Promotion of cooperation between German and African research institutions under the funding line “Ladenburg Horizons”
Overview of the Opportunity
The Daimler and Benz Foundation is promoting this cooperation in view of the increasing scientific and political significance of African countries. This initiative aims to establish or maintain contacts between scientists in Germany and African partners.
• Eligible Applicants: Independent research group leaders. Applicants must be professors, junior professors, "Habilitanden" (candidates for lecturing positions), or post-doc researchers who hold a doctorate and can demonstrate autonomy within their scientific institution.
• Applicant Location: Applicants must be at universities or non-profit non-university research institutions in Germany and must be in permanent or temporary employment for the entire duration of the project.
• Partners: The project must include partners from scientific institutions based in eastern, western, or sub-Saharan Africa.
• Restrictions: Only one application may be submitted per applicant. Applications from African research institutions or German institutions that do not conduct research themselves (e.g., associations) cannot be considered.
• Focus: Funding is provided for a clearly defined joint research project with a central research question.
• Funding Amount: Up to €300,000.
• Duration: The maximum period is three years. Projects with a duration of less than two-and-a-half years are not eligible for funding.
• Funding Allocation: The funding must largely benefit the African partner to at least 60 percent of the total budget applied for. Funding may be requested for personnel and material resources, and travel expenses on location, as well as limited travel expenses for mutual visits.
• Non-eligible Costs: Funding is specifically not provided for clinical studies, the mere establishment of pure research, training, or further education structures, capacity building, visiting programs, or programs that serve solely to promote young researchers. Overhead costs, costs for exemption from teaching duties, or remuneration for the applicant’s own position cannot be covered.
• Application Submission: Applications must be submitted in German or English online in a single PDF file by December 15, 2025.
• Review Period: The review of applications is expected to take three months from the submission deadline.
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