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Funding organisations
Academies of sciences and humanities
German academies of sciences and humanities honour researchers with prizes and medals and also award scholarships.
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation promotes research collaborations between excellent international and German researchers. It awards more than 2,300 research fellowships and research grants every year.
Companies
More than two-thirds of the annual funds invested in research come from industry. Companies either conduct research themselves or collaborate with research partners. (Early career) researchers are supported not only with job offers, but also with scholarships and prizes from corporate foundations.
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG) is the central funding organisation for research at higher education and public research institutions in Germany. It supports research projects and funds cooperation between researchers – also at an international level.
European Union
The European Union (EU) funds research in a variety of ways through its research and innovation framework programme. These measures include not only support for basic and applied research, but also funding programmes for collaboration and exchange in higher education.
Foundations
Public and private foundations enable research through the provision of funding. The range of different foundations is very wide. Many of them specifically aim to promote young talent.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft based in Germany is the world’s leading applied research organisation. Prioritising key future-relevant technologies and commercialising its findings in business and industry, it plays a major role in the innovation process. A trailblazer and trendsetter in innovative developments and research excellence, it is helping shape our society and our future.
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the world’s largest funding organisation for the international exchange of students and researchers.
Helmholtz Association
The 18 Helmholtz Centres develop, build and operate complex research infrastructures. This includes accelerator facilities, telescopes, research ships and supercomputers that are available to Helmholtz users from around the world. Helmholtz thus pursues long-term research projects that aim to help find solutions to key challenges facing society, science and business.
Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association is the umbrella organisation under which nearly 100 research institutions address scientific problems that have societal and international relevance. They are characterised by the great variety of their research topics in the humanities and social sciences, as well as in the natural and engineering sciences. Leibniz institutions, universities and industry partners work together on interdisciplinary issues in Leibniz Research Alliances and Leibniz ScienceCampi.
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is an independent non-profit research organisation. The 86 Max Planck institutes and research facilites focus on basic research, often taking an interdisciplinary approach.
