Research Funding by Target Regions

Strategic target regions in research

Technische Universität Braunschweig currently maintains four strategic university partnerships at institutional level. These are located in the US, Mexico, the UK and Finland. Additional binational research projects are being initiated through bilateral relationships with India (IIT Bombay), Taiwan (NTUST) and Austria (TU Wien).

In addition, the TU Braunschweig runs a liaison office in Singapore and is an associate supporter of the German Houses of Research and Innovation (DWIH) in India (New Delhi) and Japan (Tokyo).

On this page, you will find an initial overview of funding bodies that can support international cooperation between Germany and the partner countries mentioned.

The International Bureau by BMFTR & DLR

The Federal Ministry of Research, Transfer and Space (BMFTR) has commissioned the Project Management Agency of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to set up an International Bureau.

This platform provides an overview of country profiles, with a focus on national and international funding schemes. Funding schemes with varying themes are regularly announced here, and existing international funding programmes are promoted.

Research funding by target and partner countries

In principle, all of the European Commission’s funding schemes for Austrian-German research cooperation are available.
The DFG and its partner organisations, the FWF (Austrian Science Fund) and the SNF (Swiss National Science Foundation), have entered into agreements on the mutual opening of their respective funding schemes (lead agency procedure) in order to facilitate the implementation of cross-border research projects.
The DFG and further research funding organisations in Europe have agreed to cooperate in reviewing and funding bilateral and trilateral cross-border research projects (Weave Lead Agency Procedure).
There is also an agreement with the FWF which allows applications for research projects within the DFG’s coordinated programmes (FOR/SPP) to be submitted at any time by researchers based at institutions in the respective country.

The Research Council of Finland (AKA) and the German Research Association (DFG) have signed an agreement on participation in the Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP) multilateral network. Through T-AP, applications for multilateral research projects in the humanities and social sciences can be submitted in response to occasional calls for proposals.
In principle, all of the European Commission’s funding schemes are available for Finnish-German research cooperation.
From time to time, the Technical University of Braunschweig and Tampere University announce joint matching funds to support the launch of joint research projects.

There is an agreement between the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Department of Science & Technology (DST) that enables applications for research projects between researchers based in the respective countries to be submitted under joint calls for proposals. Furthermore, there is an agreement with the DST on the joint funding of International Research Training Groups.
The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) are continuing their joint collaboration for proposals for outstanding joint research projects in the field of social science research. This is a standing open procedure and proposals can be handed in at any time. German and Indian proposals need to be submitted in parallel.
The DFG’s Fact-Finding Missions programme can be used, amongst other things, for initial networking initiatives at and with Indian research institutions, and provides seed funding for binational projects.
Since April 2025, the TU Braunschweig has been an associate supporter of the German Center of Research and Innovation (DWIH) in New Delhi. Applications for travel expenses to actively participate in events may be submitted on an ad hoc basis.

In December 2025, the association negotiations with Japan were concluded. The association applies to Pillar II of Horizon Europe. Under the 2026/2027 work programme, Japanese organisations may be included in the application process as eligible beneficiaries. A transitional agreement will apply until the final signing of the Association Agreement, which is scheduled for 2026.
The German Research Association (DFG) has agreements in place with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), which enable applications for research projects between researchers based in the respective countries under joint calls for proposals. Current calls for proposals are published on an ongoing basis.
Since February 2026, TU Braunschweig has been an associate supporter of the German Centre of Research and Innovation (DWIH) in Tokyo. Applications for travel expenses to actively participate in events may be submitted from time to time.

The German Research Association (DFG) and the National University of Mexico (UNAM) are jointly launching the UNAM-DFG: Mexican-German Joint Call for Proposals, under which binational proposals on any topic are eligible for funding.
From time to time, the TU Braunschweig and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) issue joint matching funds calls. Within this framework, seed funding is provided for collaborative projects.

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR) and the German Research Association (DFG) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on research cooperation. To promote collaboration between Singaporean and German researchers under this MoU, projects in the field of sustainable chemistry were funded for the first time in 2025.

The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh launch the Lower Saxony – Scotland Research and Innovation Scheme annually. The initiative supports both the development of new research projects and the targeted enhancement of existing collaborations with a view to securing competitive third-party funding, particularly within the European framework of Horizon Europe.
The German Research Association (DFG) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have an agreement in place that enables researchers based in their respective countries to submit proposals for research projects under joint calls for proposals.
The German Research Association (DFG) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have entered into an agreement establishing a joint lead-agency procedure. This offers funding opportunities for German-British basic research projects in the engineering and natural sciences (UKRI-EPSRC – DFG).
From time to time, the TU Braunschweig and the University of Strathclyde announce joint matching funds to support the launch of joint research projects.

The German Research Association (DFG) has agreements in place with the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). The agreement with the NSF enables applications for research projects between researchers based in the respective countries to be submitted under joint calls for proposals. Joint funding themes include, among others, Advanced Manufacturing, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Mathematics.
"Transatlantic Bridge Professorships" by VolkswagenStiftung: Internationally renowned professors in the humanities and social sciences who are currently working in the USA and conducting research on the future of democracy, fundamental rights and academic freedom, or the future of transatlantic relations get the opportunity to work at an academic institution in Germany whilst maintaining ties with their home institution.
From time to time, TU Braunschweig and the University of Rhode Island announce joint matching funds to help launch joint research projects.

Research Funding by Target Regions

Strategic target regions in research

The International Bureau by BMFTR & DLR

Research funding by target and partner countries

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