Call for Proposals for the Transdisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Development of Projects
To sharpen and further develop its academic profile, the university has established Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs). As novel, innovation-promoting organizational structures, the TRAs focus university research on key scientific, technological, and societal issues of the future. They serve as creative and exploratory platforms where disciplines and faculties come together around specific themes and coordinate their strategic development. The research questions and knowledge transfer activities required for this are often generated within existing and advanced projects, which continue to evolve over the course of the project.
In the light of this, the TRA Individuals and Societies is offering one-time funding (total amount: 70,000 EUR; funding period: 2026) to support several projects (up to 25,000 EUR) with the aim of expanding projects to include interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary modules and, in the foreseeable future, submitting an application for (competitive) third-party funding, or initiating outstanding transfer activities.
FAQs
All TRA Individuals & Societies members who hold a Ph.D. are eligible to submit an application. Ph.D. candidates may submit an application together with a TRA member who holds a Ph.D. The membership application form can be found here.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the funding opportunities available under this funding line or those offered by TRA Individuals & Societies as a whole (see also the guide on eCampus).
Members of the TRA Individuals & Societies can submit applications for this call on an ongoing basis until May 3, 2026, via email (johanna.tix@uni-bonn.de). Please schedule a consultation with Johanna Tix (via email as above, or by phone: +49 (0) 171/ 33 160 47) before submitting your application (no later than April 24, 2026). You are also welcome to contact her with any further questions.
Funding decisions are made by the Steering Committee of TRA Individuals & Societies. For more information on the composition of the Steering Committee, please click here.
In addition to the established funding objectives, the selection process takes the following criteria into particular consideration:
- Further development of existing projects to include additional interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary project modules (interdisciplinary collaborative research on TRA research questions) or outstanding knowledge transfer activities
- for example: To what extent will the project continue to develop in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary terms as a result of this funding? What type of third-party funding does the project aim to secure? What outstanding knowledge transfer activities are planned for the project? To what extent are these activities outstanding and of lasting significance for the project, the TRA, and the University of Bonn?
- Positioning (within) the TRA Individuals & Societies
- for example: To what extent does this address one or more of the TRA’s objectives—preferably in relation to their respective technical and/or societal relevance?
Applications may be submitted using the standard TRA Individuals & Societies application form (the latest version of which is available on eCampus) and must be prepared in accordance with the established funding criteria (see the website and eCampus).
In addition to the application form, the application includes the following documents:
- a project outline, including
- project description, particularly regarding the collaborative design of the project
- objective statements (substantive, strategic; short-, medium-, and long-term; targeted external funding formats)
- a schedule, including interim goals and milestones
- a financial plan, including a detailed breakdown of costs by individual budget items and fiscal years
The application (a–c) must not exceed four pages in total.
For more information, please see our financial guide on eCampus and the page about our funding opportunities.
The latest version of the application form is available on eCampus.
Contact
Johanna Tix
Dechenstraße 3-11
53115 Bonn