Project grants FAQs / Guidelines for applying

When should I apply?

Application deadlines are March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of every year. 

You must submit a complete application by the relevant deadline in order to be considered for funding. 

Please note that this also applies even if the deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday.

Awards notifications will be sent once the entire evaluation process has been completed, Which takes approximately 6-8 weeks after each application deadline.

a) Data sets, data acquisition, project-related materials

You must apply for the project grant before the purchase has been made. Grants cannot be awarded retroactively for data sets, data acquisition, or materials that have already been acquired.

Therefore, we recommend that you take note of the deadlines and plan accordingly:

Application deadline and earliest start of funding

• March 15
• June 15         
• September 15
• December 15

Important:

• Please note that invoices cannot be paid during the 6-8-week assessment period, as grant decisions have not yet been finalised. If the due date of the invoice falls within this assessment period, you will have to pay the invoice yourself and, if the grant is approved, you will only be able to receive the grant in the form of a reimbursement paid to you afterwards.
• The project grant cannot be awarded retroactively for projects that have already been implemented.
• Applications submitted after the deadline or incomplete applications will not be considered. An application is incomplete if any documents are missing or if essential information is missing from the application form.

b) External evaluation

The visit of your external evaluator should take place within 8 months after the relevant application deadline. Please submit your application bearing in mind the dates and the corresponding deadline:

Why do I have to indicate the expected invoice due date on the online registration form?

For administrative purposes and to coordinate financial planning, especially when paying invoices directly to service providers, it is important for us to know approximately when the payment will be due. Please simply indicate the expected date of the invoice (at very least the month and the year) in the online registration form.

Please note that invoices cannot be paid during the 6-8 week assessment period, as grant decisions have not yet been finalised. If the due date of the invoice falls within this assessment period, you will have to pay the invoice yourself and, if the grant is approved, you will only be able to receive the grant in the form of a reimbursement paid out to you afterwards.

What should I consider when writing my application?

Your application will be reviewed by evaluators both within and outside your field of research. It is therefore important to present your project in a way that can be understood by experts who are not familiar with your field.

What do I need to consider when filling out the application form?

Please fill out the application form electronically; Do not complete it by hand. To ensure that the electronic forms work with all versions of Adobe software, we strongly recommend that you first download the blank application form, save it to your computer, then fill it in and save it again.

Please use an Apple or Windows operating system to fill out the forms. The forms are not compatible with Linux.

Please use only the space provided in the fields on the application forms. The evaluators will not be able to read any text that goes beyond the existing field limits.

Please do not change the formatting of the fields on the application forms.

Please send the application documents as separate attachments in your email. You do not need to merge the different documents into one PDF-file.

Do I need to submit any additional documents (e.g. publication lists, CV, etc.)?

The application procedure and required application documents are described in detail in section Application procedure and forms. Additional documents not listed on the website, such as publication lists, literature lists or CVs, will not be sent to the evaluators.

I do not know exactly how much the project will cost. Which expenses do I enter on the application form?

If you do not yet know your exact expenses, enter your best estimate on the application form. Please be aware that if you receive the project grant, the amount awarded in the grant will be based on these expenses and the maximum amount for a project grant of 1,000 Euro.

Please provide a brief justification for the indicated costs. For example, if you are applying for funding for external evaluation and only need transportation expenses financed by the heiDOCS program, explain how other costs, such as accommodation, will be covered. Similarly, if seeking funding for data acquisition and only require compensation for test participants, clarify how you plan to cover additional expenses, such as advertising for recruitment. These are just illustrative scenarios, intended to highlight the importance of precise cost planning and a clear explanation of how all expenses will be financed as part of your application. Listing additional funding sources will not be viewed as a disadvantage for your application - on the contrary, it may be considered an advantage.

It will not be possible to claim more than the amount you enter on the application form.

Project grant applications for data acquisition, data sets, project-related materials: Please submit proof of costs (e.g. offer, cost estimate of a provider) with the application form.

External evaluation: I do not know exactly when the visit of the external evaluator will take place. Which date do I enter on the application form?

If you do not yet know the exact date of the external evaluator's visit, enter the anticipated date of his/her stay after having consulted the evaluator and indicate on the application form that there may be changes in the dates of the visit.

External Evaluation: Why do I have to specify a person or an institute that will handle the financial administration?

Due to budgetary rules, the approved travel and accommodation costs for the external evaluator must be paid by your institute (e.g. the institute of your supervisor).

If your grant is approved, the Graduate Academy will pay the grant directly to your institute and your institute will then be responsible for the administration of your external evaluator's travel expenses.

Please clarify in advance who is responsible for the organisation and financial administration of travel expenses at your institute as the Graduate Academy will need to be in contact with this person in order to pay out the grant.

It is not possible to pay out the grant directly to the applicant because of the university budgetary rules.

Please note: If the visit of the external evaluator takes place during the 6-8-week assessment period before you receive a decision on your application, it will not be possible for the grant amount to be paid out in advance to your institute. In this case, the grant payment can only be made as a reimbursement of expenses to the institute.

What is meant by "external funding" and why am I asked about it?

“External funding” refers to funds that you have received from an external funding organisation (e.g. Begabtenförderungswerke, other funding organisations) for your project. The fact that you have been awarded external funding can be of advantage to you in the evaluation process. For example, the receipt of an external grant or fellowship will be treated as a prize or distinction on your part.

Who can issue the evaluation form for my application?

The evaluation form for your application must be completed by your doctoral supervisor and submitted to the Graduate Academy. Please note that the evaluations are confidential and must be sent by your supervisor directly to the Graduate Academy: ga-docs@uni-heidelberg.de.

Please be aware that the deadlines also apply to the receipt of the evaluation form.

If it is not possible for your first supervisor to complete the evaluation from for you (e.g. due to illness, parental leave, etc.), you may ask another professor in your field who is familiar with your project to evaluate your application and complete the form for you.

How is the grant paid out?

a) Data acquisition, data sets, project-related materials

The project grant can either be paid out to you in form of a reimbursement of the expenses you have already covered or it can be paid out directly to the external service provider.

If the financial processing of your project grant takes place directly between the external service provider and the Graduate Academy, please make sure to submit the invoice(s) to the Graduate Academy as soon as possible after receipt. If the invoice amount exceeds the approved funding amount, a partial invoice in the amount of the approved funding amount must be submitted.

b) External Evaluation

If the grant is approved, the Graduate Academy will pay out the grant amount to the institute responsible for administering the travel expense of the external evaluator (see online registration form) so that the institute can then directly cover these expenses. The use of the grant funds (travel and accommodation cost) is governed by the rules of Heidelberg University and the guidelines of the heiDOCS funding program.

All information and forms to receive the project grant are provided in the section Payment procedure and forms.

What happens to my project grant if the project cannot be carried out?

The grant is not transferable to another person or to a different project. Therefore, if you do not follow through with the project, you will automatically forfeit your award.

What will happen to my external evaluation grant if the evaluation has to be postponed?

It is possible to postpone the evaluation; however, you must inform us as soon as possible if this situation arises. In order for you to retain your grant, neither the external evaluator nor the purpose of the visit may change.