German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft)
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Research Programmes
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Research Projects
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Website
http://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/programmes/excellence_initiative/index.html
Programme type
Research programme
Programme status
Ongoing
Total number of funded projects
11
Summary of key aims
The Excellence Initiative aims to promote top-level research and to improve the quality of German universities and research institutions in general, Between 2006 and 2011 the DFG receives a total of €1.9 billion in additional funding for the three funding lines of the initiative:
• Graduate schools to promote young scientists
• Clusters of Excellence to promote top-level research
• Institutional strategies to promote top-level university research
The DFG is jointly responsible for running the initiative together with the German Science Council, which is primarily responsible for the third funding line (institutional strategies).
Disciplines of research covered
Basic Natural Sciences
Medical/Clinical Sciences/NursingManagement contact
Dr. Klaus Wehrberger
klaus.wehrberger@dfg.de
0228/885-2355
Admin contact
Scientific contact
Dr. Sonja Ochsenfeld-Repp
sonja.ochsenfeld-repp@dfg.de
0228/885-2387
Funding contact
Dr. Oliver Wiegner
oliver.wiegner@dfg.de
0228/885-2576
Administrative organisation
DFG (German Research Foundation)
What is the review process for applications?
The quality of each proposal is assessed by peer reviewers selected by the DFG Head Office. The appropriate programme director must ensure that all important aspects of the proposal fall within the expertise of the selected reviewers. Reviewers must be recognised experts in their fields and be capable of giving an objective appraisal of the proposal. The Head Office is careful to avoid conflicts of interest arising from collaboration or competition, teacher-student relations, reciprocal reviews, etc. The DFG solicits statements from approximately 10,000 reviewers annually, from Germany and abroad. DFG reviewers work in an honorary capacity.
Is the project externally evaluated?
Yes
Who has evaluated, or will evaluate, the programme?
Institut für Forschungsinformation und Qualitätssicherung (iFQ)
http://www.dfg.de/dfg_profil/evaluation_statistik/programm_evaluation/studien/
studie_exzellenzinitiative/index.html
What forms of international collaboration does the programme support?
- ▪ Foreign collaborators working in their own countries
- ▪ Travel for foreign collaborators
- ▪ Travel for national researchers
Interdisciplinary research is a strategic priority...
- For the programme ✔
- For the funding agency ✔
- Nationally ✔
End users of research involved in development of the programme
- ▪ Policy Makers
- ▪ Practitioners
- ▪ Researchers
End users of research involved in review of applications
- ▪ Researchers
End users of research involved in evaluation
- ▪ Researchers