Preparation of the decision:
For the first round of the Excellence Initiative, following a preliminary selection of draft proposals in spring 2006, 39 proposals were received for graduate schools and another 39 for clusters of excellence. These 78 proposals were assigned to 24 specialised panels, reviewed by international groups of experts, and discussed by the DFG-appointed Expert Commission. Of the approximately 300 experts, about 60 percent came from other European countries, about 30 percent from outside Europe, and about ten percent from Germany. Evaluations were based on the criteria of scientific quality, interdisciplinarity, international prominence, and the integration of regional research capacities. The Strategic Commission appointed by the Science Council was in charge of the ten institutional strategy proposals. Initially, proposals were reviewed locally by groups of international experts. To be eligible for institutional strategy funding, a university must have been approved for at least one cluster of excellence and one graduate school. The Joint Commission, made up of members of both the Expert and the Strategic Commission, discussed the proposals and evaluation results. The DFG Grants Committee based its final decisions on the funding recommendations given by the Joint Commission.
Funding:
A total of 1.9 billion euros have been earmarked for the promotion of top-level research as part of the Excellence Initiative (2006 to 2011). According to an agreement between the states and the federal government regarding the approximate amounts for the individual funding lines, about 1 million euros were to be made available per year for each graduate school and about 6.5 million euros for each cluster of excellence, not including a supplemental allowance of 20 percent for project-related indirect expenses. The funding line "institutional strategies" was to be endowed with about 21 million euros pe
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Contact: Dr. Jutta Rateike
jutta.rateike@dfg.de
49-228-885-2665
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
18-Oct-2006