Our Services for Your DFG Project
We provide support services for projects funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) all the way from proposal submission and project implementation to conclusion of your project.
DFG provides funding under many different funding programs, such as Individual Research Grants (SBH), Walter Benjamin Program (WBP), Research Units (FOR), Priority Programs (SPP), Independent Junior Research Groups (ENP), Heisenberg Program (HEI), Clusters of Excellence (EXC), Collaborative Research Centers (SFB)/ Transregios (TRR) and Research Training Groups (GRK).
Current Tenders
Proposals are predominantly submitted to DFG in bottom-up fashion, i.e. without topic restrictions and application deadlines.
Information on current DFG calls for proposals is available here, e.g. for priority programs on narrowly defined topics and cofunding scemes with international partner organizations.
Let us inspire you!
Information on research networks at the University of Bonn that receive DFG funding.
Find DFG funding programs and contact us to discuss your proposal. We look forward to assisting you!
Preparation
Contact us to find the right DFG funding program for you and your planned research project and to receive advice on submitting your proposal.
- General information on DFG funding
- Information based on your individual needs
- Review of proposal eligibility and requirements
The Proposal
It is absolutely necessary to use the program-specific DFG forms and guidelines when submitting your proposal. We would be happy to help you.
Please inform your dean and the DFG liaison officer Prof. Stefan Müller about DFG project proposals.
DFG-Vertrauensdozent Prof. Dr. Stefan Müller
Hausdorff Center for Mathematics
Endenicher Allee 60, 53115 Bonn, Germany
+49 228 73-62253
stefan.mueller@hcm.uni-bonn.de
Network Projects
Please contact us well in advance of your desired submission date for collaborative projects, as extensive coordination is required.
Collaborative Projects
Proposals for DFG collaborative projects (SFB/TRR, GRK, FOR) are submitted in a two-step process. First, a draft proposal needs to be submitted for review. If successful, DFG will invite you to submit a full proposal.
Proposals for SFB/TRR and GRK funding are submitted by the University, which means the rector has to sign the proposal. Section 7.1 – Research Funding therefore reviews all proposals before they are submitted. We will give you feedback on your proposal and arrange to have it signed. We also help you with the approval of core equipment by the rectorate and preparing for the review session.
Employer’s Statement
You will need an employer’s statement when you submit project proposals including your temporary position under the Individual Research Grant Program and Walter Benjamin Program, and proposals for independent junior research groups under the Emmy Noether Program. We will be happy to issue one for you.
This statement is not yet needed at the time of application within the Heisenberg program. However, it is needed after acceptance into the Heisenberg Program if you choose the Heisenberg position version of the program.
- Type of proposal (DFG funding program)
- Project title
- Curriculum vitae
- Publication list
- Employment offer by the management of the host institution
Interview
We can provide further assistance if you are invited to an interview for the Emmy Noether or Heisenberg Programs.
Additional Funds for Junior Research Groups
Junior research group leaders who obtain an Emmy Noether Research Group or who move their group to the University of Bonn are supported with up to 100,000 Euros in additional funding for their research as part of our incentive system.
Female researchers receive further 60,000 Euros to advance their research in the best possible and most visible way.
Your contact in Research Funding (Section 7.1)
Once your project has been approved, we would be happy to arrange a kick-off meeting to start your project where project-related information can be exchanged and project leadership and project management can get to know each other. We provide support for all aspects of project management so that you can focus on your research.
Our services for third-party funded projects:
- Contacts for project-executing organizations and project leaders at the University of Bonn
- Requests for funds and controlling
- Assistance with preparing the numerical section of the financial statement
General information on DFG-projects (SBH, FOR, SPP, ENP, ...)
When a project is set up as a WBS element, you always receive a copy of the approval notification; next to the estimate of the DFG approval you see the financial items relating to the WBS element which were budgeted by Section 7.2 at the start of the project.
Expenditures that were applied for, but were explicitly rejected by the DFG, must not be financed
through this project.
The project manager at Section 7.2 needs to receive a copy of the cost and financing plan from the
grant application when a project setup is required.
At the start of your project, you also receive a form for the first request for funds. With your signature, you acknowledge the guidelines of use and confirm to use funds accordingly. Please note that items regarded as basic equipment of a modern university are nonrefundable. Where the expense is essential for your project, please make a note accordingly on your invoice.
On the form for first request of payment of funds, you need to enter the date of the actual start of the project. The project period begins with the first use of funds. Please refer to the approval notification for indication of the project period. Funds must be used within a maximum of one year after approval (the only exception being the Emmy Noether Group for which a timeframe of 6 months applies). The DFG reserves the right to cancel its approval of funds in cases where the deadline is not adhered to. Please submit the form for first request for payment containing all aforementioned details to your project manager at Section 7.2. The figures will be added by the Section. All subsequent requests for payment of funds will be carried out by Section 7.2 on your behalf.
The validity period of approved funds starts with day one of the period funds were initially requested for, which means on the calendar day following the day of approval at the earliest and within twelve months starting the calendar day following the day of approval at the latest.
The start of the validity period is not to be avoided by reposting. An example for reposting would be the following: Personnel are being employed in the month of January with the respective personnel expenses booked under a different account, despite the actual project starting only in February. By reposting January personnel expenses during the course of February, such avoidance would go unnoticed at first. Nevertheless, funds used prior to the start of the approval period cannot be offset. It is the project leader’s responsibility that this is handled correctly. The same applies to material expenses, with one exception being DFG-approved advance use of funds.
An approval only qualifies as flexible funding if clearly indicated as such in the approval notification. In these instances, you can use the approved amount as long as it contributes to meeting the original aim of the project. You are not to work around an explicit rejection of a specific project, the aim of the project is not to be put at risk and the aim of the project must not be altered.
Personnel und material expenses can be mutually adapted in line with flexible funding, without querying with the DFG (reallocation). This is also possible where the original approval does not specify amounts for personnel and material.
Please note: applying for pay-scale related additional requirements might not be possible (also see point 14).
Approved resources for temporary positions (“Eigene Stelle”) are exempted from this rule and require separate agreement with the DFG.
Each reallocation needs to be explained in the accounting documents in written form. This can be done via a short email to your project manager at Section 7.2 stating the reasons.
For procurement above €1,000 net (starting April 26, 2021, €3,000 net) it is imperative to involve Central Acquisitions - Section 5.3.
Procurement above €10,000 must be arranged via the DFG invariably. Exceptions from this rule require written approval. Where the DFG authorized universities to place orders themselves, please contact Central Acquisitions - Section 5.3 with a copy of the written proof.
Conclusion of a contract for work and labor requires prior written approval by the DFG. Section 5.3 is in charge of such conclusions and the Section’s involvement is imperative, independent of the contract value. When contacting Section 5.3 about conclusions of such contracts, please include the written DFG approval.
As detailed under point 3, the project period starts with the first use of funds. Use of the funds beyond the project period is not possible. Where an extension of the project period is necessary, please engage with the DFG early on. (Please also submit a copy of the extension request and approval notification to the relevant project manager at Section 7.2).
Income and expenditures for the first and second year funds are used must be laid down in a
report on expenditure of funds by April 15 (of the third calendar year). Thereafter, a final report is
required every year or at the end of each project. The report on expenditures of funds is produced by Section 7.2 and will be sent to you for signing.
Please refer to Circular 40/20206 dating 06/04/2020 for information on the flat rate project grant
and research bonus.
Should you have any questions about the flat rate project grant and the research bonus, please
address them to either Mrs. Becker or Mr. Horn in Section 5.4. Phone: -4957 or -5636 or write an
email to finanzcontrolling@verwaltung.uni-bonn.de.
Requests for a transfer of funds must be initiated by you via the DFG. The DFG must receive the report on expenditure of funds from the current university before project funds can be transferred to and continued to be used at the new university. The new university is only entitled to use any remaining funds.
Chapter 4.4.1.2 of DFG Guidelines of Use 2.00 (Verwendungsrichtlinien 2.00) issued by the German Research Foundation (DFG) stipulate that contracts for employees must include the DFG reference of the specific DFG-funded project. This does not apply to contracts of assistant personnel. As a result, rebookings with retroactive effect are no longer possible for these contracts. (siehe Circular No. 31/20207 dating 04/29/2020)
(Extract from Chapter 4.2.1 of DFG Guidelines of Use 2.00 (Verwendungsrichtlinien 2.00) ”The DFG
approves personnel expenses generally as standardized fixed amounts. […] Financing of pay scale-related payments is possible up to the approved amount […].‟
”If overall approved personnel expenses of a project for the specified period of employment are lower than the funds for pay-scale related payments necessary for the completion of the project (pay-scale related additional requirements for personnel required for the project), additional funds may be made available upon request, if the respective personnel falls in the category of approved personnel.‟
If therefore a budget deficit arises for the researchers item, additional funds can be requested from the DFG (”pay-scale-related additional requirements‟). If, on the contrary, surplus is created, the remaining funds from the approved allowance may be used to cover additional personnel or material expenses.
Important: Applying for pay-scale related additional requirements is not possible where funds are
dedicated to other means than pay-scale related personnel expenses, such as material expenses, costs for assistant personnel or for personnel excluded from the approved personnel categories.
In case of questions on pay-scale-related additional requirements or calculations for specific cases, please contact the respective project manager at Section 7.2.
(Extract from Chapter 4.7, DFG guidelines of use 2.00) ”If scientific personnel with employment based on § 2(1) of the legislation on temporary employment in Research (WissZeitVG) takes maternity leave in line with the German Maternity Protection Act or Parenting Benefits and Parental Leave Act (Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetzes, BEEG), the project leader may request funds for additional personnel at the respective facility for the period of maternity leave in order to ensure continuation of scientific work.
The duration of the respective employment is extended in agreement with the employee for the period no work was carried out (cf. § 2(5)(c) WissZeitVG). Such extension of employment solely depends on the agreement of the employee. If the employee waives the right of employment extension, any remaining project personnel funds are available for reallocation.“
Deferral of a contract due to taking maternity and/or parental leave often extends beyond project end. In such cases, it is possible to extend the project period by the respective duration of leave taken and by the duration employment is extended, while not affecting funds. This extension can be requested for one year maximum.
The costs for a cover do not affect estimates for personnel expenses as they are, following prior
application, approved separately by the DFG.
Publications must contain reference to DFG funding.
Referencing must adhere to the following conventions: DFG and the project must be named as
”Gefördert durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer(n)‟. A translation of DFG to the target language may be added in foreign-language publications (for example ”funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – project number(s)‟. Please refer to the approval notification for the project number.
Project specifics
Please note that funds are allocated per fiscal year and are partially earmarked.
Earmarked funds, for example equal opportunities funds, cannot be reallocated.
Funds allocated to a fiscal year expire if they are not used before the end of the fiscal year.
You must request release of funds via Section 7.2 from the DFG (please refer to the form). Upon your instruction, payment is done in monthly installments. In cases where the duration of a fellowship is shortened, the approved amount is reduced accordingly. Please send the report on expenditure of funds to Section 7.2 once the project is completed, bearing in mind that the guest’s signature on the report is imperative.
The funds “temporary positions‟ are aimed at, among other things, financing of the project leader. This is not possible in other funding programs. Please contact Section 3.2 – Civil Servants, Scientific Staff and Section 3.3 – Scientific Staff for your employment/contract extension and HR-related matters of your staff.
Important: The approval or extension of your project does not represent (a new) employment contract! Latter must be agreed with and signed by Section 3.2/Section 3.3 separately.
For all participation fees from your event which you acquire in addition to the DFG funding, please
contact Ms. Trommer (-7758, trommer@verwaltung.uni-bonn.de) at Section 5.4 in order to set up a
conference account. Upon completion of the project, a report on expenditure of funds needs to be
submitted, listing DFG means and all other income and expenditure of the event. If total income exceeds total expenditures, you need to reimburse remaining funds to the DFG. Section 7.2 can only sign off the report of expenditures of funds for parts assigned to the DFG project number; therefore we kindly ask you to please fill in the rest.
Funds can be requested for a period of 3 months, either informally or via the form for requests of
payment of third-party funds. DFG guidelines of use apply for the use of funds and settlements. The compilation of the report on expenditures of funds is responsibility of Section 7.2.
Please check, as necessary, together with your dedicated project manager, for any existing repayment obligations towards the DFG for items financed via project funds; this applies especially to vehicles and items purchased and used abroad. Where repayment obligations do exist, items no longer used for the project may need to be sold and proceeds paid back to the DFG. Settlement of proceeds against project funds is not possible in these cases.
Important downloads
Your contacts in Third-Party Funding & Project Management
Silvia Palkó
Jan Seul
Petra Abraham
Marina Emde
Anja Gries
Benjamin Nespoulous
Sylvia Vester
Your cooperation and forwarding agreements
We strongly recommend that collaborative project coordinators negotiate the cooperation agreement and, if applicable, forwarding agreement with the project partners while the proposal is being reviewed by the DFG.
Your contact in the Research Contracts unit
Mirco Theiner
Also see
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