At the virtual Annual Meeting, DFG President Professor Dr. Katja Becker emphasised the importance of research at universities - also against the background of the coronavirus pandemic:
"During these times, German universities are continuing not only to carry out the best research, but also to organise academic training, build our knowledge resources for the purposes of application-oriented research, and themselves contribute to this research. In this way, our universities are creating the framework for a research system that enables excellence across the board, in which cooperation takes priority over competition and synergies are possible, and thus makes a valuable contribution to societal challenges. This deserves recognition from all of us."
By extending award periods and calls for proposals, as well as fellowships and employment contracts, and not least through extensive additional support amounting to €175 million, the DFG has sought to minimise the delays and financial impacts for funded projects resulting from the pandemic and the associated restrictions on public life, and to provide funded researchers, particularly early career researchers, with the best possible support and prospects.
A review of the measures taken in the past year is presented in the Annual Report 2019. As well as reporting on the most significant topics and developments of the past year in relation to funding and research policy, it presents selected funded projects and key facts and figures on funding activities.
According to the record, in 2019 the DFG funded approximately 31,150 research projects in all scientific disciplines with a total volume of almost €3.3 billion. Approximately 17 percent of these projects involved cooperation with researchers at research institutions abroad. Within the individual scientific disciplines, the proportion of projects with international participation in current funding varies. The highest proportion is found in the natural sciences at 24 percent. The humanities and social sciences account for 19 percent, life sciences have a share of 15 percent and engineering sciences hold 12 percent.
In the year of reporting, the DFG was involved in a total of 20 bilateral and multilateral calls for proposals, 14 of which were in Europe. One of the outstanding features is the intensive cooperation with France, which is based on a long-term partnership with the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR). A total of 8 calls for proposals were developed together with French scientists and researchers.
In addition, around 28 percent of the project staff are of foreign nationality. The corresponding figure for post-doctoral researchers involved in projects is as high as 42 percent. Moreover, the DFG participates in numerous international bodies, research and funding associations and multinational cooperations and initiatives, which are listed in a separate chapter in the annual report.
Further information
- DFG (01.07.2020): Virtual Annual Meeting 2020: DFG Underlines Importance of Research at Universities
- DFG (01.07.2020): Annual Report 2019
