The mission of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, as defined in the
first article of its statutes, is to serve all branches of science and
the humanities by funding research projects and facilitating cooperation
among researchers. It devotes particular attention to the education and
advancement of young researchers and promotes equality between men and
women in the scientific and academic communities.
The DFG advises
parliaments and public authorities on scientific matters and fosters
relations with the private sector and between scientists and academics
at home and abroad. This mission corresponds with the DFG's strategic
orientation towards interdisciplinarity and networking, promoting young
researchers and internationalization. As the self-governing body of
German science and research, the DFG fulfills its central responsibility
of funding research in all branches of science and the humanities.
Mission of the DFG
The DFG funds research at the European level on the basis of scientific competition. To this end, and to promote cross-border scientific cooperation, the DFG has established numerous bilateral and European programs. This requires sustainable networks which the DFG has been building in Europe for a long time. The European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi), which provides information and advice on EU funding opportunities for scientists and scientific organisations, is particularly important in this respect. It is supported by the DFG as a central research facility.
The honorary members of the review boards and the scientific members of its statutory bodies are elected by the research community. Scientists and academics hold a majority on all decision-making bodies. The DFG is an association under private law, just as it was when it was first founded in 1920 as the Notgemeinschaft der Deutschen Wissenschaft, the legal predecessor to the present-day organization. The fact that Germany's federal and state governments now provide the DFG with an annual budget of over 2 billion Euro to fund research in all disciplines clearly shows the trust they place in the principle of self-government in science and research.
To carry out its mission the DFG receives budgetary resources from the federal government (67 %) and the 16 states (32 %) as well as from EU funds and private benefactors. The Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany also provides an annual financial contribution to the DFG. Recognizing that modern research requires medium-term planning security, the federal and state governments have continually increased the DFG budget over recent years.
Routes to Scientific Independence
The promotion of young researchers is recognized as a priority task in the statutes of the DFG. Approximately two-thirds of all program funding is used to pay fellowships and the salaries of research assistants. On average, the DFG funds 20,000 project staff every year, the majority of whom are either working towards their doctorate or in the postdoctoral phase.
The DFG offers young scientists and academics suitable funding opportunities at every stage of their postgraduate research career. These support measures are modular in structure and thus form a "funding chain", which extends over the entire qualification period from completion of a university degree to a professorial appointment.
Research Funding by the DFG
The freedom of science and research, which is essential to the work of the DFG, is accompanied by the equally important element of competition between researchers and between their institutions. Each research funding proposal passes through a peer review process to determine its quality. The DFG currently funds approximately 22,000 research projects each year. These come from all areas of science and the humanities and involve a variety of programs. There are no priorities funding areas but rather the science driven process of a bottom-up proposal process.
Essentially, the DFG offers two forms of research funding: first, the funding of individual research projects, and second, of coordinated, collaborative research programs which serve to build capacities at host institutions, i.e. the universities. Certain features apply to all programs: Funding in all programs is granted solely on the basis of proposals sent to the DFG. Responsibility for the proposed project and its subsequent realization rests solely with the project leader.
In the review process, firstly, honorary peer reviewers assess all the proposals which the DFG receives to determine whether they meet the funding criteria. In all programs, it is the reviewers' decision that forms the basis for the funding decision. The DFG's Head Office selects the reviewers. The final evaluation and quality assurance of the proposal is done by a member of the review board. The key criteria in all funding decisions are the applicants' qualifications and the scientific quality and degree of originality of the projects submitted.
Thus, the DFG review boards are an important body in the decision-making process on DFG grants. Their members not only evaluate grant proposals according to scientific criteria, but advise the DFG on strategic issues, suggest innovations in the funding system, and are especially committed to early-career support for researchers. In November 2011, the DFG holds new elections to select volunteer scientists and academics to serve on its review boards. All scientists, who have completed a doctorate and conduct academic research, during the election period, at a German institution that is an established DFG voting centre, are eligible to vote in the review board election.
The final funding decisions are made by either the Joint Committee or the Grants Committees which it appoints. Researchers and representatives of the federal and state governments serve on these committees.
The DFG funds research at the European level on the basis of scientific competition. To this end, and to promote cross-border scientific cooperation, the DFG has established numerous bilateral and European programs. This requires sustainable networks which the DFG has been building in Europe for a long time. The European Liaison Office of the German Research Organisations (KoWi), which provides information and advice on EU funding opportunities for scientists and scientific organisations, is particularly important in this respect. It is supported by the DFG as a central research facility.
The honorary members of the review boards and the scientific members of its statutory bodies are elected by the research community. Scientists and academics hold a majority on all decision-making bodies. The DFG is an association under private law, just as it was when it was first founded in 1920 as the Notgemeinschaft der Deutschen Wissenschaft, the legal predecessor to the present-day organization. The fact that Germany's federal and state governments now provide the DFG with an annual budget of over 2 billion Euro to fund research in all disciplines clearly shows the trust they place in the principle of self-government in science and research.
To carry out its mission the DFG receives budgetary resources from the federal government (67 %) and the 16 states (32 %) as well as from EU funds and private benefactors. The Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany also provides an annual financial contribution to the DFG. Recognizing that modern research requires medium-term planning security, the federal and state governments have continually increased the DFG budget over recent years.
Routes to Scientific Independence
The promotion of young researchers is recognized as a priority task in the statutes of the DFG. Approximately two-thirds of all program funding is used to pay fellowships and the salaries of research assistants. On average, the DFG funds 20,000 project staff every year, the majority of whom are either working towards their doctorate or in the postdoctoral phase.
The DFG offers young scientists and academics suitable funding opportunities at every stage of their postgraduate research career. These support measures are modular in structure and thus form a "funding chain", which extends over the entire qualification period from completion of a university degree to a professorial appointment.
Research Funding by the DFG
The freedom of science and research, which is essential to the work of the DFG, is accompanied by the equally important element of competition between researchers and between their institutions. Each research funding proposal passes through a peer review process to determine its quality. The DFG currently funds approximately 22,000 research projects each year. These come from all areas of science and the humanities and involve a variety of programs. There are no priorities funding areas but rather the science driven process of a bottom-up proposal process.
Essentially, the DFG offers two forms of research funding: first, the funding of individual research projects, and second, of coordinated, collaborative research programs which serve to build capacities at host institutions, i.e. the universities. Certain features apply to all programs: Funding in all programs is granted solely on the basis of proposals sent to the DFG. Responsibility for the proposed project and its subsequent realization rests solely with the project leader.
In the review process, firstly, honorary peer reviewers assess all the proposals which the DFG receives to determine whether they meet the funding criteria. In all programs, it is the reviewers' decision that forms the basis for the funding decision. The DFG's Head Office selects the reviewers. The final evaluation and quality assurance of the proposal is done by a member of the review board. The key criteria in all funding decisions are the applicants' qualifications and the scientific quality and degree of originality of the projects submitted.
 |
| Taking all the programmes together, more than 17 000 proposals were evaluated by 12 400 reviewers - around 2 700 of whom came from abroad. A positive decision was reached in ~10 200 cases. Source: DFG |
Thus, the DFG review boards are an important body in the decision-making process on DFG grants. Their members not only evaluate grant proposals according to scientific criteria, but advise the DFG on strategic issues, suggest innovations in the funding system, and are especially committed to early-career support for researchers. In November 2011, the DFG holds new elections to select volunteer scientists and academics to serve on its review boards. All scientists, who have completed a doctorate and conduct academic research, during the election period, at a German institution that is an established DFG voting centre, are eligible to vote in the review board election.
The final funding decisions are made by either the Joint Committee or the Grants Committees which it appoints. Researchers and representatives of the federal and state governments serve on these committees.
Further Reading: www.dfg.de/en/dfg_profile
This article originally appeared 2011 in CNS Volume 4, Issue 4, Funding in Science
By Cornelia Pretzer, DFG Public Relations
This article originally appeared 2011 in CNS Volume 4, Issue 4, Funding in Science
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