Process - How to Apply

How to Apply for Funding

Where are proposals expected to originate?

Any proposal for a Basic Service must originate from a community process within a NFDI section - and as a result of requirements of the consortia expressed via the sections of the NFDI Association.

Fresh ideas for a service we absolutely need to have? Drum up support in a section and draft a proposal!

Need support for your proposal?

1. For general support, or to discuss any aspect of your proposal, contact our Section Liaison Officers via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2. If you are already writing a proposal, contact our Service Stewards via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Who can submit a proposal?

A proposal has to be submitted by one lead insitution and further participating institutions to an NFDI section. All institutions need to be (or have a route to become) members of a DFG-funded NFDI consortium. The NFDI section speakers submit the proposal to Base4NFDI (to the office email).

The role of NFDI Consortia

1. After the proposal submission, consortia evaluate and vote on all proposals based on their community's needs (see detailed filter criteria per phase here).
2. The Consortia Assembly votes on whether to fund the service. See dates below.

Next Proposal Timelines

	Submit Proposal	Recommendation by TEC	Decision Consortia Assembly	Begin Funding
Round 10	28 January 2026	March 2026	17 April 2026	July 2026
Round 11	22 April 2026	June 2026	3 July 2026	October 2026
Round 12	22 July 2026	September 2026	9 October 2026	February 2027

What you need to know about Letters of Commitment (LoC)

Please do not provide generic consortia support letters. General support including the approval of the NFDI consortia will be requested in a separate process by the Base4NFDI coordination team.

Letters of commitment are requested ...

... in two cases for the Initialisation phase:

from an NFDI consortium if it dedicates consortium funds for specific contributions to the service,
from other persons or institutions that may not actively participate but contribute to the service in any form.

... in three cases for the Integration phase:

from an NFDI consortium that commits to co-develop the service with consortium funds, where a LoC should detail the specific contributions of this consortium to the service,
from an NFDI consortium that commits to use the service, where a LoC should outline the concrete steps to be taken by this consortium towards this goal,
from other persons or institutions - also external to the NFDI - that do not actively participate but contribute to the service in any form.

LoCs can be submitted until two weeks after the application deadline.

Where are proposals expected to originate?

Need support for your proposal?

Who can submit a proposal?

What is funded? Read here about

Writing a proposal?

Next Proposal Timelines