Research Funding

Internal University Funding

Foundations at JGU (in German only)
A multitude of foundations promote research projects and dissertations at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. In addition, there are funding options for equipment and excursions, one-off grants or allowances for study trips.

Research Unit Historical Cultural Sciences
The Research Unit primarily promotes projects serving the thematic further development and the expansion of the Research Unit, for instance through the development of integrated projects and the preparation of applications for outside funding. In addition, it maintains funds for conferences and individual projects as well as the promotion of young researchers. Applications for funding must show a clear historical-cultural sciences connection and a distinctly theoretical-methodological foundation.

Research Unit Media Convergence (in German only)
Eligible research projects must show a close thematic link to the subject media convergence. The promotion of projects either takes the form of “start-up funding” in order to raise third-party funding or support of young researchers.

Rhineland-Palatinate re-commencing scholarships
Twice a year, the State Ministry of Rhineland-Palatinate for Science, Further Education and Culture awards re-commencing scholarships to female researchers. The scholarship’s goal is to promote the continuation and completion of an already launched research project at a university in Rhineland-Palatinate in order to gain further qualification to be a candidate for a professorship or obtain a doctorate.

External funding

Daimler and Benz Foundation
Every year, the Daimler and Benz Foundation awards ten fellowships to selected postdocs, junior professors or junior research group leaders. The annual funding sum amounts to EUR 20.000 and the fellowship is granted for a duration of two years.

German Research Foundation (DFG)
In addition to specific programs and prizes, DFG supports every graduate with respect to individual and thematically-focused research projects that are limited in time by awarding, among other measures, research scholarships and grants.

ERC Starting Grants
The ERC Starting Grants are open to researchers in all disciplines with 2 to 7 years of postdoctoral research experience. This scheme is intended to support recipients in building their own independent career and junior research group for a maximum duration of five years.

ERC Consolidator Grants
The ERC Consolidator Grants are awarded to researchers in all disciplines with 7 to 12 years of postdoctoral research experience whose own independent working group is in its consolidation phase. The funding period lasts for up to five years.

Frankfurt Foundation maecenia for Women in Academia and Art (in German only)
The Frankfurt Foundation maecenia for Women in Academia and Art promotes women who carry out forward-looking projects in all fields of academic research, art and culture. In particular, maecenia supports interdisciplinary projects with a critical and constructive focus on society from the point of view of women.

Fritz Thyssen Foundation
Project support by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation focuses on scholars in the humanities, social science and biomedicine fields. Applications may be filed with the foundation by one or more applicants with a doctoral/postdoctoral lecturing degree. The planned project can generally stretch over a working period of up to three years.

Fulbright-Cottrell Award (in German only)
The program is intended to serve the realization of a three-year teaching and research project. Young researchers in their advanced postdoc phase who have teaching responsibilities in bachelor’s programs in the disciplines Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy and Biology are eligible for application. In addition to funding in the amount of EUR 63.000, recipients are given the opportunity to participate in the annual Cottrell Scholars Conference.

Gerda Henkel Foundation
The program primarily focuses on historical humanities. It offers funding for research projects and research scholarships. Within the research projects scheme, the costs incurred in connection with hosting visiting foreign scholars can also be financed.

Heisenberg Programme
The Heisenberg Program is directed primarily at researchers who have attained the qualifications for professorship via the Emmy Noether Program, DFG staff positions, private-sector research or non-faculty academic positions. Recipients receive funding for up to five years.

In addition to the Heisenberg fellowships, the Heisenberg professorships have been launched. The admitting university must create the professor position and clarify the extent to which this position constitutes a structural development.

Lichtenberg Professorships
The Volkswagen Foundation offers outstanding researchers funding for periods of five to eight years in order to help them establish new and interdisciplinary lines of research at a German university of their choice. Young highly qualified researchers from all disciplines are eligible to apply. As a rule, they should have gathered some experience working abroad and have been awarded their doctorate within the past four to seven years.

Marie Skłodwska-Curie actions (MSCA)
This scheme supports joint doctoral training networks (Innovative Training Networks – ITN), research stays of experienced researchers (Individual Fellowships – IF), Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) and research mobility (COFUND). The actions are open to researchers at all career stages irrespective of their nationality.