BMBF

Planning phase

Do you have a concrete idea for a research project, but don’t know which program might be suitable? Get in touch with us so that we can help you find the right program and the right sponsor.

We can advise you, for example, on all issues related to BMBF programs and help you in submitting the application forms:

Please click here for an overview of current announcements regarding BMBF funding programs and funding lines.

Please remember to report your external funding project early on in the planning phase by filling out the External funding notification form (PDF) (Drittmittelprojektanzeige) and sending it to your faculty administration.

Your contact: National Funding Programs Team

Acquisition of external funding—submitting an application

BMBF funding is usually acquired in a two-step application process to the respective project management agency. The first step is submission of a project outline. If this outline is positively evaluated, the formal application is then submitted via easy-Online, the funding portal of the Federal Government of Germany.

Please note that the maximum amount of funding made available for your planned research project is usually determined based on the rough calculation in your outline. We therefore strongly advise you to seek assistance from Section 75: External Funding Management, in particular for HR cost calculations.

You can find additional information on applying for funding from the BMBF on the webpages of the project management agencies, e.g.:

• Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (the national aeronautics and space research center of the Federal Republic of Germany—DLR), project management agency in DLRPTJ
• Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Project Management Jülich
• Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

Please inform Section 75: External Funding Management of your plans ideally at least 14 days prior to submitting the formal application so that the application can be reviewed and the legally binding signature obtained by the deadline.

Acquisition of external funding—calculation / budget planning

Budget planning is an important part of the BMBF application. Your budget should be well thought out. Calculate the individual cost items as concretely as possible, indicating the basis for your calculations.

We will assist you by providing information on costs related to staff, equipment including facilities, consumable supplies, travel costs, events, etc. Send us your calculations. We will be glad to review and optimize them for you.

Please note: BMBF applications usually require a signature from the university administration. Please contact Section 75: External Funding Management in good time.

Your contact: Section 75: External Funding Management
If you have not previously done so, you should now fill out the External funding notification form (PDF) (Drittmittelprojektanzeige) and send it to your faculty administration.

Acquisition of external funding—cooperation contract

In the case of cooperation with several partners, a contract is usually necessary. Together with you, we draw up a contract in accordance with sample BMBF contracts, depending on whether your project is a collaborative project or involves fulfilling or awarding a subcontract. Please get in touch with us!

Your contact: Contract Management Team

Start of the project

The project can begin as soon as approval has been provided by the external funding source. In order to use the funds, you will need a project account (WBS element). All project-specific transactions are made from this account and recorded here—as are incoming funds, expenses, and costs. The project account is set up by Section 75: External Funding Management and made available to the project management.

Please note that it can take up to six weeks to set up. HR Services for External Funding will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Your contact: Section 75: External Funding Management and HR Services

Execution of the project

You can check the current daily status of your project finances via the SharePoint account statement. For more information, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact Controlling.

The external funding offices will be glad to provide you with additional financial overviews, in particular information on the planned and contractually bound HR costs. They will also issue the necessary interim financial information for the BMBF. If you have any questions, please contact Section 75: External Funding Management.

If you would like to add or extend staff contracts, HR Services will be glad to help.

If you are interested in purchasing necessary materials, equipment, and services for your project, please contact your Purchasing team. General information on purchasing is available here.

If your project involves work-related travel, the information on organizing the trip and claiming expenses is available here. Your contact is the Travel Management Team.

Conclusion of the project

The external funding offices issue the necessary final utilization report for the German Research Foundation (DFG). If you have any questions about this, please contact your Section 75: External Funding Management.

The project account will be closed by Section 75: External Funding Management upon projection completion.

Your contact: Section 75: External Funding Management