innovate! fund (Joachim Herz Foundation)
The "innovate! fund" of the Joachim Herz Foundation supports interdisciplinary research teams working on application-oriented solutions for climate protection and resource efficiency in the water sector with up to €1,000,000 per project. Application period 12.01.2026–31.03.2026.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Support for interdisciplinary groups of researchers in developing application-oriented solutions for climate protection and resource efficiency, with a focus on water quality, availability, and accessibility.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel expenses
- Material costs
- Rental of infrastructure
- Travel expenses
Non-eligible expenses
- Pure administrative costs of the project-participating institution (overhead)
Eligible to apply
- Educational Institutions
Funding requirements
- At least three PhD-qualified researchers from different disciplines
- Employment at a university or research institution with public-law or private non-profit sponsorship in Germany
- Interdisciplinary orientation of the project group
- Regional focus on northern federal states (see regions)
- Project in application-oriented development stage, not in basic research
Documents required for application
- Lay summary on the contribution to a fossil-free future
- Abstract of the project
- Description of the scientific project
- Rough schedule with milestones
- Bibliography
- CVs of the involved persons
- Budget plan
- Consent of the institution for project administration
Evaluation criteria
- Innovation potential
- Scientific transfer
- Interdisciplinarity
- Scientific quality
- Qualification of the applicants
- Societal relevance
- Sustainability
Description
The innovate! fund of the Joachim Herz Foundation is aimed at interdisciplinary teams of researchers developing application-oriented solutions for climate protection and resource efficiency in the field of water. Projects focusing on water quality, availability, and accessibility in the northern federal states (Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein) are eligible for funding. Eligible applicants are educational institutions with public-law or non-profit status, employing at least three PhD-qualified researchers from the natural and engineering sciences. The fund supports initiatives that have already moved beyond basic research and demonstrate innovation potential for water-related technologies, models, or infrastructures.
Up to €1,000,000 in funding can be applied for over a maximum duration of 60 months. Eligible costs include personnel expenses, material resources, infrastructure rents, and travel costs; pure overhead costs are not eligible. The jury evaluates applications based on innovation potential, transfer and interdisciplinarity aspects, scientific quality, qualifications of the applicants, as well as societal relevance and sustainability. The application period runs from January 12 to March 31, 2026, and projects can start no earlier than September 1, 2026. Submission must include a lay summary and scientific abstract, as well as a timeline, bibliography, CVs, budget plan, and an institutional consent declaration.
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