News Release

'Schengen' for the humanities and social sciences

The DFG agrees joint funding schemes with its British and Russian partner organisations

Grant and Award Announcement

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has reached joint funding agreements with its British and Russian partner organisations to enhance international cooperation in the humanities and social sciences. The agreement with the British Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), announced in London on 2 November, focuses on joint funding for projects in the social sciences. The Russian Foundation for Humanities Research (RGNF) and the DFG will fund research projects, as well as other forms of scientific cooperation, together under this agreement. An official ceremony to ratify the agreement with the RGNF will be held in Moscow on 21 November. "This is an important step towards breaking down the barriers in research funding", said Dr. Reinhard Grunwald, Secretary General of the DFG.

The bilateral agreement with the ESRC aims to boost cooperation between the best social scientists and researchers in Germany and the United Kingdom, thus strengthening their competitive position internationally. The proposal and review process will be flexible, being specifically tailored to meet the applicants' needs. Researchers from the UK and Germany wishing to conduct a joint research project will be able to submit funding proposals to their respective national research funding organisation at any time, without delays resulting from deadlines for proposals. The research projects will be subjected to a joint review and decision-making process. Cooperative projects which have a strong emphasis in either one of the two countries involved will only receive funding from either the DFG or the ESRC.

The joint funding agreement for humanities and the social sciences reached between the DFG and its Russian partner organisation will also boost cooperation between excellent researchers in these disciplines. In addition to joint research projects, funding will also be provided for scientific meetings and field projects. Funding will commence in the summer of 2006 and will be supported by a joint review and decision-making process. This initiative is part of the DFG's endeavours to support the integration of Russia into the European Research Area.

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For more information on the agreements please contact:
Dr. Manfred Nießen
Head of the DFG Humanities and Social Sciences Division
Tel: 49-228-885-2393
E-mail: manfred.niessen@dfg.de

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