The German Research Foundation maintains cooperation agreements with a number of funding organisations in Europe and worldwide that offer complementary funding possibilities in order to facilitate transnational research activities. In addition to funding opportunities in the framework of calls for proposals with deadlines that the DFG issues with some funding organisations, the DFG has agreements for so-called Standing Open Procedures, in which proposals can be handed in at any time (at least from the DFG’s end).
Standing Open Procedures within Europe
In Europe, the DFG currently collaborates with the following organisations in the Weave Lead Agency Initiative:
- Austria, Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
- Belgium, Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)
- Belgium, Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS)
- Czech Republic, Czech Science Foundation (GACR)
- Luxembourg, Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR)
- Poland, National Science Centre (NCN)
- Switzerland, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
- South Tyrol (Italy), Autonome Provinz Bozen (In this case, the DFG always acts as the Lead Agency)
Weave is a bottom-up funding mechanism with no additional restrictions regarding the thematic focus or subject matter covered by the proposals, other than those provided for by the relevant national and/or regional funding mechanisms.
The DFG funding scheme open to Weave is the Individual Research Grants Programme (“Sachbeihilfe”). Within Weave researchers from two up to three European countries or regions are able to submit a collaborative research proposal. Weave is based on the Lead Agency Procedure principle. The jointly written proposal is submitted to the organisation acting as the Lead Agency. The Lead Agency carries out the review process according to its own rules and forwards the results to the other funding organisation(s) involved. Funding decisions are made based on these review reports – separately in each case. The DFG and the respective partner organisation(s) only provide funding for joint research projects upon positive funding decisions on both/all sides. Unilateral funding of only one part of the research project is not possible.
Proposals with the DFG as the Lead Agency can be submitted at any time. Applicants should note that other funders within Weave may have specific rules and may have deadlines.
Standing Open Procedures Worldwide
The DFG collaborates with a number of partner organisations worldwide that offer complementary funding opportunities:
- Brazil, The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP): all areas; on the Brazilian side, only researchers who are located in universities/research institutions within the State of São Paulo may apply
- Colombia, Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES): all areas
- Colombia, Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA): all areas
- India, Indian Council of Social Sciences Research (ICSSR): only for the social sciences and humanities
- Turkey, Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK): all areas
- United States, National Science Foundation (NSF): selected areas in the natural, life and engineering Sciences. Different application procedures apply.
Projects can be applied for using a parallel application process. Proposals, which have to be written jointly, must be submitted in parallel at the DFG and at the respective partner organisation according to the applicable rules of the respective funding organisation. The review process is carried out separately on each side. The funding organisations make the funding decision on their own based on these review reports. The DFG and the respective partner organisation only provide funding of joint research projects upon positive assessment and funding decisions on both sides.
