Find the right funding for your project

National grant agencies

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

• The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) is Germany's largest publicly funded grant agency. It offers researchers with doctoral degrees who aspire to become university professors a range of programs that enable them to carry out independent research projects at universities and other research institutions in Germany.
• The Walter Benjamin Programme is intended for researchers in the early postdoc phases of their careers.
• The DFG's Individual Research Grants, which support individual projects, allow you to apply for funding of your own position, which would enable you to carry out your project at LMU.
• The Emmy Noether Programme gives particularly talented young researchers the opportunity to lead their own independent junior research group for a period of up to 6 years, thus providing them with the leadership experience needed to qualify for a professorship.
• The Heisenberg Programme is intended for applicants who already fulfil the requirements for a tenured professorship. The programme enables such researchers to carry out their own projects, and allows them to demonstrate the ability to serve as academic leaders.

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

• The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation offers a range of programs that are specifically intended to enable international researchers at various career levels to work at universities and research institutions in Germany.
• Humboldt Research Fellowships are available in two variants – one for postdocs, the other for experienced researchers. In each case, these awards enable you to carry out a research project of your own choice in cooperation with your host at a university or other research institutionin Germany.
• Alexander von Humboldt Professorships are intended for established investigators in all fields, currently working outside Germany, who are leaders in their respective fields, and whose achievements in research suggest that they could contribute to the enhancement of Germany's international competitiveness. Applicants for Alexander von Humboldt Professorships must be nominated by the receiving university (or research institution).

Other national grant agencies

The spectrum covered by other grant agencies and funding programs in Germany is notably broad. In addition to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Volkswagen Foundation, the German Cancer Research Society, the Fritz von Thyssen Foundation and the Gerda Henkel Foundation, there are many other smaller foundations that support research of all kinds and offer attractive funding opportunities for those who wish to carry out projects at LMU.

Are you interested in acquiring research funding with which to carry out your project at LMU? If so, please let us know, and we will advise on the selection of the most appropriate program and assist you in preparing your grant application.

EU funding programs

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships offered the European Commission are an ideal instrument designed to enhance mobility and career development for postdocs. They combine innovative research projects in all subject areas ("bottom-up") with an individual training program.

If you have lived and worked in Germany for less than 12 months within the three years prior to the submission deadline, you can use these European fellowships (irrespective of your nationality) to carry out a research project lasting for up to two years at LMU.

If you already work at LMU, are a citizen (or long-term resident) of an EU Member State and wish to continue your academic career outside Europe, then you can apply for a Global Fellowship. This program enables you to carry out a research project for up to three years at a non-European host institution, followed by an obligatory return to LMU for a further year.

Are you interested in enhancing your research profile at LMU with the aid of a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship? If so, our portfolio of services can help you to formulate a compelling proposal.

European Research Council (ERC)

The European Research Council (ERC) is an internationally highly respected funding agency set up by the EU. It awards long-term grants to outstanding researchers in all fields who work in Europe, irrespective of nationality or age. The ERC focuses on curiosity-driven, bottom-up approaches. There are no restrictions on the nature of the research topic, and grants are awarded solely on the basis of the scientific excellence of the project.

The ERC currently offers four major funding lines:

• Starting Grants (1.5 million euros over 5 years) intended for researchers in early phases of their careers (2–7 years post-doctorate)
• Consolidator Grants (2 million euros over 5 years) intended for established researchers (7–12 years post-doctorate)
• Advanced Grants (2.5 million euros over 5 years) intended for leaders of their fields with an acknowledged record of research achievement
• Synergy Grants (10 million euros over 5 years) intended for research projects that require the collaboration of small, interdisciplinary teams (2–4 researchers).

Are you planning to submit a proposal to the ERC for a project to be carried out at LMU? We will be happy to advise and assist you, with the aid of our extensive portfolio of services.

Collaborative European projects

Are you planning to submit a proposal for a Collaborative European Project and wish to recruit an LMU researcher as a partner in the venture? You're sure to find the necessary expertise for your consortium among LMU's Faculties . Moreover, our services can help ensure that your LMU partner is fully integrated into your project.

Contact advice on applications

Before you submit your proposal to LMU, we offer personal advice. Please contact us!