‘Excellent research is built on trust’
The Rectorate’s Office has launched three new internal funding lines – IDEAS, START and ADVANCED – which support innovative ideas, new collaborations and competitive research proposals. In an interview with Kathrin Kottke, Prof Dr Monika Stoll, Vice-Rector for Research, explains why unconventional ideas deserve a chance, why failure is part and parcel of research, and why sometimes it comes down to drawing lots.
What motivated the development of the new funding lines?
We realised we needed to make our internal research funding more transparent and adapt it to the changing funding landscape. Over the course of half a year, the Rectorate and the Future Lab developed three funding lines designed to support researchers at different stages of their careers. This distinction is necessary in order to address varying needs. It was particularly important to us to focus on early-career researchers, up to and including those holding assistant professorships. They often fall through the cracks.
Because around 90 percent of all external funding programmes require preparatory work or existing consortia. You have to demonstrate that initial results and robust findings are already available before you are allowed to apply.
Is the Rectorate aiming to close this gap with IDEAS?
IDEAS is aimed at researchers with unconventional ideas. These are rarely funded externally, as there is no preparatory work and no existing consortia. We give researchers the chance to carry out precisely the preparatory work they will later need for an external application. Funding of up to 80,000 euros is available. However, we’ve deliberately kept IDEAS flexible. Some groups need equipment, some need time and others need a student assistant. What matters is the leap in innovation, not the category into which something falls.
Innovation is difficult to measure. How do you make your selection?
The idea must be explainable and plausible, and is discussed by the Research Council. But it is impossible to say which innovation is ‘better’ than another. And then it comes down to a draw. Everyone can usually live with that.
Do early-career researchers in particular benefit from this?
That’s right. Our message is: you don’t have to have won 17 awards or published 14 papers. Anyone with a great idea is welcome to give it a go.
The START and ADVANCED programmes are aimed at more established researchers. What do most people frequently underestimate when establishing collaborations?
The importance of trust and the time it takes to build it. Excellent research depends on trust. And you don’t establish that on paper or in a Zoom meeting, but through personal contact.
What does START actually do?
This programme focuses on establishing new research collaborations with a focus on so-called ‘emerging fields’ – nascent areas with great potential for the University’s academic profile. When it comes to interdisciplinary approaches, researchers must start with finding a common language and explore areas of shared interest.
And ADVANCED?
This funding programme serves to further sharpen the University’s academic profile and supports the preparation of competitive collaborative proposals.
What advice would you give to someone who is hesitating to apply because they fear their idea isn’t fully developed yet?
To put it simply: nothing ventured, nothing gained. As these are internal University applications, nobody will find out if your proposal doesn’t get selected.
This article is from the University newspaper wissen|leben No. 5, 22 July 2026.