Grant Details

https://www.dfg.de/en/research-funding/funding-opportunities/programmes/coordinated-programmes/priority-programmes

Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, the DFG Priority Programmes, aims to advance science and the humanities by funding new, important research topics through coordinated, multi-location projects. It seeks to foster impactful research, especially interdisciplinary work, by creating added value through networking and supporting early career researchers. The grant is SECTOR-AGNOSTIC regarding specific research fields, but is explicitly focused on scientific and humanities research. It targets research institutions and researchers primarily in Germany. This is a recurring grant program with annual opportunities to propose new Priority Programmes.

Financial Structure

This grant does not specify an overall budget for the entire program or per Priority Programme. Instead, funding is provided for individual projects within an established Priority Programme through various modules. There are no explicitly stated minimum or maximum grant amounts per individual project or for a Priority Programme as a whole, nor is a specific funding rate mentioned. Funding Mechanisms
  • Funding is available for up to 30 individual projects within a Priority Programme.
  • Funding can be applied for in due time and in accordance with DFG guidelines after the DFG's call for proposals for individual projects.
Available Funding Modules (examples):
  • Basic Module
  • Temporary Positions for Principal Investigators
  • Replacements
  • Temporary Substitutes for Clinicians
  • Mercator Fellows
  • Project-Specific Workshops
  • Public Relations
  • Start-Up Funding
  • Coordination
  • Network Funds
  • Standard Allowance for Gender Equality Measures
International Cooperation Funding:
  • Funds can cover travel funds and guest funds for foreign cooperation partners (via Basic Module, Mercator Fellows, Project-Specific Workshops).
  • In exceptional cases, foreign researchers can directly apply to the DFG if their project abroad significantly contributes to the research group's goals.
  • Collaboration through lead agency procedures (e.g., D-A-CH with Austria and Switzerland, D-Lux with Luxembourg) and specific procedures for cooperation with developing countries and the Middle East are supported.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Eligibility
  • Eligible Organization Types: Researchers must work at a research institution in Germany or at a German research institution abroad.
Individual Eligibility
  • Principal Investigators/Researchers: Must have completed their doctorate training.
Priority Programme Requirements (for the proposed research initiative)
  • Scientific Questions: Must be original in terms of topic and/or methods used, and narrowed down appropriately for the programme's duration.
  • Research Activities: Must be coherent.
  • Collaboration and Networking: Must have concepts in place for organizing interdisciplinary and multi-location collaboration/networking.
  • Support Measures: Must include funding measures for researchers in early career phases.
  • Equity Measures: Must have measures to promote equity, specifically to promote female researchers and family-friendly opportunities.
  • International Networking: The planned research activities must be networked in the international research system.
  • Coordinator Qualification: The coordinator of the Priority Programme must be qualified to manage a research group.

Application Process

Application Process for Establishing a Priority Programme:
  • Researchers submit proposals to establish a new Priority Programme.
  • The DFG Senate discusses these proposals once a year.
Application Process for Project Proposals within an Established Priority Programme:
  • Once a Priority Programme is established, the DFG will invite researchers to submit corresponding project proposals by a specific deadline (not specified in this document for individual projects).
Key Deadlines and Timelines:
  • Deadline for Establishing a Priority Programme: October 15, 2026 (for funding as of 2028). Note: Proposals for the October 15, 2025, deadline were not accepted.
  • Selection Meetings: As a rule, Senate selection meetings are held in March of a given year.
  • Funding Start: New programmes are established, and project funding begins the year after the selection meeting.
  • Grant Duration: A maximum of six years, split into two funding periods of three years each.
Required Documentation and Materials:
  • Application forms and guidelines are available via links provided in the original document.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals for establishing a Priority Programme are evaluated based on the following criteria, which demonstrate their potential for scientific gain and successful implementation:
  • Scientific Quality and Originality: The scientific questions must be original in terms of both topic and methodology. The planned research activities must be coherent and well-defined for the programme's duration.
  • Added Value through Collaboration: The proposal must clearly demonstrate how interdisciplinary and multi-location collaboration/networking will create significant added value, going beyond what individual projects could achieve.
  • Support for Early Career Researchers: The programme must include specific and effective funding measures for researchers in early career phases.
  • Equity and Diversity Promotion: There must be clear equity measures, particularly those that promote female researchers and provide family-friendly opportunities within the programme.
  • International Networking: The extent to which the planned research activities are networked in the international research system is a key factor.
  • Leadership and Management: The coordinator's qualification and ability to manage a research group effectively is assessed.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Collaboration and Networking:
  • A key requirement is nationwide collaboration between participating researchers and coordinated multi-location funding.
  • Concepts for organizing interdisciplinary and multi-location collaboration/networking must be in place.
Equity and Diversity:
  • The programme must include specific equity measures tailored to the Priority Programme, particularly promoting female researchers and family-friendly opportunities.
International Cooperation:
  • The planned research activities are expected to be networked in the international research system.
  • Various options are available for supporting international collaboration, including direct support for foreign partners in specific cases and joint proposal submissions under lead agency procedures (e.g., with Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg) or special procedures for developing countries and the Middle East.
Research Focus:
  • The programme targets new topics expected to have a formative impact on a field of science or the humanities. Interdisciplinary proposals are particularly encouraged.
Risk Management:
  • While not explicitly detailed, the requirement for a qualified coordinator and coherent research activities implies an expectation of sound project management and risk mitigation strategies.

Grant Details

research funding science humanities academic research coordinated research multi-location collaboration interdisciplinary early career researchers equity gender equality international collaboration germany research institution dfg priority programmes university funding phd postdoc scientific advancement networking research infrastructure
DFG, German Research Foundation - Priority Programmes
Priority Programmes
DFG, German Research Foundation - Priority Programmes
UNIVERSITY OTHER
DE
OTHER
IDEA DEVELOPMENT GROWTH
OTHER
FUNDING NETWORKING CAPACITY_BUILDING RESEARCH_DEVELOPMENT
True
None
None
None
None
None
Oct. 14, 2026, 11 p.m.
March of a given year