Call for Funding // TD-Lab Funding Program of the Berlin University Alliance  

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From September 16, 2024 

The TD-Lab – Laboratory for Transdisciplinary Research of the Berlin University Alliance is funding up to fifteen participatory and/or transdisciplinary supplementary work packages with up to €10,000 in material funding for the period from January 15, 2025 to July 15, 2025. 

The call for funding is open from September 16 to October 31, 2024, 23:59 CET.

Please use the application form only. (Download the Application form here)
In case you have questions about the call you may also find our FAQs here (Download the FAQs).

As a society, we are facing challenges that research can help to solve. In order to be able to address these current and future problems and to initiate societal change through research, non-scientific actors and/or affected persons should be involved in the research process, for example to think about potential use cases, to integrate practical knowledge into the knowledge process or to use the jointly produced new knowledge in everyday practice. 

The aim of the TD-Lab Funding Program is to increase the impact of currently ongoing research projects by involving non-scientific actors in research with their practical perspectives and knowledge. Specifically, work packages will be funded that strengthen the exchange of knowledge between science and society. The TD-Lab Funding Program thus offers the framework to apply for work packages in order to either a) incorporate participatory elements into one's own hitherto non-participatory research or b) strengthen one's own participatory research. 

The proposed work packages must target at least one of the three goals of the TD-Lab Funding Program:  

• method-based knowledge exchange: strengthening method-based knowledge exchange and joint learning between science and practice 

• interest in knowledge: generating new impulses for gaining transformation-oriented knowledge to increase the societal benefit of research 

• project development: initiating or deepening networks between science and practice in order to stimulate joint participatory and/or transdisciplinary research projects 

Examples of eligible work packages (selection) 

Measures at the beginning of a research project: 

• joint development of research questions between the scientists involved in the project and non-scientific actors  

• appointing an advisory board from academia and practice 

• establishing a network to support the participatory and/or transdisciplinary research project 

• process and method consulting for the professionalization of cooperation 

• implementing of exchange and learning formats 

Measures in already underway, advanced projects: 

• carrying out a design thinking workshop to develop practice-relevant prototypes based on previous research findings 

• conducting a participatory scenario process to define development corridors 

• implementing a series of workshops to reflect on the results of the project so far with non-scientific actors and to absorb impulses from practice 

Measures at the end of a research project: 

• developing practice-relevant recommendations for action based on scientific results 

• developing tools, apps or websites together with non-scientific actors that are useful for citizens, politicians, companies or civil society organizations 

• conducting joint reflection processes on research design or process design 

• participatory and/or transdisciplinary further development of research ideas – for example, with the aim of follow-up funding

The following status groups of the four partner institutions of the Berlin University Alliance are eligible to apply: professors, academic staff without a qualification position, postdocs and doctoral candidates. 

The call for funding is basically open to topics. Since the Berlin University Alliance's Objective 2 – Fostering Knowledge Exchange has a focus on the exchange of knowledge on the topic of water, at least three of the fifteen projects that conduct research on the topic of water (in the broadest sense) will be funded. Applications with work packages that focus on the topic of water are therefore particularly welcome. 

Information events on the call: 

• Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 3-4 p.m. I Link for the registration 

oder 

• Thursday, October 17, 2024, 1-2 p.m. I Link for the registration

If you have any questions about the call for proposals, please contact:
Nadin Gaasch, Dr. Ina Opitz
Program Managers TD-Lab
Mail: td-lab@berlin-university-alliance.de
Phone: 030 838 522 98

Application form (Download the Application form here)
In case you have questions about the call you may also find our FAQs here (Download the FAQs).