IDEAS, START and ADVANCED: University of Münster launches new portfolio of internal funding schemes

With IDEAS, START and ADVANCED, the University of Münster is launching a new portfolio of internal funding schemes designed to support researchers at different stages of research development — from early-stage exploratory ideas and the establishment of new collaborations to the preparation of competitive collaborative funding proposals.

The new funding schemes aim to provide targeted support for excellent research, further sharpen the University’s research profile in its Profile Areas and Emerging Fields, and expand national and international collaborations. At the same time, the new portfolio brings together existing instruments of internal research funding, streamlines them and adapts them to the changing funding logics of external third-party funders.

The Future Lab is responsible for designing and coordinating the IDEAS, START and ADVANCED funding schemes and serves as the central point of contact for questions and advice. It also manages the University Allowance project, through which the funds for internal research funding were acquired and which finances the new funding portfolio.

The IDEAS funding scheme is aimed at researchers from the postdoctoral level onwards who are pursuing unconventional research ideas with high innovation potential and require scope for exploratory preliminary work. Projects can receive funding of up to €80,000 for a period of up to twelve months. Eligible applications will be entered into a draw held openly within the University. The application deadline for IDEAS is 3 August 2026.

Applications for the START and ADVANCED funding schemes may be submitted on a rolling basis. START supports the establishment of new collaborations and the further development of emerging research topics. ADVANCED is aimed at established consortia preparing competitive third-party funding proposals at national or international level.

Further information:
https://www.uni-muenster.de/Zukunftslabor/en/forschungsfoerderlinien/index.html