research proposal german

Freie Universität Berlin

Service navigation.

• Legal Notice
• Privacy Policy
• Accessibility Statement
• Prospective Students
• Students and Doctorate
• Researchers
• Alumni and Supporters
• Journalists
• Continuing Education
• Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies

Path Navigation

• Application

Research Proposal

Information for All Applicants

A research proposal should be clear, coherent and compelling, contain all the key elements involved in the research process and include sufficient information for the committee to evaluate the proposed study. The proposal should situate the project’s objectives in the context of existing research, debates and literature on the topic. The research design should be realistic in scope and responsive to theoretical and methodological concerns of a particular discipline but should also be of demonstrable cross-disciplinary interest. Applicants should show an appropriate level of training and skill to undertake the proposed study, including evidence of language fluency adequate to complete the project and participate in the German language colloquium at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Applicants should demonstrate a sound knowledge of the local academic context and the available research resources and specify why an extended period of research in Berlin is critical to the successful completion of their proposed research.

Regardless of the discipline, research area, the methodology and academic level of the research project, all proposals should include the following information:

• An explicit statement of the major questions to be explored or hypotheses to be tested.
• Importance of the research to disciplinary concerns.
• An explicit description and justification of the research methods.
• Availability and quality of sources/material/data.
• Preliminary research already completed or plans for research prior to going overseas.
• Proposed location(s) for research and explanation of why the project requires overseas research and why Berlin is of particular significance for the project.
• Contacts/affiliations which have or will be established with institutions/interview partners etc. relevant to the proposed research project in Berlin/Germany/Europe.  
• A research schedule with bimonthly target dates as well as reflections on possible challenges and how to address them. Include the local sources (archives, libraries, museums, data, institutions, individuals)  you will be working with or are planning to work with.
• Bibliography listing most important topical sources including German-language publications - or other European language publications respectively - which reflect the state of research on your topic.

Information for Postdoc Applicants

The Berlin Program funds recent postdocs, i.e. applicants whose Ph.D. was conferred in the last two calender years or will be conferred before the fellowship - if granted - would begin.

An application for a postdoc fellowship may  involve:

• revising a dissertation into a book manuscript,
• launching a new research project,

If you are proposing a dissertation revision, state this, explaining the changes to the manuscript that you plan, and how you will accomplish these goals. Use this the opportunity to highlight how your dissertation contributes to the field, but also how your proposed research will advance your study. Make sure you clearly describe the questions you will ask beyond those examined in your dissertation. As you will have the potential readership of your future book in mind and try to extend the publication’s reach to the broader academic community, reflect on additional research questions, analysis of additional sources/data/literature.

If you are applying for support of a new project, and this may seem a bit of a challenge as you are still finishing your dissertation and had not had time to work on the new project, do not be alarmed. As described above, provide an overview of the new project, explaining the basic ideas, problems, or questions examined by your research, i.e. help the committee get the bigger picture and the new avenues you are pursuing. You could reflect on how the new research connects to your existing work or adds new dimensions in your research foci (e.g.  a change of century, adding a comparative dimension, or a shift in methodology etc.). Identify the methods, sources etc. by which you will accomplish these research goals. Describe how the project will complement, challenge, or expand relevant existing knowledge in the field. Demonstrate your ability to do this in the time line submitted.

If you are apply for funding to both revise your launch a new project, make sure you include both titles in the project description, the research proposal and the research schedule. If applicable, explain the connection between the both.

Learn from our skills workshop How to Become a Superapplicant run in November 2021 by BP alumni Veronika Fuechtner (Dartmouth College) and Johannes von Moltke (Michigan University).

Continue with Pointers and Advice .

• Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany
• Statutory Bodies
• General Assembly
• Executive Committee
• Joint Committee
• Review Boards
• Liaison Officers
• Head Office
• Contacts A-Z
• Programme Contacts
• Berlin Office
• Executive Board
• International Cooperation
• European Research Policy
• International Activities
• Representation Abroad
• News from the Offices Abroad
• Research in Germany
• Funding Opportunities
• All Funding Programmes
• Scientific Prizes
• How the DFG Supports Research Careers
• Calls for Proposals
• Funding in an International Context
• Cooperation with Individual Countries and Regions
• Research Vessel
• Things to Know about the Proposal and Funding Process
• The elan Portal
• Individual Grants Programmes – A How-To Guide
• Forms and Guidelines
• Final reports
• Subject Area Structure and Interdisciplinarity
• How does the DFG decide on funding proposals?
• Special Funding Initiatives
• Excellence Strategy
• National Research Data Infrastructure
• Funding for UAS
• Knowledge Transfer
• Refugee Researchers
• Clinician Scientist Programmes
• Artificial Intelligence Funding Initiative
• Basics and Topics
• Basics and Principles of Funding
• Equity and Diversity
• Good Research Practice
• Handling of Research Data
• Handling of research software
• Handling Security-Relevant Research
• Portal Research Integrity
• Developments within the Research System
• Digital Turn
• Academic Publishing
• Open Access
• Relevance of Diversity in Research
• Citizen Participation
• Sustainability Guide for Research Processes
• Scientific Commissions
• Health Hazards
• Food Safety
• Animal Research
• Genetic Research
• Clinical Research
• Biological Diversity
• Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems
• Pandemic Research
• German Committee for Sustainability Research
• Funded Projects
• Prizewinners
• Communicator Award
• Copernicus Award
• Europa Prize
• Ursula M. Händel Prize
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
• Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize
• Albert Maucher Prize in Geoscience
• Bernd Rendel Prize
• von Kaven Award
• Current Projects and Programmes
• Collaborative Research Centres
• Research Training Groups
• Priority Programmes
• Research Units
• Clinical Research Units
• Centres for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences
• DFG Research Centres
• Clusters of Excellence
• Research Information Systems
• News and Current Topics
• Press Releases
• Information for Researchers
• Press Contact
• Facts and Figures
• Annual Report
• Funding Atlas
• Evaluation, Studies and Monitoring
• Publications
• Magazine „german research"
• Statements and Position Papers
• Publications of the Commissions
• Publications by DFG Divisions
• Statistical Documentation
• Information Material

Proposal information

Further information.

Which documents you need for your proposal and what you should consider in advance – here is an outline of all the stages leading up to submission. 

Our checklist serves as a guide to everything you need to cover in your proposal.

• All stages at a glance
• Prepare documents

This is how to proceed with your proposal:

1. check you are eligible to apply.

All scientists with a completed doctorate who are working or would like to work at a university or non-university research institution in Germany in the future are eligible to apply. DFG funding is open to all subject s . Some DFG programmes are subject to specific formal or personal eligibility requirements. Details are explained under “Eligibility” in the respective guidelin e .

2. Set up DFG user account in elan

All proposals must be submitted online via the DFG portal ela n : You will be issued with a personal DFG user account; once you have registered, your account usually will be activated on the next working day. Register promptly in elan and familiarise yourself with the functions!  

All applicants involved in a proposal must be registered in elan in advance.

See here for help with registering and setting up a user account .

Did you know? You only need a single user account with the DFG for different roles – whether as an applicant, as a reviewer or as a committee member.

3. Find out exactly which documents you need

Once you have found the right funding programm e  and checked you are eligible to apply, you can get started: in addition to the “Project Description” – the core of your proposal – you will need separate documents such as your CV. Some information is also requested separately in ela n . You will find everything you need to know under the  Prepare document s  tab.

There are some points you need to take care of early on that are part of the underlying concept of your proposal. These include clarifying the infrastructure resources you need and obtaining statements and approvals in good time. You should also consider how you want to handle data generated in the research project. The general principles and framework condition s  of DFG funding should be observed from the very outset.  

Read through the principles and framework conditions carefully: by submitting your proposal, you agree to comply with the rules of good research practice . In particular, you must take care to ensure correct citations!

Apply for any permits you require as early as possible!

4. Plan and write the proposal

A proposal should set out the plans for research convincingly and be comprehensible without the need to consult additional sources. It must also contain all the information required for processing. You can use this checklis t  as a guide.  

Discuss your project with experienced colleagues before submitting your proposal – and consult the research coordinators at your institution, too!

You can make the most of the preparation phase to find out what is important in terms of the review. The essential criteria are: quality of the project, objectives and work programme, applicant qualifications, work opportunities and scientific environment.  

Did you know? Is English the common scientific language in your field? Feel free to write your proposal in English. This enables the DFG to access a larger pool of subject-related and unbiased reviewers in Germany and abroad.

Consult the "General Guidelines for the Written Review ” to find out what is important.

For some programmes there are special “Guidelines for the Review” which you will find among the relevant forms and guideline s .

5. Submit proposal via elan

Submit your proposal via the DFG portal ela n . Generally speaking, there are no deadlines for individual proposals. If you make a submission in response to a call for proposal s , however, the relevant deadline for submission applies.

When submitting your proposal, you select the appropriate primary subject area allocation yourself from the DFG subject area structur e . Often a project will touch on several subject areas, so you can optionally select (one or more) additional subject areas for the allocation. The process is flexible and involves multiple stages, ensuring that competition is as fair as possible for interdisciplinary proposal s , too.

Further questions?

• Contact us !
• FAQ – Frequently Asked Question s

You will need these documents for your proposal

The documents you need for your proposal depend on the funding programme you have chosen. However, all DFG proposals share a single basic structure. ela n will guide you step by step through the proposal process and display all the required documents:

• guidelines containing full details of the funding programme
• proposal preparation instructions to help you fill in the “Project Description” and the supporting documents
• a template for the required Appendix B “Project Description”

The DFG proposal at a glance

Your proposal always consists of the three parts A, B and C along with optional supporting documents.

Part A – Proposal Data and Obligations

• Information on the project in German and English (e.g. title, summary, keywords, planned funding period)
• Subject area allocatio n
• Information on the persons and institutions involved
• Modules and funds applied for
• Declarations of commitment
• This data is stored directly in ela n via form fields. It is not possible to submit them as separate PDF documents.  

Did you know? You will be asked twice which modules you would like to apply for and how much funding you require: in Part A in elan and a second time in Appendix B “Project Description”. The information you enter in both instances should be identical of course.

Part B – Project Description (Appendix B)

• Appendix B is the core of your proposal: the detailed description of your research project!
• The information required in the “Project Description” includes the following: Status of research and preliminary work, objectives, work programme, duration, modules applied for and funds.
• Please use the current version of the “Project Description” template for your proposal.
• You can prepare this document at your leisure and upload it as a PDF after you have completed Part A.  

Did you know? The forms and guidelines are updated on a regular basis. For this reason, always be sure to use the current version of the “Project Description” form – and adhere to the formal requirements (such as font size, headings, numbering and specified page size). The current versions of the guidelines and proposal preparation instructions for each funding programme are also important!

Part C – Curriculum vitae (Appendix C) and other supporting documents where applicable 

• Required: Academic curriculum vitae including list of publications (list of a maximum of ten of the most important publications). One CV is required per applicant.
• Optional: In many cases you will need further appendices, such as statements by ethics committees, cooperation agreements and offers. Consult the relevant guidelines for details.
• You can take time to prepare these documents thoroughly and upload them as a PDF when you have completed Parts A and B.

Finalising your submission

• Once you have entered all the information in  ela n  and uploaded all the supporting documents, your proposal is ready to be sent!
• You will then receive a compliance form, which you should download, print out, sign and send to the DFG Head Office.
• Once all formalities have been checked, you will receive confirmation of receipt in which you will also be informed of the persons responsible for your proposal at the DFG Head Office.

Have you remembered to include everything in your proposal?

Download: checklist as pdf documen t

My proposal follows the current formal rules and instructions as set out in the guidelines and proposal preparation instruction s and does not exceed the specified number of pages.

My proposal is clearly structured, precisely worded and self-explanatory.                  

From my proposal, it is clear at first glance why the project idea is original and why the research project will make an important contribution to understanding questions of scientific interest (and, where relevant, social issues).

The research objective of the project is thoroughly described and focuses on key questions and hypotheses.

The explanations on the current state of research are up-to-date and related directly to the objective of the project.

The work programme is coherently elaborated and follows a realistic timetable. I have given concrete consideration to the handling of research data obtained and laid out a plan for how to manage it.

The methods proposed are tailored to the research questions and it is clear that I (or another person involved in the project) am capable of implementing them.

My profile and my own preliminary work reflect my qualifications and underline the feasibility of the project. They show that I am capable of undertaking independent scientific research.

My proposal contains all the necessary information on the ethical and legal context of my research (e.g. ethical aspects, 3Rs principle, security-relevant aspects, relevance with regard to the Nagoya Protocol).

I have also considered the significance of gender and diversity in connection with the research project and described these aspects where appropriate.

The calculation of costs is cogently derived from the work programme. In the case of a joint project, the allocation of funds to the persons involved is clear from the proposal.

I have attached information relevant to the proposal (e.g. unpublished manuscripts and offers, as well as job offers and other written commitments from cooperation partners where applicable).  

Did you know? The DFG has its own portal on the subject of appropriate standards in research www.wissenschaftliche-integritaet.de/en .

Cookie-Settings

Cookie settings.

Our website uses cookies that are strictly necessary for its technical functionality and cookies for the collection of statistical information (analytical cookies).

Statistical analysis of how our online service is used involves use of the “Matomo” analytics service on our website. Analytical cookies help us to improve our site and to optimise it in the interest of our users. Matomo uses cookies. These are small text files that are stored on your end device and enable us to analyse your use of our website. Evaluation of how visitors use our website is conducted in an anonymised form, which merely involves recording of your IP address in an abbreviated format. This means that we can’t identify you as a user. We do not pass on your data to third parties. We store the collected information for 13 months and then delete it.

For further information on our procedures, the terminology used (such as “cookies” and “statistics”) and your rights, please refer to our Data Protection Notice .  You can use the Cookie setting s to revoke your consent to the processing of your data at any time.