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The
DFG’s involvement in European Research Funding
Dr.
Torsten Fischer, German Research Foundation (DFG), Bonn
Abstract:
For many years, the Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has acted as the main
funding agency for basic research in Germany. As such, it has been aware of its
responsibilities for building research networks on a European level. The
coordination with other European research funding stakeholders has always been
one of its priorities. Hence, the DFG disposes of a long experience concerning
the cooperation with European funding organisations.
The enlargement of the European Union and the foreseen implementation of a
European Research Council have now created a growing need for improved European
coordination.
The paper aims to illustrate the experience of the DFG in European research
funding and the various efforts to adapt its funding portfolio to the
necessities of a changing European landscape. After a short description of DFG
funding principles, three instruments of national research funding will be
presented briefly: Individual Research Grants, Coordinated Programmes and the
funding of young researchers in the framework of the Emmy-Noether Programme. It
will be shown that each one of these funding instruments includes the
possibility of European cooperation. However, in each of the quoted types of the
DFG also takes part in the financing of corresponding bilateral and multilateral
programmes on a European level. Among these, the paper will focus on CERC3,
EUROCORES and EURYI. A comparison of these
national and multilateral programmes will underline advantages and challenges of
the existing European cooperation. This analysis will lead to some concluding
reflections concerning possible completion and competition of funding
instruments, financed by national research agencies and an upcoming European
Research Council under FP 7.
Contents
1) Introduction and brief information on the DFG and its funding principles
a. DFG Mandate
b. Sources of Funding/ Use of Funding
2) European cooperation in the framework of Individual Grants/ Research Grants
a. The DFG Individual Grants Programme: some facts and figures
b. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation within the DFG Individual Grants
Programme
c. Individual Grants in the framework of multilateral agreements: the case of
CERC3
3) European cooperation in the framework of Coordinated Programmes
a. The DFG Priority Programmes: some facts and figures
b. European participation within DFG Priority Programmes
c. European Priority Programmes: the case of the EUROCORES (European
Collaborative Research Projects) programme
4) European cooperation for the funding of young researchers
a. The DFG Emmy-Noether-Programme: some facts and figures
b. The EURYI Programme established by the European Heads of Research Councils (EUROHORCs)
Summary and outlook towards national and European funding under FP 7: completion
and competition of funding programmes?
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