Call for proposals Explorer Call 2024

Aim

Explorer Projects aim to initiate novel collaborative research concepts in a forward-looking research domain, involving different disciplines and crossing different scales in experimental design. Joint projects of a junior researcher (group leader or senior postdoc) with at least one other research group (junior or senior) from different fields and institutions are financially supported for up to two years, in order to create the basis for subsequent third-party funding. If necessary and useful, cooperation partners from industry can be involved. The projects are selected by the Research Council and if applicable other experts in a competitive process. The use of the Explorer Project grant towards developing a proposal for subsequent third-party funding needs to be demonstrated mid-term. Explorer Projects represent a central funding line of the Research Council of the Molecular Foundations of Life, Health, and Disease, Field of Focus 1 (FoF1).

Maximum Amount Of Funding

The funding duration is two years with a maximum amount of funding of 100.000 Euro per year. A project can be co-supported by own funds. An applicant’s own position cannot be funded via this call. 

Proposal

Proposals are limited to 5 pages and may be submitted by members of the Field of Focus 1. At least 2 groups from different Field of Focus 1 institutions (Faculty of Biosciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculties of Medicine Heidelberg and Mannheim, DKFZ, EMBL, MPl-mF, ZI) should work jointly on the project proposed, with at least one junior researcher (group leader or senior postdoc) being involved. The junior researcher should be the grant coordinator. Applicants and their affiliations need to be listed in the proposal. The proposal should highlight interdisciplinary aspects of the project.

The Field of Focus 1-budget of the Explorer Project has to be administered by a University member, transfer of funds to non-university institutions is not permitted. 

The proposal should include the following sections:

• Short summary (<150 words)
• Project outline: Central research question; Status quo and, if applicable, own preliminary work; objectives of the project and methods; interdisciplinary aspects
• Plans for acquiring subsequent third-party funds
• Detailed budget outline (please list personnel, consumables, investments for 2025 and 2026; please plan personnel only until 10/2026). Note that funds cannot be transferred from year 1 to year 2. 
• Confirmation of sufficient infrastructure to realize the project
• in case of senior postdoc applicants: Confirmation of liberty to conduct the proposed research independently 
• References
• Information on applicants (including name, affiliation, list of currently funded projects with those highlighted that have a direct link to the proposed Explorer Project)

REVIEW AND QUALITY CONTROL

After the submission deadline, the Research Council will select up to ten applicants to present their project in front of the Research Council on October 17, 2024. The selection is based on the following selection criteria (listed in order of importance): excellence and timeliness of research question, interdisciplinarity, networking effect for campus, prospects for successful follow up grant proposal, high risk / high gain aspect of proposed project. Following the presentation and subsequent discussion, the Research Council will evaluate in depth which projects best fulfil the selection criteria and endorse those for funding by the Rectorate. The Research Council can involve additional experts for advice in this process. After year one, the use of the Explorer Project outcome towards submitting a proposal for subsequent third-party funding needs to be demonstrated. A report is expected from successful applicants at the end of the funding period.

DEADLINE

Deadline for proposal submission is September 13, 2024. Proposals should be sent in a single pdf and with the subject line “FoF1-ExplorerProject-2024” to: fof1@uni-heidelberg.de

Proposals submitted after the deadline cannot be taken into account. Please address your proposal to the Research Council Field of Focus 1. Please contact Dr. Andrea Leibfried via email in case of questions: andrea.leibfried@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de