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Research FundingBMBF and Other Federal Ministries

Research funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is aimed at financing new ideas and technologies. Funding is available for projects across the research spectrum:

  • New technologies
  • Life sciences
  • Basic research
  • Environment and sustainability
  • Humanities, cultural and social studies

EU-wide standardized regulations play a decisive role in the basic conditions of research funding. They specifically regulate the definition of research institutions and business and clarify the relation between funding and equity capital. The decision for or against funding a certain project depends on the results of the research and its later use. Research funding is intended for the project itself, never the individual researcher.

The ministry-funded projects at Heidelberg University are mapped in the research database.

Proposal submission and project management

General Information

The Administrative guide to research funding describes the most important rules and procedures for third-party funding at Heidelberg University.

Administrative guide to research funding


Submitting a proposal

As a rule, there are two options for funding proposals.

  • Public announcements by the BMBF: Fixed deadline for submission.
  • Initiative proposals: When a new funding guideline is announced, bottom-up applications are often possible regardless of current calls for proposals.

Please contact the project manager or the appropriate BMBF consultant.

Only legal persons, i.e. Heidelberg University, may submit applications to federal ministries and their executing agencies; individual researchers, institutes or faculties may not. All applications must be reviewed and signed by the Vice-president Finance and Personnel (or her representative, in some cases). A minimum of six workdays is required for application review and signature.
 

Process for Proposal Submission and Project Management

The Heidelberg Research Service provides campus-wide online access to a process template for proposal submission and management of BMBF and other federally funded projects at Heidelberg University.
 

Project Management Institutions

For every project, the BMBF commissions a project management institution (e.g., PTJ, PTKA, DLR) to implement the ministry-funded project with respect to function and organisation. The project management institutions are responsible for advising researchers interested in support, applicants and beneficiaries (funding service) as well as for the administrative processing and professional support of projects during all phases – from the initial project idea to the commercialisation of the project results.