Application process

Funding is only available for non-personnel resources (Sachmittel). Funding for student assistant / research assistant positions is not provided.

Yes, but the applications must differ content-wise.

When publications are funded by FOSTER, a review of the intended journal with regard to reliability must be carried out by SLUB (Open Access ). Please inform us about the result of the review.

Please proceed as follows:

• Step: We review the application to see if funding can be provided.
• Step: If this is the case, the applicant must have the journal reviewed by the SLUB. The applicant submits the result to us.
• Step: If the journal is reputable, the funding notification can be sent.

Students in their final semester or who have already completed their studies and are currently in a transitional phase can only apply for the STATA funding line with an approved conference contribution.

Travel abroad

For trips abroad, please refer to the General Administrative Regulation on the Reassessment of Daily Allowances and Overnight Allowances Abroad (ARVVwV) for the maximum reimbursement limit. In addition, travel expenses can only be reimbursed on the basis of receipts.

Vaccinations

Costs for vaccinations can be reimbursed if the vaccinations are necessary for the respective business trips abroad and are not covered by the respective health insurance company. Proof of the necessity of the vaccination must be submitted.

Mobility costs

Travel by train, bus, car or plane must be documented with receipts.

Accommodation

Accommodation costs of short stays for students can be reimbursed on the basis of receipts. The maximum amount is the lump sum regulated in the TU Dresden travel expenses regulations.

Meals for students at conferences

FOSTER only covers the cost of meals for students for short conference stays of up to a maximum of 5 days. Reimbursement is subject to the provision of appropriate receipts. The maximum limit is the amount specified in the TU Dresden's flat-rate meal allowance (daily allowance).
Funds requested by lecturers for meals for their students as part of research-oriented teaching and learning projects such as summer schools or excursions are not covered.

For projects spanning several years, please note that the funding amount for the respective calendar year must be adhered to. It is not possible to carry over unspent funds to the following year.
Please refer to the financial calculation template available to you, in which the planned expenditure of the funding must be indicated on an annual basis.

Furthermore, the funds must be spent  with effect and in a project-related way not later than two months after the end of the funding period.

At the end of the funding period, a final report and final expenditure report must be submitted within eight weeks.
Use the following documents for this purpose: Final Report, FOSTER Accounting.

Note: For the final expenditure report, if you have already used it to apply, you can also use the financial calculation document provided by us.

The following is not funded by FOSTER:

• Basic institutional equipment
• SHK/WHK positions in connection with final theses
• Staff increases of more than 25% (Research Associates)
• Mobile phone contracts abroad
• Printing and correction costs for theses
• Meal allowance for research stays > 10 days
• Rail travel that is included in the student ticket
• Devices such as iPads, computers, etc. that can be used for other purposes afterwards (these can be borrowed over the funding period)
• VISA and SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System)
• Rent for apartments, workspaces, etc.
• Projects that have already been completed

After the submission deadline, the applications will be assessed on the basis of criteria. In particular, the following are assessed

• the technically and didactically coherent concept,

• the expected impact on the promotion of student research at TU Dresden,

• the plausibility of the planned implementation

• the comprehensibility of the financial planning and

• the completeness of the application documents.

If there are a large number of applications of equal quality that fully meet the funding criteria, a lottery procedure is used to select the projects to be funded.

The duration of the application review depends on the quality and completeness of the application and the attached documents and is therefore highly individual. This also influences the date of receipt of the funding decision or the rejection of your application.

On average, eight weeks elapses from the receipt of the application to the eventual receipt of the funding decision (for projects < 5,000 €). According to our experience, the time span depends on how quickly documents and additions requested by us are submitted.

If you apply through the Call for FOSTER, please calculate a processing time of at least three months, as the application review process is more complex. Again, the sooner you submit requested documents and supplements, the sooner you can start your project if it is funded.

Incentives or participant fees can be covered by FOSTER up to a maximum amount of EUR 2,500. We do not accept any bonuses and prizes or a combination of trial money and a prize draw.

If you are planning to use vouchers or incentives in your research project, please coordinate the necessary receipts and proof of voucher reimbursement in advance with the secretariat responsible for you. In addition, please justify the sample size and the amount of funding requested.

Please note the following change:

As part of the current adjustment to the notification regulations, the financial processing of vouchers at TU Dresden has become very difficult. This applies in particular if the vouchers are to be procured directly via the university. The regulation affects both cash expenses and direct invoices (e.g. via Amazon Business).

Should the procurement of vouchers nevertheless be insisted upon, TU Dresden is obliged to record further data of the voucher recipients (e.g. tax identification number) and report it electronically to the responsible tax office. The students funded by FOSTER must therefore ensure that the recipients of the vouchers are informed of this fact in advance and provide the required data upon receipt of the vouchers.