line “FoF2-1-2026” to:

fof2@uni-heidelberg.de

Proposals submitted after the deadline cannot be considered.

Please contact Dr. Christian Angrick, the managing director of FoF2, via the email address above in case of further administrative questions, or your Research Council representative.