Funding of Research Projects at Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW Research Boost)

The funding measure HAW-ForschungsSchub supports universities of applied sciences (HAW) nationwide in further developing their own research results in a practice-oriented manner and preparing them for innovation. Application-oriented research and development projects from all disciplines with a duration of up to 24 months are funded. Up to €200,000 per project can be applied for as a non-repayable grant. The focus is on the further development of methods, techniques, and procedures as well as the establishment of sustainable network structures to systematically transfer research results into market-ready products or services along maturity models such as TRL or SRL. The measure is specifically aimed at HAW according to § 3 para. 1 of the federal-state agreement "Research at HAW" and places great importance on the involvement of associated partners from industry and research who can support later utilization.

A two-stage procedure is used for awarding: initially, an expression of interest with the required accompanying documents must be submitted by 15.09.2026, 15.03.2027, or 15.09.2027. Up to 60 projects are selected by lottery from the submitted outlines and invited to submit a formal funding application. Eligible expenses include research and development activities, further development of technical processes, as well as accompanying networking and transfer measures. A prerequisite for funding, in addition to own research results, is proof of collaboration with companies or other institutions. This program offers HAW the opportunity to professionally advance their innovation-oriented projects in a targeted manner and sustainably pave the way for practical application.