Welcome

Promoting innovation with a clear-cut profile

The Bavarian Research Foundation was founded in 1990 by the Bavarian state government, in order to boost Bavaria as a site for quality high-tech through efficient and flexible promotion of application-based research. The Research Foundation concentrates on forward-looking projects, the realization of which challenges science and commerce conjointly while assuring close and successful collaboration. The Foundation is able to fund 30-40 projects annually.

Fair rules on granting financial support

Two types of projects are funded: cooperation projects and research groups; in addition, scholarships are provided for scientist exchange programs. The duration of the funding is limited, and the projects must be jointly carried out by science and industry. The goal is to create economic value from the research results of main focus areas such as life sciences, information and communication, microsystems engineering, materials science, energy and the environment, mechatronics, nanotechnology, and process and production engineering.

Application procedure - High quality of projects

Independent industrial companies, members of the professions, universities, non-university research institutes and universities of applied sciences, and members and establishments of institutes of higher education who are authorised to carry out research and development programmes are entitled to submit applications. They must have a registered office, plant or branch in Bavaria. Professional advice is given to all applicants. External experts and a scientific advisory board ensure that the Foundation’s committees select only the very best projects. In 90 percent of the projects the results are subsequently utilized by the industry and in more than 50 percent additional unexpected results occur.

Successful support concept

Up to now, about 1059 projects have been funded and about 509 scholarships have been granted. The obligatory co-financing by the business sector has more than doubled the issued foundation funds of approximately 644 million euros. As a result, industry and science have together funded future-directed research topics with a total contribution of approximately 1.41 billion euros towards the advancement of innovation (as of 12/2023).

More information is available from

  • Bayerische Forschungsstiftung
    Prinzregentenstraße 52
    80538 München
    Tel. : +49/89 / 2102 86-3
    Fax.: +49/89 / 2102 86-55
    www.forschungsstiftung.de