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The DFGs Possibilities to enhance Indo-German
Research Co-operation
Dr. Torsten Fischer DFG India Office
German Research Foundation India Office
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German Center for Research Higher Education

DFG German Research Foundation
German Research Foundation India Office
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Preface

• Introduction
• DFG Liaison Offices in India
• Status of Cooperation
• Funding Opportunities

German Research Foundation India Office
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DFG Who we are and what we do?
I. Introduction

• Central public funding organization for academic
  research in Germany
• Self-administration of science in Germany
• Promoting academic excellence on a competitive
  basis
• Serving science and the arts in all fields
• Advisory activities in politics
• Special focus on supporting young researchers
• Promoting international research cooperation
• Fostering links between science and industry

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What we do in India?
II. DFG Liaison Office in India

• Information Research Services
• Initiating Cooperation
• Reciprocal Nature of Exchange
• Promotion of Young Scientists
• Institutional Cooperation
• Visibility

Delhi Office
Hyderabad Branch
German Research Foundation India Office
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II. DFG Liaison Office in India
Role of funding agencies
AvH
Post-doc, Senior
DFG
Doctoral
DAAD
Graduate
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III. Status of Cooperation
DFGs cooperation with India
Bilateral Agreements

• INSA Indian National Science Academy since
  1990
• DST Department of Science Technology
• MOU 2004

Mobility Funding
Project-oriented Funding
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DFG Procedures and Programmes - Approvals 2007
Committees Commissions
Internat. Scient. Contacts (Bilateral
Collaboration)
3.9 m
23.6 m (2006)
Funding of Infrastructure
(Scientific Library Services and Information
Systems, Central Research Facilities)
Individual Grants
635.4 m
2.1bn
157.0 m
Coordinated Programmes
(e.g. Collaborative Research Centres, Excellence
Initiative, Research Training Groups)
Prizes (e.g. Leibniz, Copernicus, etc.)
25.2 m
Direct Funding for Young Researchers
1,182.7 m
136.1 m
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IV. DFG Funding Opportunities for Indo-German
Cooperation
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Preparatory, Consultative and Research Visits
IV. Funding Opportunities

• Aim
• to plan joint research activities
• to facilitate the exchange
• to conduct research
• Duration
• up to three months, application can contain all 3
  modules (for within one year)
• Applications within Programme Funding for the
  Initiation and Enhancement of Bilateral
  Cooperation (DFG guideline no. 1.813e)
• German researchers send application to DFG for
  complementary funding Indian researchers may
  apply to Indian funding organisation (DST or
  INSA),

Illustration taken from http//www.n-tv.de/images
/200108/2266436_Lufthansa.jpg http//www.flightpi
x.com/pix/big/t_010.jpg
German Research Foundation India Office
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DST-DFG Program
IV. Funding Opportunities

• October 2004 Memorandum of Understanding
  (MoU)
• May 2007 1st joint call for Research
  Proposals

Application for Mobility funding 54 Out of
these, 26 changed from research grant to mobility
funding.
Applications received 77
Cost Sharing under the Provisions of MoU for
joint projects of one to two years duration

• DFG
• Return international Travel Cost for German
  scientists to India
• Local Hospitality in Germany (for visiting Indian
  Scientists)
• Equipment in Germany
• Consumables in Germany
• Personnel in Germany (Contingency)

• DST
• Return international Travel Cost for Indian
  scientists to Germany
• Local Hospitality in India (for visiting German
  Scientists)
• Equipment in India
• Consumables in India
• Personnel in India (Contingency)

• April 2009 2nd joint call for Research
  Proposals (check DST and DFG websites!)

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Joint Research Projects
IV. Funding Opportunities

• Application Requirements
• a detailed description of the aims and methods of
  the research project and the costs,
  differentiated into German and non-German
  components
• complementary funding
• Indian partner applies to Indian funding body
  (DST)
• German partner applies to the DFG
• a detailed schedule of implementation
• biographical data and qualifications of the
  scientific personnel involved

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Funding Mechanisms Joint Research Projects
IV. Funding Opportunities
Project Plan
German
Indian
German
Indian
scientist
/
scientist
/
scientist
/
scientist
/
scholar
scholar
scholar
scholar
Funding
Funding
Application
Application
Indian
Indian
German
German
university /
university /
university /
university /
research
research
research
research
Institution
Institution
institution
institution
if
DFG
DFG
DST
DST
DST
DST
decision
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DFG-INSA Cooperation
IV. Funding Opportunities

• Signed a contract in 1990 

Funding opportunities

• Bilateral seminars
•  
• Visiting side applies for international travel
  cost with the funding body in their own country
• Hosting side may apply for domestic travel and
  hospitalities (Please inquire whether this is
  necessary!)
• Peer review
•  

Research visits for up to three months for both
the sides. 
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DFG Initiative for the Social Sciences and the
Humanities in India
IV. Funding Opportunities
Additional DFG Funds
The German side contributes to the Indian
pillar.NB. The application will have to be
filed by the German researcher.
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IV. Funding Opportunities
New Perspectives for Co-funding under DST- DFG
Programme

• a) International Research Training Groups
  Graduiertenkollegs
• Provides doctoral students an opportunity to work
  within a coordinated research programme in
  interdisciplinary environment.
• PhD would be granted by German University
• 5 - 12 professors, 1 - 2 postdocs, coordinator,
  12 - 24 PhD students, 3 - 4 research students
• Maximum duration 2 funding periods, 9 years

• b) Collaborative Research Centers (SFB)
• Long-term but temporary centres of excellence at
  research universities to promote
  interdisciplinary cooperation
• The university applies for funding not the
  scientists.
• Number of currently funded centres about 270
• Average annual budget per centre 1,5 million
• Average size 10-20 research projects
• Type of funding salaries for staff, scientific
  instrumentation / apparatus, consumables, travel,
  colloquia, visits
• Maximum duration 3 funding periods, 12 years

Department of Science Technology Thursday, 16
October 2008
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Opportunities in Research Training Groups
IV. Funding Opportunities

• Grants and fellowships for doctoral students and
  postdocs
• Research Training Groups provide doctoral
  students with the opportunity to work within a
  coordinated research programme in an
  interdisciplinary environment.
• PhD would be granted by German University

• Important note Applications should be
  submitted directly to the individual project
• leader and not to DFG.

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List of Research Training Groups Funded by DFG
IV. Funding Opportunities
http//www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/coordinated_
programmes/research_training_groups/list/gk_gs_nr.
html
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Examples of Research Training Groups University
of Würzburg
IV. Funding Opportunities
http//www.graduateschools.uni-wuerzburg.de/humani
ties/home/home_page_english/
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Examples of Research Training Groups University
of Würzburg
IV. Funding Opportunities
http//www.graduateschools.uni-wuerzburg.de/life_s
ciences/
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Funding Mechanisms Research Training Groups
IV. Funding Opportunities
German Scientist/ Scholar
Indian
Indian
scientist
/
scientist
/
scholar
scholar
Invitation Scholarship
Application
German
German
Indian
Indian
university /
university /
University /
University /
research
research
Research
Research
institution
Institution
institution
Institution
Funding
DFG
DFG
DST
DST
DST
DST
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DFG-DST Frameworkfor example The
Lindau-Follow-up
IV. Funding Opportunities

• 20 young Indian scientists touring first grade
  German research institutes
• Department of Science Technology India
  conducts nationwide selection of young
  scientists
• Participation at the Nobel Laureate meeting in
  Lindau
• One-week tour organised by DFG to visit research
  institutions and universities in Germany
• DFG-Seminar on research- and funding
  opportunities in Germany

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Thank you!
Dr. Torsten Fischer DFG Director India
Office Torsten.Fischer_at_dfg.de
German Research Foundation India Office
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IV. Funding Opportunities
Comparison of DST Programmes with German
partners defining a DST-DFG Programme
USP of DFG-DST Programme
Full-Project funding
German University OR Research Institutes as
Partners
Basic Research oriented
DFG
DAAD
BMBF
AvH
MPG
German Research Foundation India Office