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Funding callLife sciences · Germany

Global Minds in DFG Consortia – second call

Global Minds in DFG Consortia enables German universities hosting funded DFG consortia to recruit researchers who have worked abroad for at least three years, through a professorship module or a Mercator Fellows Global module. This guide covers suitable research areas, eligibility and readiness checks, what reviewers typically value and how universities can frame a strong proposal.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
27 January 2027
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
27 January 2027
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Country
Germany
Scheme type
Programme
Funding
Professorship module up to €3.5 million; Mercator Fellows Global module up to €650,000
Eligibility
German universities hosting a funded Cluster of Excellence, Collaborative Research Centre, Research Training Group or Research Impulse may propose recruiting researchers who have worked abroad for at least three years.
Scope
Life sciences

Topics consistent with the call

  • Life science research strengthening an existing Cluster of Excellence
  • Recruitment of internationally experienced researchers into Collaborative Research Centres
  • Doctoral training enhanced by international expertise in Research Training Groups
  • Emerging interdisciplinary fields linked to a funded Research Impulse
  • Biomedical and molecular research areas with strong international talent pools
  • Research areas where international recruitment fills a strategic gap in a consortium

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. Confirm that your university hosts an eligible funded Cluster of Excellence, Collaborative Research Centre, Research Training Group or Research Impulse.
  2. Check that the proposed candidate has worked abroad for at least three years.
  3. Choose the appropriate module: professorship (up to €3.5 million) or Mercator Fellows Global (up to €650,000).
  4. Show how the recruitment strengthens the consortium’s scientific programme and the university’s strategy.
  5. Prepare a complete, institutionally approved proposal before the 27 January 2027 deadline.

Why This Funding Call Matters

German research consortia compete internationally for talent, and researchers with substantial experience abroad bring new methods, networks and perspectives. This programme links international recruitment directly to existing DFG-funded structures, so new appointments can contribute immediately to established research agendas. For life science consortia, where collaborative infrastructures and doctoral training are central, attracting experienced researchers from abroad can broaden expertise, improve international visibility and strengthen the long-term sustainability of the consortium’s research.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Molecular and cellular biology
  • Biomedicine
  • Neuroscience
  • Systems and computational biology

Institutions and sectors

  • German universities
  • University medical centres
  • DFG-funded research consortia

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. A clear strategic fit between the recruited researcher and the consortium’s scientific goals.
  2. Evidence of the candidate’s international research experience and standing.
  3. A credible plan for integrating the researcher into teaching, training and collaboration.
  4. Institutional commitment that supports the position beyond the funding period.

Ideas You Could Develop

Professorship in spatial omicsA university hosting a Collaborative Research Centre recruits a researcher from abroad to establish spatial omics expertise that supports several projects.
Mercator Fellow for doctoral trainingA Research Training Group invites an internationally based expert as a Mercator Fellow Global to co-supervise doctoral researchers and lead methods training.
Computational biology for a ClusterA Cluster of Excellence proposes a professorship in computational biology to integrate large-scale data across its research areas.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 27 January 2027. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 2 Dec 2026

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 16 Dec 2026

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 30 Dec 2026

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 13 Jan 2027

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 22 Jan 2027

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 27 Jan 2027

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The DFG is looking for proposals from German universities that use international recruitment to strengthen funded consortia. Strong proposals typically identify a researcher who has worked abroad for at least three years, explain how the appointment or fellowship advances the consortium’s research programme and show clear institutional commitment. Universities should confirm module rules, eligible costs and the submission process in the DFG announcement.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 27 January 2027. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

The call indicates that proposals come from German universities hosting eligible DFG consortia, so individual researchers are likely to be involved as candidates rather than applicants. Researchers interested in the scheme should contact the relevant consortium and check the DFG announcement for details.

German universities hosting a funded Cluster of Excellence, Collaborative Research Centre, Research Training Group or Research Impulse may propose recruiting researchers who have worked abroad for at least three years. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). (2026). Global Minds in DFG Consortia – second call. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://www.dfg.de/en/news/news-topics/announcements-proposals/2026/ifr-26-69

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). Global Minds in DFG Consortia – second call. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/global-minds-in-dfg-consortia-second-call/

  • International recruitment
  • DFG
  • Germany
  • Research consortia
  • Professorship

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Global Minds in DFG Consortia – second callNext deadline 27 January 2027

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