BONFOR-Funding Tools
With the establishment of the BONFOR program, the Medical Faculty of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn has created a valuable instrument for targeted intra-faculty research funding. Both clinically applied and practice-oriented research and basic medical research are funded equally. The decisive factor for funding is the scientific quality of the applications within the framework of the BONFOR funding criteria.
The BONFOR program is continuously being developed and currently comprises of 11 funding instruments with different focal points:
Gerok-Scholarship (1A)
The goal of this tool is to strengthen clinical research during or even after specialization.
The Gerok Scholarship is meant for young physicians from clinical institutions.
Start Up Postdoc Fellowship (1B)
This instrument enables young scientists to further develop or newly develop their own research area in order to be able to acquire a junior research group (Instr. 2) and extramural third-party funding after the BONFOR funding period.
NWG - Independent Research project (2A)
The purpose of this instrument is the competitive funding of young scientists with independent research projects. It provides resources to establish a dedicated workgroup and collect date to gain extramural third-party funding eligibility.
NWG - Cooperation Project (2B)
The tool supports the establishment of junior research groups in a collaborative project of two junior scientists from a clinic and an institute. The goal is to strengthen research at clinics and promote interactions within the faculty.
Project Boost for 'Lateral Entrants' (3)
With this instrument, scientists with excellent project proposals who have not had their own funding in the last 5 years are supported in generating preliminary data for DFG applications.
SciMed-Doctoral Scholarship (4)
The SciMed Doctoral Scholarship offers scientifically motivated students of human medicine and dentistry the opportunity to make an early start in biomedical research with an ambitious experimental doctoral thesis.
Data Set Generation in Core Facilities (5)
The goal of this instrument is to generate data sets (such as omics and high-throughput imaging data sets) as part of a project expansion as a basis for soliciting extramural externally funded projects.
Joint projects (6)
This instrument is intended to support the acquisition of extramurally funded joint projects. Collaborative data and joint publications that serve as a promising basis for applying for a new research network can be generated.
Application currently not possible.
Materials Funding for ext. Scholarship Holders (7)
For research projects of external scientists who are scientifically active at institutions of the Faculty of Medicine via an external scholarship, funding can be requested for cost-intensive, above-average projects.
Advanced Clinician Scientist (8)
Funding for young scientists from the field of medicine to consolidate and further develop their field of research.
Application currently not possible.
Technological Development in Core Facilities (9)
The goal of this funding instrument is to enable technology development within the Core Facilities. This is to ensure that the Core Facilities can represent state-of-the-art and innovative, novel methods.
Application possible in 2025.
Bonn Neuroscience Clinician Scientist Program - Neuro-aCSis
The programme is aimed at research-oriented physicians in residency training. The scientific focus is on the connections between diseases of the nervous system and systemic factors.
Promotion of Women
Advancement of women is given special consideration in the case of female scientists who are reintegrating into their careers after parental leave or a family phase.
Application Deadlines
The application deadlines for the coming months can be found here.
Consultation on Funding Opportunities
Consultation is available through the BONFOR Secretariat.
Application & Allocation
BONFOR funding applications are submitted electronically only. Funding commitments are issued by the research commissions.