AHRC-DFG Research Grants: Round Eight (2025 to 2026) (Grant)

GRANT PURPOSE AND TARGET

Core Objective

The core objective of this grant is to fund high-quality, collaborative academic research in the arts and humanities between UK and German teams. The primary aim is to make fundamental advances in human knowledge, deepen UK-German research cooperation, and foster a transnational research culture.

Funding Organization

This is a joint initiative by the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Target Recipients

Applications are led by a UK-based Project Lead at a research organisation eligible for AHRC funding, in collaboration with a German-based team. Eligible UK organisations include:
* Higher education providers
* Research institutes
* Public sector research establishments (PSREs)
* NHS bodies
* Approved independent research organisations (IROs)
* Catapult centres

Sector Focus

This grant is SECTOR-SPECIFIC. Projects must fall within the remit of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This includes a wide range of subjects such as history, archaeology, philosophy, languages, literature, law, classics, media, design, and visual arts. Interdisciplinary proposals are welcome, but the UK component must primarily be within AHRC's remit.

Geographic Scope

This grant requires a cross-national collaboration. Project teams must be based in the United Kingdom and Germany. The lead applicant must be based at an eligible UK research organisation, working with a German partner team eligible for DFG funding.

Key Filtering Criteria

• Mandatory Collaboration: A highly integrated project between one UK-based team and one German-based team is required.
• Project Scope: The project must focus on fundamental, knowledge-driven research within the AHRC's subject remit.
• Project Duration: Projects must last between 24 and 36 months.
• UK Funding Limit: The full economic cost (FEC) of the UK component must not exceed £420,000.

FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

Funding Range

• UK Component: The full economic cost (FEC) can be up to £420,000. The minimum award is stated as £1.
• German Component: The DFG does not specify a maximum funding limit for the German part of the project.
• Overall Budget: The total budget for this funding round is approximately £5.9 million, with an expectation to fund around 16 projects.

Co-financing

• UK Contribution: AHRC funds 80% of the full economic cost (FEC) of the UK component. The remaining 20% must be contributed by the UK research organisation.
• Symmetry: Projects do not need to be financially symmetrical between the UK and German partners, but the workload and responsibilities should be reasonably equal.

Eligible Costs

Funding is distributed according to each agency's rules. For the UK component, eligible costs include:
* Project Staff: Costs for researchers and staff working on the project.
* International Co-Leads: Costs for eligible international project co-leads (not based in the UK or Germany) can be included, up to a maximum of 30% of the UK project's total FEC.
* Travel and Subsistence: Costs for significant travel for fieldwork or collaboration.
* Consumables and Facilities: Project-specific consumables and access to facilities.

Ineligible Costs

For the UK component, ineligible costs include:
* PhD Studentships: Funding for PhD students cannot be included in the UK budget.
* Major Equipment: Individual items of equipment costing more than £10,000 (including VAT).

Payment & Reporting

• Funding is distributed to the respective UK and German partners according to the rules of AHRC and DFG.
• Post-award financial reporting will be required as per standard UKRI and DFG terms and conditions.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Formal Criteria

• Joint Project: Each application must be for a joint research project consisting of one UK-based team and one German-based team. Both teams must have a designated Project Lead (PL).
• UK Team Eligibility: The UK team must be led by a researcher who meets AHRC’s individual eligibility criteria and is based at a research organisation eligible for AHRC funding. The proposed research must fall within the AHRC's remit.
• German Team Eligibility: The German team must be led by a researcher eligible to apply to the DFG. German researchers at non-university institutions must comply with the 'duty to cooperate' with a member of a German university.
• Resubmission Policy: Immediate resubmission of unsuccessful applications from the previous round (Round 7) is not permitted. Reworked proposals from rounds prior to the seventh are allowed once.

Organizational Status

• UK Organisations: Must be on the list of research organisations eligible for UKRI funding. This includes universities, approved research institutes, and public sector research establishments. Applicants can check their organisation's status on the UKRI website.
• German Organisations: Must meet DFG eligibility requirements. Specific rules, such as the 'Kooperationspflicht' (duty to cooperate), apply to researchers at certain non-university research institutions, requiring partnership with a German university researcher.

Technical Expertise

• While specific technical skills are not prescribed, the 'Applicant and team capability to deliver' is a key assessment criterion. The application must demonstrate that the team possesses the necessary experience, skills, and leadership to successfully execute the project.
• The inclusion of early career researchers and technicians in project teams is actively encouraged.

Exclusion Criteria

• Ineligible Costs (UK): Grant funds cannot be used for PhD studentships or for any single item of equipment costing over £10,000 (including VAT).
• Ineligible Projects: Stand-alone infrastructure or networking projects are not eligible. Projects must have a substantive research focus.
• Resubmissions: Proposals that are not significantly reworked from a previous unsuccessful submission to Round 7 will be rejected.

APPLICATION PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Deadlines

• Opening Date: 16 October 2025, 9:00am (UK time)
• Closing Date: 11 February 2026, 4:00pm (UK time) for the UKRI Funding Service submission.
• German Submission Deadline: The German project lead must upload the application package to the DFG 'elan' portal by 11 February 2026, 11:59pm (German time).
• Project Start Date: Successful UK projects must start by 1 February 2027.
• Outcome Notification: Applicants will be notified of the outcome in November 2026.

Required Documents

• UKRI Application: A full proposal submitted through the UKRI Funding Service, answering all required sections (Vision, Approach, etc.).
• DFG Budget Form: A completed DFG budget and justification of resources document must be pasted into the UKRI application.
• Application PDF for DFG: The German lead must submit a PDF copy of the final UKRI application via the DFG's 'elan' portal.
• Letters of Support: If applicable, a single PDF containing letters of support from all named project partners.

Application Process

This is a two-part submission process:
1. The UK Project Lead is responsible for completing and submitting the main application on the UKRI Funding Service.
2. The German Project Lead must then take a PDF of the submitted UK application and upload it, along with other required German documentation, to the DFG's 'elan' submission portal before their deadline.

Support

• The grant provides direct financial support for research activities (a Research Grant).
• UKRI and DFG offer support for applicants with questions regarding eligibility and the application process.

Post-Award Obligations

• Project Duration: Projects must be implemented over a period of 24 to 36 months.
• Collaboration Agreement: If an award is made, a formal collaboration agreement must be put in place between the project partners.
• Reporting: Standard UKRI and DFG reporting requirements will apply.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Applications undergo a joint two-stage assessment process by AHRC and DFG, involving expert peer review and a joint moderation panel. The final funding decision is made by both agencies.

Scoring Factors

The assessment is based on the following main criteria, which are mapped to specific sections of the application form:
* Academic Quality of the Research Project (assessed in the 'Vision' section)
* Feasibility of the Project (assessed in the 'Approach' section)
* Expertise of the Research Team Members (assessed in the 'Applicant and team capability to deliver' section)
* Resources and Cost Justification
* Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)

Innovation & Impact

• Innovation and Quality: The primary focus is on the academic excellence and innovative nature of the research. Proposals must have the potential to generate new knowledge, thinking, or discovery and make fundamental advances.
• Impact (Exclusion): A crucial point is that impact is not an assessment criterion for this funding opportunity. Assessors will disregard any reference to project impact; the focus is solely on academic quality and advancing knowledge.

Project Quality

• Methodology: The research design and methodology must be effective, appropriate, and feasible for achieving the project's objectives.
• Collaboration Value: The proposal must clearly demonstrate the 'added value' of the UK-German collaboration to the research objectives. The project should be highly integrated, not two separate projects.
• Project Management: Applicants must provide a detailed project plan with milestones and demonstrate appropriate management arrangements and access to necessary facilities and infrastructure.

Strategic Fit

• Remit Alignment: The UK component must fall squarely within the AHRC's subject remit. The German component must be eligible under DFG's remit.
• Collaborative Fit: The proposal should show how partners contribute substantially and equitably to the common project, with a clear division of responsibilities.

Cross-cutting Themes

• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI): Proposals must outline how the project team and research are informed by EDI considerations.
• Early Career Researchers (ECRs): The inclusion and support for ECRs and technicians are encouraged and will be considered as part of the project's feasibility assessment.

COMPLIANCE AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Regulatory Compliance

• Ethics: Applicants must complete an 'Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)' section, identifying and evaluating all relevant ethical considerations, including data management. German applicants may need to provide an ethics committee vote from their institution.
• Data Management: All projects are expected to have a data management plan outlining how data will be collected, stored (short and long term), and shared, in compliance with legal and ethical standards.
• Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I): Applicants must adhere to UKRI's TR&I principles for international collaboration, identifying and mitigating potential risks.

IP Policy

• Intellectual Property rules are not explicitly detailed in the call document but will be governed by the standard terms and conditions of AHRC and DFG, as well as the formal collaboration agreement required between the partners upon awarding of the grant.

Unique Aspects

• Joint Application and Assessment: The entire process is managed jointly by UK and German funding agencies, requiring coordinated submission and a single joint assessment.
• No Impact Criterion: Unlike many grants, 'impact' is explicitly excluded as an assessment criterion. The focus is purely on advancing fundamental knowledge.
• Practice-Led Research: This type of research is eligible, which is unique for some fundamental research schemes. However, it must be accompanied by documentation of the research process and textual analysis or critical reflection.
• International Co-Leads: The UK budget can support project co-leads from countries other than the UK and Germany, up to 30% of the UK project's full economic cost.

Industry-Specific Rules

• This grant is for academic research in the arts and humanities, not for a specific industry. The rules are defined by the academic disciplines within the AHRC's remit.