Application support: Our services

You are planning to submit a research grant application?
Whether it's an individual or joint proposal - we are happy to support you from the initial idea to successful submission. We also offer special services for early career researchers.
Please feel free to contact us. Team

• Services for individual applications

  • Identification of suitable funding programmes (see also our search tools)
  • Assessment of the fit of your proposal to the funding programme
  • Feedback on your draft proposal with regard to formal and strategic aspects
  • Interview training for selection interviews
  • Hands-on workshops and online events for third-party funding acquisition
  • Facilitation of peer-to-peer exchange with experienced researchers
  • Advice on budget planning and cost calculation
  • Suitable calculation tools
  • Legally binding signatures by the Rectorate or by us

• Services for collaborative proposals

  For DFG collaborative proposals we provide you with:

  • Advice and information on the suitability of the funding programme
  • Strategic optimisation suggestions for your proposal
  • Coordination of the review of your proposal by the Rectorate Research Council
  • Information on central services relating to cross-cutting issues (e.g. equality, support for early career researchers, etc.)
  • Review of your proposal with regard to formal requirements and cost calculation
  • Suitable calculation tools
  • Feedback on the trial run for reviews
  • Obtaining the necessary signatures from the Rectorate

• Services for early career researchers

  • Individual advice on your personal third-party funding strategy
  • Research and information on funding opportunities
  • Feedback on your application with regard to formal and strategic aspects as well as budget planning - including the provision of practical calculation tools
  • Facilitation of peer-to-peer exchange with experienced researchers
  • Interview training for selection interviews
  • Hands-on workshops and online events on third-party funding acquisition

• Services for doctoral funding applications

  • Individual advice on doctoral scholarships
  • Strategic review of your application for scholarships (e.g., to the “Begabtenförderungswerke”)
  • Information events and workshops on doctoral funding
  • Further information can be found on our website on doctoral financing.

Applications to the German Research Foundation (DFG)

We are happy to assist you with your DFG proposal. Please feel free to contact us. Team

We provide you with strategic optimisation suggestions for your application and check the formalities and cost calculation. On our downloads website you will find guidelines for proposals for various DFG funding lines (e.g., Individual Research Grant, Walter Benjamin Programme, Emmy Noether Programme, RTG, CRC). Our personnel cost calculator allows you to calculate personnel costs according to the DFG Personnel funding rates (worksheet ‘Personnel costs DFG’).

• Did you know?

  • For your application for an own position (Individual Research Grant, Emmy Noether Programme or Walter Benjamin Programme), we will be happy to issue you with the “employer’s statement” from the University of Münster. To do so, please submit the signed Provision of workplace (”Arbeitsplatzzusage") from your institute and the Disclosure form on the War Weapons Control Act (”Erklärung zum Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz”) in advance.
  • If you are invited to a selection interview within the Emmy Noether Programme, we will support you with an interview training.
  • We support applications to DFG coordinated programmes (e.g., CRC, RTG, Research Units) from the initial idea to approval and offer you:
    • Advice and information on the suitability of the funding programme
    • Strategic optimisation suggestions for your proposal
    • Coordination of the review of your proposal by the Rectorate Research Council
    • Information on central services relating to cross-cutting issues (e.g. equality, support for early career researchers, etc.)
    • Review with regard to formal requirements and cost calculation
    • Feedback on the trial run for reviews
    • Obtaining the necessary signatures from the Rectorate
  • We regularly organise information events on the DFG application process.

Applications to state and federal ministries

We are happy to support you with your research funding application to a state or federal ministry. Please feel free to contact us. Team

On our downloads website you will find a guideline for research funding applications to state and federal ministries, as well as an assistance for the electronic application system easy-Online. You are welcome to use our personnel cost calculator and our travel cost calculator to pre-calculate project costs.

• Did you know?

  • When ministries issue calls for proposals, the process is often a two-stage one: in the first stage, an outline (“Skizze”) is submitted and, if the assessment is positive, a request is made to submit a full application. For the full application, you will usually need a legally binding signature from us. Therefore, please contact us in good time and submit the signed Declaration on basic equipment and personal contribution as well as the Declaration on the War Weapons Control Act ("Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz"). More details can be found in our guideline. 

  • We regularly organise information events on preparing cost calculations and work plans.

  • If your funding application is not primarily concerned with research but rather with transfer, spin-offs or teaching, please contact the following offices:

    • Transfer (e.g. ZIM): Innovation Office (AFO)
    • Spin-offs (e.g. EXIST start-up grant, EXIST research transfer): REACH EUREGIO Start-up Center 
    • Teaching: Dept. 1.4 Quality of university teaching and/or Vice-Rectorate for Teaching and Studies

  If you are not sure which office to contact, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Applications to international funding organisations

We are happy to support you with your application to international funding bodies. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Team

We give advice on applications within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), the EFRE and Interreg funding lines, as well as applications to other international funding organisations.

• Did you know?

  • If you wish to submit an application under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), we will support you during the process and provide you with strategic feedback on your draft application. We also organise information events and workshops on how to prepare MSCA applications.
  • Some international funding formats (e.g. EFRE) require legally binding signatures from the university. We coordinate this and obtain the signatures from the authorised representatives on your behalf. Therefore, please contact us in good time and submit the signed Declaration on basic equipment and personal contribution as well as the Declaration on the War Weapons Control Act ("Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz"). 
  • If you are interested in a funding line within Horizon Europe (apart from MSCA) or would like to submit a COST or ERC application, please contact European Research Services (ERS) GmbH, which is responsible for these funding lines at the University of Münster. 

Applications to foundations and other sponsors

We are happy to assist you with your application to foundations or other funding organisations. Please feel free to contact us. Team

We can advise you for example on applications to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Volkswagen Foundation, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and the DAAD (PRIME). If necessary, we will clarify who is responsible for supporting your application within the university. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

• Did you know?

  • We provide you with strategic feedback on your draft application and check the formalities and calculations.
  • Some foundations invite you to a selection interview during the application process. Please feel free to contact us to arrange interview training.
  • To apply for the DAAD PRIME programme or, for example, project funding from the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, you will need an employer’s statement from the host university. These forms are signed by us, the Research Funding Support – SAFIR. To do so, please send us the signed Provision of workplace (”Arbeitsplatzzusage") from your institute and the Disclosure form on the War Weapons Control Act (”Erklärung zum Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz”) in advance.
  • Some funding lines of the
    • DAAD (e.g. PPP),
    • the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (e.g. Philipp Schwartz Initiative)
    • and ERASMUS+ (e.g. Teacher Academy)

  are advised by the International Office. If necessary, we will be happy to clarify the responsibilities within the university for you.

Calculations and more – tools for your application 

We are happy to assist you with calculations of personnel and travel costs for your application. Please feel free to contact us. Team

On our downloads website, you will find guidelines for calculating personnel and travel costs, as well as a personnel cost calculator and a travel expense calculator, which you can use to automatically calculate the costs for your project. 

• Did you know?

  • If a legally binding signature is necessary for your grant application, we usually require two forms from you:
    • Declaration on the War Weapons Control Act ("Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz") (signed by project leader)
    • Declaration on basic equipment and personal contribution (signed by Dean of the faculty and Managing Director of the institute)
  • Some applications require statements on cross-cutting topics such as equality, diversity, early career researchers, public relations, or research data management. Please let us know if we should provide you with an information sheet containing information on central services at the University of Münster.