Research Funding
Collaborative Research

Individual consultation on suitable funding programmes (DFG, BMFTR, MWK, EU etc.)

Information on current calls and long-term funding schemes

Access to internal seed funding from the Faculty of Medicine

Strategic editing: aligning proposal content and strcuture with sponsor requirements; reviewing scientific texts for clarity and relevance

Use of internal seed funding to prepare collaborative applications

Support in coordinating with the Dean's office, rectorate, and research funding office

Assistance in obtaining employer declarations and letters of support

Guidance on budget planning, GWP standards, and cost calculations

Clarification of legal and participation issues (especially for EU/BMFTR projects)

Support with site visits and application interviews

Provision of templates, guidelines, and checklists for proposals

Support during project implementation and advice on follow-up proposals

Coordination of continuation strategies (e.g., integration into research focus areas of the faculty and university)

Continuous contact for questions and challenges throughout your project

Shaping Research Together – with Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) and Transregional CRCs (TRRs) funded by the DFG

Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) and Transregional Collaborative Research Centres (TRRs) are among the most prestigious funding instruments of the German Research Foundation (DFG). They offer outstanding researchers the opportunity to address visionary research questions in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment – with long-term funding of up to twelve years.

CRCs are designed to strengthen a university’s research profile and provide space for ambitious ideas that can only be realised through collaboration. TRRs go a step further by enabling strong partnerships across institutions – nationally and internationally.

Securing a CRC or TRR is not only a major scientific achievement, but also a driver of structural development, early-career researcher support, and international visibility.

Take this opportunity – and help shape the future through your research.

Research Training Groups – Structured Support for the Next Generation

DFG Research Training Groups (RTGs) are more than just doctoral programmes: they offer structured research and training environments in which early-career researchers pursue their PhDs at the highest academic level – embedded in an excellent scientific setting and mentored by experienced researchers.

A RTG provides space for innovative research, fosters interdisciplinary exchange, and gives young talents access to international networks. At the same time, it strengthens the culture of supervision and increases the visibility of the participating disciplines and institutions.

Securing a RTG means investing in the future of science – while positioning your research in a way that is attractive, visible, and impactful.

Research Units – Develop new ideas as a team

DFG Research Units (RUs) offer researchers the opportunity to address current and forward-looking questions within a close-knit team – in a flexible, focused, and high-level setting. This funding format creates space for joint projects in which new research approaches can be tested and profile-defining topics can be developed.

Particularly attractive for early-career researchers: a Research Unit is an ideal format to take on scientific leadership early in one’s career and gain visibility in the research landscape.

Whether as a classic Research Unit (RU) or a Clinical Research Unit (CRU) – this format provides a valuable platform for ambitious research with strong development potential.

Start as a team – and bring your research vision to life.

Strategic Research – with Funding from BMFTR and MWK

Ministerial research funding from the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and state ministries (e.g. MWK) offers researchers a wide range of opportunities to implement practice-oriented and translational projects – from basic science to clinical application.

The focus lies on pressing health challenges, new models of care, innovative technologies, and patient-centred research. Whether in collaborative projects, real-world laboratories, or pilot initiatives – these programmes promote interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen the link between clinical practice and research, and offer high visibility at the national level.

For medical faculties, these funding formats are of particular strategic value: they support the transfer of research into healthcare practice, drive structural development, and generate momentum for sustainable research priorities.

Take this opportunity to shape medical research with real societal impact – and bring your expertise into the BMFTR and MWK funding landscape.

Clusters of Excellence – Cutting-Edge Research with Societal Impact

Clusters of Excellence are the flagship funding instrument of German research policy. As part of the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments, they enable outstanding researchers to conduct pioneering, large-scale, interdisciplinary research with both international visibility and societal impact.

Clusters of Excellence offer the opportunity to connect leading medical research with other disciplines, open up new research fields, and establish sustainable structures for early-career development and scientific exchange. The funding is substantial, long-term, and strengthens the visibility of the entire institution – nationally and internationally.

Securing a Cluster of Excellence shapes the strategic direction of a university and firmly anchors its research field at the highest level.

Crossing Borders – with EU Collaborative Funding in Medicine

European research funding – especially within the Horizon Europe framework – offers outstanding opportunities for researchers to gain international visibility and contribute to pioneering projects. Whether in precision medicine, public health, digital innovation, or global health issues: the EU supports ambitious research with clear societal impact.

In EU-funded collaborative projects, researchers work across disciplines and borders with partners from academia, clinical practice, industry, and civil society. Researchers benefit in multiple ways: through long-term partnerships, international visibility, access to cutting-edge infrastructures, and active transfer of results into healthcare, systems, and policy.

EU funding means shaping international excellence, tackling complex health challenges together – and strategically positioning your university within the European research landscape.