Calls for Application

CfA: Falling Walls Lab Baden-Württemberg 2025

Organisation: Falling Walls Foundation

Target Group: Students and early-career professionals of all disciplines

Deadline: April 26, 2025

For the 6th time, the Falling Walls Lab competition is offering a platform for young researchers, students and professionals to present their groundbreaking ideas and solutions to global challenges in just three minutes to an expert jury. This year, the competition is hosted by the University of Konstanz, in collaboration with the University of Stuttgart, Heidelberg University, KIT and HEiKA. The event is taking place on July 18, 2025 in Konstanz and the goal is to compete for a spot at the global Falling Walls Lab Final in Berlin in November, 2025.

CfA: AIProHealth - Data Science and AI in Health Summer School

Organisation: AIProHealth Summer School

Target Group: Students, researchers and entrepreneurs of all disciplines

Deadline: May 4, 2025

The AIProHealth – Data Science and AI in Health Summer School 2025 is coming to Heidelberg! It will be held from August 11-15, on-site at Heidelberg University and is co-funded by EIT Health. The face-to-face week will be followed by a two-week online hackathon. During the Summer School you will immerse yourself in AI in healthcare, business applications and entrepreneurship with mentorship and guidance from international experts. The Summer School is designed for students, researchers and entrepreneurs of all disciplines interested in biomedical sciences, data science and AI.

CfA: Add-On Fellowships for Interdisciplinary Science and Transfer "Ressourcen der Zukunft“ 

Organisation: Joachim Herz Foundation

Target Group: Scientists in an early career phase

Deadline: May 16, 2025

Scientists in an early career phase who are working on innovative, interdisciplinary research projects in the fields of business administration, economics, life sciences and materials science and whose research topic has transfer potential can apply for the new Add-on Fellowship of the Joachim Herz Foundation. €15,000 for individual research funding and an extra €3,000 for equal opportunities are granted. 

CfA: State's Innovation Award

Organisation: State of Baden-Württemberg 

Target Group: Medium-sized companies

Deadline: May 31, 2025

The prestigious prize by the State of Baden-Württemberg recognizes the innovative achievements of medium-sized companies with €50,000, for example for the development or application of modern technologies for new products or processes and technological services. In addition, the Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft (MBG) awards a special prize of €7,500 to a young company. Interested companies with up to 500 employees, an annual turnover of up to 100 million euros and a registered office in Baden-Württemberg can apply.

CfA: heiTRACKS Mentoring Program

Organisation: STEP USA 

Target Group:  Postdocs and early-career researchers

Deadline: June 15, 2025

Applications are now open for the new round of the heiTRACKS mentoring program for postdocs and early-career researchers at Heidelberg University. The program, which starts in October, offers one-on-one mentoring, networking opportunities, and professional development. The program language is English. Online information sessions will be held on May 14 and June 3 at 12:00 PM. 

CfA: STEP USA University Program

Organisation: STEP USA 

Target Group:  German university start-ups and spin-offs

Deadline: August 1, 2025

The STEP USA University Program is a three-day initiative designed specifically for German university start-ups and spin-offs looking to scale their business in the United States, where they will gain hands-on knowledge and experience through a series of customized workshops and networking events. The program is taking place between November 10-12, 2025 in New York and this year, applications from startups in the health and life sciences are particularly encouraged. The application deadline is August 1, 2025 or until all eight spots are filled. 

CfA: CZS Science Communication

Organisation: Carl Zeiss Foundation

Target Group:  Professors and scientists

Deadline: December 31, 2025

The Carl Zeiss Foundation offers its partners additional funding for science communication. These funds can be used in particular for personnel with expertise in the field of communication that matches the planned measures. Depending on the project, the funding period complies a minimum of one year and a maximum of six years and can go up to €40,000 per year. The aim is to make the scientific work in the projects funded by the CZS more accessible. Professors and scientists can apply until December 31, 2025. The prerequisite is existing funding from the Carl Zeiss Foundation. 

BMWK – Sustainable Impact Promotion Of Companies Oriented Towards The Common Good

Organisation: BMWK Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz

Target Group: Small and medium-sized enterprises 

The BMWK is pursuing the goal of professionalizing and expanding the expertise of small and medium-sized enterprises that are oriented towards the common good to support networking and cooperation. The funding program with a volume of 110 million euros consists of two modules: An individual module aimed directly at public benefit-oriented companies and start-ups, and a multiplier module aimed at public benefit-oriented companies and their institutional ecosystem. This includes incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, business development agencies, chambers, technology and start-up centers or universities. Applications can be submitted until the end of 2028. 

Start-up BW Innovation Voucher

Organisation: Land Baden-Württemberg

Target Group: Young companies

The Start-up BW innovation vouchers support young companies (up to five years after their founding) in carrying out scientific work and realizing projects that focus on the development of particularly progressive ideas in forward-looking areas. This also covers the cost of materials for these innovative projects. Eligible services are scientific activities prior to the actual development of new products, production methods and services. This includes research on technologies, patents or markets, feasibility studies, material or design analyses and studies on manufacturing technology.