The Innovation Grants are a personal funding program of the Excellence Strategy of the University of Tübingen. It is awarded to young researchers in the natural and life sciences as well as in the humanities and social sciences. They are given the opportunity to translate the knowledge gained in their doctoral thesis into usable processes, services or products.

Applications for funding must hold out the prospect that the results can be commercially exploited or that cooperation with non-university institutions can be established as a result.

The criteria for the award are the innovative content of the application and its economic attractiveness and feasibility. Furthermore, the scientific background of the candidates and the scientific quality in terms of relevance, originality and topicality of the underlying work are also important.

An application is possible twice a year (submission deadline 28.02. and 31.08.).

Find out more: Innovation Grants (Sciences and Life Sciences) or (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Here you will find the call details for the Innovation Grants for the natural and life sciences as well as for the humanities and social sciences. Further FAQ can be found here: [FAQ]

Aim:

The Innovation Grants in the Humanities and Social Sciences facilitate the transfer of research findings into practical applications.
Early-career researchers should be given the opportunity to translate the findings from their doctoral dissertations into practical processes, services, or products. Eligible projects must demonstrate a realistic prospect that, during the funding period, the results will lead either to commercial exploitation or to transfer to society. Collaborations with non-university institutions are encouraged as a potential commercialization option, particularly since they can open up alternative career paths. However, the institution’s serious intent to transfer the results must be documented (e.g., Letter of Intent / LoI, ongoing collaboration negotiations, collaboration agreement). We expressly note that this funding program focuses primarily on societal transfer and does not prioritize the scientific prospects for success.
Possible examples include the development of innovative:
• Educational concepts, e-learning materials, adult education programs, textbooks, and teaching modules for intercultural competence
• Museum programs, digital exhibitions
• Programs for refugee assistance
• Programs for political and economic consulting (benchmarking and comparative analyses, case studies, development of communication plans for specific target groups, etc.)
• Programs with societal relevance

By the end of the funding period, a concrete outcome, such as a program, tool, educational plan, consulting concept, etc. should be in place, developed through collaboration with industrial companies, public agencies, volunteer organizations, or similar entities.

Scope of Funding:

Innovation Grants are awarded for a maximum of 24 months. After that, the project must be completed or implemented externally. Funding is provided for the applicant’s position (TV-L 13), student assistants, as well as material and capital expenditures. The maximum grant amount per funded project is 250,000.00 €.

Requirements:

Applications may be submitted no earlier than six months before and no later than three years after the completion of the doctoral program. Since this is a postdoctoral funding program, funding cannot begin until the doctoral program has been officially completed with the receipt of the degree certificate. The project must begin within six months of approval; otherwise, the funding will be forfeited.
Doctoral students and postdocs who are members or affiliates of the university are eligible to apply, provided they are also based at the university.
The project must be carried out and the final transfer activity completed at the University of Tübingen and may not be conducted at any other institution (with the exception of affiliated institutes).
The application must be supported by a professor who provides guidance on content, workspace, and infrastructure. The Innovation Grants are a person-based funding program, not a project-based one; that is, if the funded individual leaves the University of Tübingen, funding through the Innovation Grant will cease.

Advising:

The Industry Liaison Office at the University of Tübingen offers advising prior to the application process.It is strongly recommended that every applicant takes advantage of this advising service in advance.

Scope of Application:

• Maximum of six pages
• Cover page with title, name, institute, and contact information
• Detailed description of the project and the planned implementation of the results obtained from the dissertation into innovative and application-oriented processes, services, or products. Please define the objective of your project precisely and highlight its relevance and benefits. Please also list any external partners (annex).
• Project timeline with milestones
• Financial plan for the grant period
• Description of potential follow-up funding, if applicable (external funding programs), or future prospects for the project.

Attachments:

• Summary: Brief description of the project, planned activities, market situation, and the project’s innovation potential (intended for publication; max. 1 page; Arial 11; single-spaced); please submit in both German and English.
• Curriculum vitae, list of publications, and future career prospects of the applicant.
• Letter of support from the supervising professor, including confirmation of accommodation and provision of infrastructure for the duration of the project.
• Assurance that, in the event of premature termination of the project, any non-academic staff hired will be taken on by the research group for the duration of their contracts.
• An additional letter of support from the applicant’s academic network.
• A letter of support from external collaboration partners: documented serious interest in the project (e.g., letter of intent, ongoing collaboration negotiations, collaboration agreement).
• Please submit the “Declaration and Information Sheet” form (https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/70536), completed and signed by the Dean’s Office and the department head.

If a spin-off is planned, a business plan of approximately 5 pages is required, which must also be included in the appendix. Guidance on how to successfully create a business plan can be found, for example, at: https://www.existenzgruendungsportal.de/Navigation/DE/Home/home or in the BIOPRO download section (Startup Handbook): https://www.bio-pro.de/angebot/publikationen.
All applications will undergo a formal review by the Industry Liaison Office upon receipt. If the application does not sufficiently address the transfer aspect, it will not be forwarded for evaluation.
If “artificial intelligence” (AI) was used in the form of generative models for text and image generation when preparing the application for funding from the Excellence Program, it needs to be disclosed in a manner appropriate to scientific standards and taking into account the specific characteristics of the specific scientific field. The use of AI in the application will not be interpreted as either an advantage or a disadvantage. Applicants are responsible for the content generated by AI. For more information, please visit https://wissenschaftliche-integritaet.de/verwendung-generativer-modelle/

Selection Process:

All applications are reviewed by external experts from academia and the business sector, as well as by an internal committee. Funding is awarded through a competitive process to ensure that the projects demonstrate innovative potential and a realistic chance of success. Final approval is granted by the President’s Office. Please refrain from proposing reviewers for your project.
Selection criteria include:
• The innovative nature of the proposal and its economic appeal,
• Feasibility, and, where applicable, entrepreneurial aptitude,
• Prospects for the project’s implementation and sustainability,
• Scientific quality: relevance, originality, and timeliness of the underlying work.

Application Procedure:

• Semi-annual call for applications,
• Opening of the electronic database for submitting applications: February and August 1st
• Application deadlines are February 28th and August 31st of each year
• Start of funding: no later than six months after approval by the Internal Committee and the President’s Office.
Please be sure to meet the application deadlines! All required documents and forms, bearing original signatures, must be submitted to us in hard copy by the specified date, in addition to being uploaded to the application database.

FAQ:

Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions: https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/228278 Contact Information for Submitting Applications:
Applications must be uploaded to the electronic database (see https://www.antraege-zv.uni-tuebingen.de/) and submitted in hard copy to:
Dr. Nora von Ameln, Central Administration, Dept. II, Rümelinst. 32., 72070 Tübingen
The Industry Liaison Office is available to answer any questions you may have. Email: wirtschaftskoordination@uni-tuebingen.de, Tel. 07071/29-76812.
A brief overview of the currently funded projects can be found on this page.