Application Procedure

You can submit your application anytime to the speaker of the ELAN programme committee, Prof. Dr. André Reis, via the ELAN portal.

To be eligible, an applicant must:

  • be an employee of Universitätsklinikum Erlangen or Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
  • have a doctoral degree
  • until the age of 39 (i.e. before the 39th birthday) at the time of application

Newly appointed (W2)-Professors can submit their application regardless of age.

The requested funding should not exceed 60,000 EUR. Project duration should be limited to 1 year. Check the guidelines (in German) for further details.

ELAN cannot fund

  • follow-up projects of already funded projects
  • projects that have already received initial funding by Marohn-Stiftung

Applications have to be submitted in English. Please use the relevant templates for your application and the letter of endorsement.

Please have in mind that your application should be submitted at least 8 weeks before the next meeting of the ELAN committee. Additional preparation time might be required in case of external evaluations or general holiday time.

Be prepared to answer any questions from the executive office or programme committee within 6 weeks after the committee meeting.

FAQ

In what cases is the proposal evaluated externally?

An external evaluation is required if the requested amount exceeds 20,000 EUR. For projects up to 20,000 EUR, the internal rapporteur decides whether an external evaluation is needed.

Do I always need to name 4 external evaluators?

Yes, you need to name 4 external evaluators with a “habilitation” from the German-speaking area, 2 of whom need to be affiliated at a university. This is independent from the requested funding amount. External evaluators cannot be members of FAU.

Do I have to contact the external evaluators?

No, the programme office will do that.

Can I submit two proposals at once?

No. The resources are limited. Not all applications can be approved. Therefore, accumulations of funds at individual groups should be avoided in order to be able to fund as many different groups as possible.

Are there submission deadlines?

No. Applications can be submitted anytime. However, you should submit your proposal at least 8 weeks before the next ELAN programme committee meetings in order to allow evaluation. Additional time might be required in case of external evaluation or during general holiday time.

When will I be informed about approval/rejection?

After the ELAN committee meeting, you will receive a brief notice about the decision. One to two weeks after that, you will receive additional details.

My project was approved. What happens next?

After the ELAN committee meeting, Fachabteilung Forschungsfinanzierung (Fe) generates a cost center for your project which is stated in your letter of approval. From that moment, you can use the funds. Your contact person at Fe will support you with financial management.