ERS Project funding

The Exploratory Research Space (ERS) supports innovative research projects at RWTH Aachen University in two ways (open vs. topic-oriented calls for proposals) and through various funding instruments (Seed Fund, RWTH START-up, and Prep Fund).

In open calls for proposals, researchers can submit applications for projects from all research areas represented at RWTH. The aim is to identify and develop new interdisciplinary fields of research.

Theme-oriented calls promote projects in strategically important research fields at RWTH Aachen University. This helps to define and expand the university's established areas of expertise. The Planning and Allocation Committee (PAC) is involved in the selection of topics. New topic proposals can be submitted to ERS at any time.

The Seed Fund provides start-up financing to support scientists in researching new ideas in an interdisciplinary team. The aim is to produce initial publications and prepare external funding applications. The funding period is 6 to 12 months, and the call for proposals is usually published annually in the third quarter via the ERS-Portal

The RWTH Start-up is a special form of seed fund with up to €20,000 in individual funding. It is also project-related start-up financing for postdocs (up to a maximum of two years after graduation) and for doctors and psychologists (up to four years). The aim of the funding is to promote scientific independence and profile building.

Prep Funds support researchers in overcoming obstacles on the path to strategically important research results. To qualify, there must be a clearly identified and formulated research gap in a strategically relevant area and a defined project goal to close this gap.