Start-up funding programmes for project proposals
Internal start-up funding programme
The Foundation under private law of the University of Göttingen or the Presidential Board of the University can provide start-up funding upon application of the spokesperson to support collaborative research initiatives and to prepare project proposals for the European Research Council (ERC). The electronic application form for start-up funding is available here.
Collaborative project proposals that will be submitted to national, international and European funding institutions are eligible for receiving start-up funding, if they include collaborations involving several working groups or researchers from the University of Göttingen. Funding is only granted for projects that are coordinated in Göttingen.
The aim of this start-up funding programme is to provide researchers, usually the spokesperson, the best possible conditions for submitting a high-quality proposal in order to improve the chances of the initiative's success.
The funds made available can largely be used freely, taking into account the subject-specific requirements, for example for an additional academic staff member, for assistants, for conducting workshops or for necessary business trips. It is also possible to invite external experts. However, the start-up amount may NOT be used to finance the costs of catering.
Please note in your planning that a fixed-term contract for academic or administrative staff is not generally possible with approval in individual cases. It is therefore essential that you contact the Human Resources Department in advance in order to clarify any questions regarding fixed-term contracts at an early stage.
The start-up funding programme generally provides the following maximum funding amounts:
| COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES | DRAFT PROPOSAL | FULL PROPOSAL |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Research Centre | 30,000 euro | 40,000 euro |
| Research Unit | 15,000 euro | 20,000 euro |
| Research Training Group | 10,000 euro | 25,000 euro |
| Larger project with third party participation | 10,000 euro | 20,000 euro |
External start-up funding programmes
Moreover, there are further opportunities to apply for start-up funding with regard to EU project proposals e.g. Horizon Europe. If you are interested in applying for start-up funding, please contact the EU Office as soon as possible. Our team can decide, if you are eligible for start-up funding and if yes, which start-up funding programme best suits your research idea.
The Europe Programme of the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK) offers, upon application, financial support for the following activities, for example:
- Niedersachsen FIT: Research and innovation days in Brussels for the presentation of the research strengths and innovative ideas of Lower Saxony.
- Niedersachsen BEREIT: Measures for the preparation of project proposals for EU funding programmes.
- Niedersachsen KONSORT: Measures to set up and consolidate project consortia with the intention of acting as the project coordinator of this consortium to jointly apply in an EU funding programme.
The MWK will review each application and approval depends on the availability of funding. A start-up funding cannot be guaranteed.
Further information
The German Research Foundation (DFG) supports the initiation of international collaboration. Applicants interested in establishing collaborative scientific relationships with partners abroad may apply for funding for trips abroad, guest visits or for exploratory workshops.
Further information on the initiation of international collaboration
The DFG also funds scientific networks. They offer researchers in all career phases the opportunity to engage in a multi-year, cross-location exchange on a research topic of their choice with the aim of achieving a concrete result. A research network consists of a fixed group of people, usually 10 to 20, which may also include researchers working abroad.
Further information on scientific networks
In addition, the DFG supports the submission of proposals with European cooperation partners (Weave Lead Agency Process). Via Weave, researchers from Germany can apply at any time for research projects with partners from six European countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic), which are each reviewed by a participating funding organisation in the lead agency procedure. It considerably simplifies the application conditions for researchers and the processing of applications for funding organisations, while at the same time reducing the workload for reviewers. The aim is to carry out a thematically and time-limited research project as an Individual Research Grant with partners from other European countries. The duration of funding depends on the project, but is limited to a maximum of 36 months.
Further information on the Weave Initiative (DFG website)
Further information on the Weave Initiative (website of the initiative)