NOTE: The German partner must be the lead PI on these calls (except for the joint DFG-UKRI research proposals)

Initiation of International Collaboration: offers mobility funding to support workshops, individual visits, or visits up to three months in Germany or abroad. This is seen as a starting point in building collaborations and gives partners an opportunity to build rapport and trust before applying for a joint project proposal for a longer period of study. There is no upper limit on how much funds can be requested and can involve the travel of several partners over 12 months.

Individual Research Grants: should outline a thematically defined research project, typically over the duration of three years and can be used to fund PhD students, staff, direct and indirect project costs, and mobility.

Scientific Network Funding: promotes multi-year (up to three) scientific exchange and cooperation on a specific topic across multiple locations and can consist of 10-20researchers from Germany and up to 50% of the network’s participants can be from outside Germany. Network funding can be used to cover costs associated with network meetings and mobility of network members.

Joint DFG-UKRI Calls: The UKRI and DFG signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a five-year pilot programme of joint calls. This five-year agreement is the first UKRI-wide MoU with the German Research Foundation (DFG) and builds on the long history of successful collaboration between individual UK research councils and DFG. Past calls include the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences BBSRC-DFG Lead Agency Pilot 2023-2024 (Topic Integrative Microbiome).

RSE Research Awards Programme Autumn 2024 with new Germany Fund:

The RSE Research Awards Programme Autumn 2024 is now open, providing funding opportunities for all academic disciplines. The deadline for this call is noon on Thursday 24th October 2024.

Under a new Memorandum of Understanding between the RSE and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the RSE’s International Joint Projects programme now offers for the first time the opportunity for applicants to apply in conjunction with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), under stream two of the programme.

RSE International Joint Projects aim to facilitate international collaboration between researchers based in Scotland and researchers overseas. Applications for two-year joint projects are invited from Scotland-based researchers to include an overseas higher education institution, research institution, or cultural institution. For Germany partnerships, the RSE provides between £3,000 – £12,000 while, under the new MoU, the DAAD is offering an equivalent level of funding. Further details on how to apply can be found at https://rse.org.uk/award/rse-joint-projects/

New! DAAD Funding Guide for Academic Mobility between UK/Ireland and Germany 2025/26 

First established in 1925 and re-founded in 1950, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is Germany’s national agency for the support of international academic cooperation. It receives federal government funds to offer a wide range of scholarships and grants for the international exchange of students, academics and researchers, helping to build ties between academic institutions around the world.

A range of DAAD grants are available to academic staff and students in Ireland and the United Kingdom for study and research in Germany, complemented by mobility programmes to enable academic exchange from Germany to the United Kingdom or Ireland. The DAAD’s latest Funding Guide 2025/26 provides an overview of the most important funding opportunities for students and academic staff on offer to applicants based in the UK or in Ireland. The DAAD London Office is the first port of call for inquiries. 

If you are advising students on study in Germany, or academics on international research cooperation opportunities with Germany, the following websites are also excellent tools to get you started:

• www.funding-guide.de
• www.myguide.de/en/
• www.study-in-germany.de
• www.research-in-germany.org
• www.hochschulkompass.de/en

SULSA’s Rhineland-Palatinate Research Exchange Funding (Mobility) aims to support the development of PhD and Postdoctoral Researchers with building their international networks, research outputs and technical skills and knowledge. This fund has been jointly created by Scottish Government, the State Government of Rhineland-Palatinate, and SULSA to support bilateral research exchanges between Scotland and the Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP) state of Germany.