DFG

NSF-DFG Lead Agency Activity in Chemistry, Process Engineering, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Continuous from 2025-09-01 (DFG as Lead Agency); NSF Lead Agency: see NSF programme page

Last verified: 1 July 2026

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The NSF-DFG Lead Agency Activity funds joint US-German research teams in chemistry, process engineering, and fluid mechanics, with continuous submission beginning 1 September 2025 for DFG-led proposals. Each agency funds its own national researchers, and teams must justify the collaborative research need. This is a standing bilateral agreement open to researchers meeting the eligibility standards of their respective country's funder.

Details

Funder	DFG
Consortium	Required — US and German research teams must collaborate
Application	Single stage (single collaborative proposal submitted to Lead Agency)
Frequency	Continuous
Eligible countries	DEUS

Eligibility & scope

US-German bilateral Lead Agency call in chemistry (DFG areas 3.11–3.17), process engineering (4.21), and fluid mechanics/thermodynamics (4.22). Proposals submitted to DFG must follow Research Grants Programme requirements. German non-university institution members must comply with Kooperationspflicht. Research teams must justify the need for US-German collaboration. Contact programme officers before submission.

Who Should Apply

•US and German research teams with complementary expertise and mutual benefit from collaboration
•Chemistry researchers in DFG subject areas 3.11-3.17
•Process engineering, technical chemistry, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics groups
•German applicants meeting DFG Research Grants eligibility, including non-university members under Kooperationspflicht

Key Dates

•DFG as Lead Agency: continuous submission from 1 September 2025 onwards
•NSF as Lead Agency: see NSF programme page for deadlines
•Single-stage proposal submission to the chosen Lead Agency

Tips for Applicants

✓Justify the collaborative need explicitly in your proposal, reviewers screen for genuine bilateral advantage, not convenience.
✓Coordinate timelines carefully: if NSF leads, you'll have different deadlines; align your team's submission clock to the chosen agency.
✓Structure the budget narrative so that each national side clearly maps to its funder's cost rules and overhead policies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NSF-DFG Lead Agency Activity?

A bilateral funding agreement that supports joint research projects between US and German teams, with each country's agency funding its own researchers.

When does the NSF-DFG Lead Agency Activity accept proposals?

DFG-led proposals can be submitted continuously from 1 September 2025 onwards; NSF-led submission dates are on the NSF programme page.

Do both my US and German team members apply together?

No, each researcher applies to their own country's funder, but the proposals must be coordinated and clearly linked as a joint project.

What research areas are eligible?

Chemistry (DFG subject areas 3.11-3.17), process engineering and technical chemistry (4.21), and fluid mechanics and thermodynamics (4.22).

dfg-nwfbilateral-collaborationchemistryfluid-mechanicsprocess-engineeringus-germanyconsortium-required

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