I. Excellent science

1. ERC: European Research Council

• Staring grants

ERC Starting Grants aim to support up-and-coming research leaders (2-7 years after dissertation) who are about to establish a proper research team and to start conducting independent research in Europe.

• Consolidator grants

ERC Consolidator Grants are designed to support researchers (7-12 years after dissertation) at the stage at which they are consolidating their own independent research team or programme. The scheme will strengthen independent and excellent new individual research teams that have been recently created.

• Advanced grants

The ERC Advanced Grant funding targets researchers who have already established themselves as independent research leaders in their own right.

• Proof of concept

"Proof of Concept" is a funding scheme open to researchers who have already been awarded an ERC grant. Its purpose is to help ERC grantees explore the innovation potential of their research or support commercialisation of the results of their ERC-funded research. 

2. Marie S. Curie

• ITN: Innovative training networks

- ETN: European Training Networks

Joint research training, implemented by at least three partners from in and outside academia. The aim is for the researcher to experience different sectors and develop their transferable skills by working on joint research projects. The organisations should be established in at least three different EU or associated countries.

- EID: European Industrial Doctorates

Joint doctoral training delivered by at least one academic partner entitled to award doctoral degrees, and at least one partner from outside academia, primarily enterprise. The organisations should be established in at least two different EU or associated countries.

- EJD: European Joint Doctorates

A minimum of three academic organisations form a network with the aim of delivering joint, double or multiple degrees. Joint supervision of the research fellow and a joint governance structure are mandatory. The aim is to promote international, intersectoral and multi/interdisciplinary collaboration in doctoral training in Europe. The organisations should be from different EU or associated countries.

•  RISE: Research and Innovation Staff Exchange

For organisations such as universities, research centres or companies – that propose a short term exchange to their staff. Proposals should include at least three partners, which can be universities, research institutions, or non-academic organisations. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged to participate.

• Individual fellowships

For postdocs; European fellowships or Global fellowships.

• European Research´s Night

For any event that boosts public awareness of the positive role of research in society, especially among young people, can be supported. European Union funded researchers should interact as much as possible with visitors and show how their research has an impact on people’s daily lives.

3. CO-FUND

• Co-funding of doctoral programs

• Co-funding of postdocs

• ERA-NET CO-FUND

Proposals between national research programs to supplement individual calls or programmes funded by entities other than Union funding bodies, managing research and innovation programmes.

• PCP-PPI CO-FUND

Pre-commercial public procurements or public procurement of innovative solutions.

4. FET: Future and Emerging technologies

• FER Open

It funds projects on new ideas for radically new future technologies, at an early stage when there are few researchers working on a project topic. This can involve a wide range of new technological possibilities, inspired by cutting-edge science, unconventional collaborations or new research and innovation practices.

• FET Proactive

It nurtures emerging themes, seeking to establish a critical mass of European researchers in a number of promising exploratory research topics. This supports areas that are not yet ready for inclusion in industry research roadmaps, with the aim of building up and structuring new interdisciplinary research communities.

• FET Flagships

They are 1-billion, 10-years initiatives where hundreds of excellent European researchers unite forces to focus on solving an ambitious scientific and technological challenge.

II. Societal challenges – Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland wate research and the bioeconomy

The societal challenges have 7 priorities; among them:

• Food security and sustainable use of biological resources

• Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials

There are 4 calls 2016-17 Horizon 2020 in the Societal Challenges 2 (at least 3 partners):

• Sustainable food security

• Blue growth

• Rural renaissance

• Bio-based innovation for sustainable goods and services

III. Horizon Prize

IV. KET (Key Enable Technologie) BIOTEC - Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing

V. SPIRE: Public private partnership on sustainable process industry through Resource and energy efficiency

1. Individual grants programmes

• Research grants

Research grants enable individuals who have completed their academic training to conduct at any time research projects with clearly defined topics and durations, regardless of the subject.

• Scientific networks

A network consists of a group of people, who, over a defined period of up to three years, will work on a common research topic to attain a specific outcome.

• Research fellowships

Research Fellowships are intended to help early career researchers to conduct a defined project at a location of their choice in a country other than Germany and to use it as an opportunity to familiarise themselves with new research methods or to bring a large project to a conclusion.

• Emmy Noether Programme

The Emmy Noether Programme supports researchers in achieving independence at an early stage of their scientific careers. Postdocs gain the qualifications required for a university teaching career during a DFG-funded period, usually lasting five years, in which they lead their own independent junior research group.

• Heisenberg Programme

The Heisenberg Programme is directed primarily at those researchers who have qualified for professorship via the Emmy Noether Programme, DFG staff positions, private-sector research or non-faculty academic positions. The target group also includes junior professors who have received positive evaluations, those who have achieved their habilitation or equivalent, and German researchers returning from abroad, as well as appropriately qualified foreign researchers looking to pursue careers in Germany.

• Heisenberg professorship

If you apply for a Heisenberg professorship, you will, in addition to a DFG review, also go through an appointment procedure at the admitting university. The admitting university must create the professor position and clarify the extent to which this position constitutes a structural development. The admitting university must also guarantee that, where permitted under state law, Heisenberg professors will be funded by the university budget once the five-year DFG funding period is over.

• Reinhart Koselleck Projects

This programme enables outstanding researchers with a proven scientific track record to pursue exceptionally innovative, higher-risk projects.

• Workshop for early career investigators

Workshops for early career investigators aimed particularly at established researchers seeking to address a perceived lack of early-career researchers in their field by holding workshops for early career investigators on specific topics.

• Project academies

The aim of project academies is to enable professors from universities of applied sciences to engage in research projects based on DFG third-party funding at an early stage in their careers.

2. Coordinated programmes

3. Excellence initiative

The aim of the Excellence Initiative is to make Germany a more attractive research location, making it more internationally competitive and focussing attention on the outstanding achievements of German universities and the German scientific community.

Between 2006 and 2011 the DFG received a total of 1.9 billion euros in additional funding for the three funding lines of the initiative:

• Graduate schools to promote early career researcherss
• Clusters of excellence to promote top-level research
• Institutional strategies to promote top-level university research

The Excellence Initiative provides funding for institutional strategies that are aimed at developing top-level university research in Germany and increasing its competitiveness at an international level. The funding covers all measures that allow universities to develop and expand their areas of international excellence over the long term and to establish themselves as leading institutions in international competition.

4. Scientific prizes

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize

The prizes are not limited to certain research areas; the scientific quality of the previous work is the sole criterion for nomination. The prize may be awarded to individuals or research groups working at a research institution in Germany or at a German research institution abroad.

• Heinz Maeir Leibniz Prize

The prize is awarded to young researchers as a distinction for outstanding achievement. It is intended to assist young researchers in furthering their scientific careers. The prize is not to be seen simply as a distinction of the thesis alone. Rather, prizewinners will have already established an independent scientific career since having gained their doctorates.

• Communicator Award

This personal award is presented to researchers who have communicated their scientific findings to the public with exceptional success.

5. International Programmes

Applicants who wish to establish cooperation on a research project with partners from another country can apply for funds for foreign travel, visits or bilateral workshops.

1.Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes

Förderung für Studierende.

2.Deustchlandstipendium

Unterstützt begabte und leistungsstarke Studierende.

3. Halle Institute of Science and Technology

4. Martin Luckner Stiftung

Der Martin-Luckner-Preis lobt für die beste experimentelle Abschlussarbeit im Bereich der pharmazeutisch-biotechnologischen und biologischen Wissenschaften aus.

5. Fonds der chemischen Industrie

Stipendien an Doktoranden, Förderung von Nachwuchswissenschaftlern in Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen, Förderung von wissenschaftlichen Tagungen.

6. DBU- Promotionsstipendienprogramme: Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt

Promotion an einer deutschen Hochschule (Bewerbungen auch von promotionsberechtigten Ausländern möglich)

7. Bayer Foundations, Bayer fellowship program

• Life Sciences: Otto Bayer Scholarship

• Agro Sciences: Jeff Schell Scholarship

8. Volkswagen Foundation

•  Experiment! – Auf der Suche nach gewagten Forschungsideen

Die Förderinitiative "Experiment!" unterstützt schnell und unaufwändig gewagte Forschungsvorhaben aus den Natur-, Ingenieur-, und Lebenswissenschaften.

• Freigeist-Fellowships

Die fachoffenen Freigeist-Fellowships richten sich an außergewöhnliche Forscherpersönlichkeiten nach der Promotion, die sich zwischen etablierten Forschungsfeldern bewegen und risikobehaftete Wissenschaft betreiben möchten.

• Lichtenberg-Professuren

Mit den „Lichtenberg-Professuren“ kombiniert die VolkswagenStiftung die personen- und institutionsbezogene Förderung: Indem herausragende (Nachwuchs-) Wissenschaftler(innen) eine Tenure-Track-Option an einer selbst gewählten deutschen Universität erhalten, bekommen sie die Möglichkeit, eigenständig und langfristig in innovativen und interdisziplinären Bereichen zu forschen.

9. The Leopoldina Postdoc Scholarship

Successful candidates usually spend two years at the host institute, but this may be extended to three years in certain cases. Once the funding comes to an end, they are expected to return to their home country and implement their newly acquired knowledge and skills there.

10. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Die Humboldt Stiftung fördert Wissenschaftskooperationen zwischen exzellenten ausländischen und deutschen Forscherinnen und Forschern (ab Postdocs).

11. Peter und Traudl Engelhorn Stiftung

12. Fellowships of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO)

The EMBO Long-Term Fellowships are awarded for a period of up to two years and support post-doctoral research visits to laboratories throughout Europe and the world. International exchange is a key feature in the application process. 

EMBO Short-Term Fellowships fund research visits of up to three months to laboratories in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The aim is to facilitate valuable collaborations with research groups applying techniques that are unavailable in the applicant's laboratory.

13. Fellowships of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)

FEBS Long-Term Fellowships are awarded to support long-term visits of young postdocs for the purpose of scientific collaboration or advanced training.

14. Fellowships of the Human Frontier Science (HFSP)

HFSP postdoctoral fellowships encourage early career scientists to broaden their research skills by moving into new areas of study while working in a new country.

Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) are for applicants with a Ph.D. in a biological discipline, who will broaden their expertise by proposing a project in the life sciences which is significantly different from their previous Ph.D. or postdoctoral work.

15. Feodor-Lynen-Forschungsstipendien

Förderung von weltweiten Forschungsaufenthalten für Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler aller Karrierestufen und Fachgebiete aus Deutschland. Bewerber wählen einen Gastgeber aus rund 15.000 Wissenschaftlern aus dem Humboldt-Netzwerk im Ausland.

16. DAAD: German Academic Exchange Service

To study, research or teach in a foreign country.