DFG

Collaborative Research Centres (CRC / Sonderforschungsbereiche)

Up to 12 years (4-year funding periods)

New proposals: no submission deadline; draft proposal and mandatory consultation required before full proposal. Renewal proposals: must be submitted within the final year of the current funding period.

Last verified: 14 June 2026

Details

Funder	DFG
Duration	Up to 12 years (4-year funding periods)
Consortium	Required — single university (CRC) or 2–3 universities (CRC/Transregio); non-university research institutions may be integrated
Application	2-stage: draft proposal + mandatory consultation → full proposal
Frequency	Continuous
Eligible countries	DE

Eligibility & scope

Open to German universities (and doctorate-granting institutions of equivalent status). Funds long-term, multidisciplinary research programmes including staff, instrumentation, consumables, travel, Mercator Fellows, Integrated Research Training Groups, equality measures, science communication, and transfer projects. Early-career researcher support is a key review criterion. CRC/Transregio allows up to 3 co-applicant universities; international project integration possible.