FAQ Research in Groups

We are not in a position to identify collaborateurs and set up groups.

Applications have to be submitted by a team of (up to four) applicants; this team has to have an idea of additional researchers they want to include in their project.

There is no recommended or required group size other than that the application has to be submitted by at least a pair of applicants.

It is up to the convenors of a group to decide what kind of expertise is necessary to conduct the proposed project and whom they need to include to cover all needs. For resident groups, a decisive factor may also be the financial maximum, as this format allows to include personnel expenses (e.g. to cover for a substitute at the home institution of a participant).

It is an essential part of our funding formats that these enable research visits to ZiF.

Both visiting and resident groups essentially plan one visit to ZiF, which can last between one to three months (for visiting groups) or four to six months (for resident groups). There may be participants of a group who only attend parts of the total duration of a group or who join for shorter visits for specific thematic purposes. There may also be “remote” participants who are included virtually – however, the majority of a group should be on-site at ZiF.

Long-Term Groups can plan several recurring visits to ZiF; i.e. “coming and going” is engrained into this format. We expect a core group to stay the same, while other participants may vary from one visit to the next, depending on the thematic focus.

There is no mandatory requirement for any group to include a participant from Bielefeld University.

If you find suitable candidates at Bielefeld University who can contribute to your project, we encourage establishing connections.

To really reflect the interdisciplinary character of a group, ZiF expects a team of applicants to represent different scientific disciplines, not different streams within one discipline.

ZiF is a place where researchers come together on-site and think about problems, interpret data, test theoretical ideas, etc.—very much in the sense of basic research. A central feature, especially for the Visiting and Resident Groups, is the time in residence; not being at ZiF, but being away for fieldwork does not align itself with the general idea behind our group formats, i.e. enabling joint time at the Center. So, fieldwork cannot be conducted during a group's stay and has to be realized beforehand, if necessary.

ZiF does not fund projects that are conducted in other places. Accordingly, the budget cannot be used for field research (see above).

The budget required with the application is meant to give a rough overview of the planned expenses—for both, the applicants as well as ZiF. The budget should be estimated according to the standards of the State Travel Expenses Act. The calculation should include:

• Accommodation costs (you can calculate an average of 750,- € per month for renting an apartment at ZiF. If you plan shorter stays, you can budget for accommodation costs of 80,- € per day.)
• Travel costs (Economy and 2nd class)
• Costs for events (e.g. workshops)
• Please note: ZiF cannot reimburse accommodation and travel costs for anyone employed by Bielefeld University.

Meeting the criteria for a Visiting Group requires a stay of at least one month. During this time, workshops of shorter duration can be organised by the group. To apply for a short-term workshop (of e.g. a few days) independent of any group format, please see our funding format for Workshops.

It depends on the format you wish to apply for. Visiting Groups, which involve a one- to three-month stay at ZiF, allow for such projects. Please note, however, that the results of a group must be of scientific nature. In other words, the output should lead to a substantial increase in knowledge; i.e. writing a proposal for third-party funding is not eligible for funding as part of a Visiting Group. Applying for a Resident or Long-Term Group is different. It means, first and foremost, being guided by an open research question and outcome, not by the results of a pre-exisiting project. Of course, it is possible to publish research findings gained by a Resident or Long-Term Group e.g. in the form a book. However, it is not possible to finish a previous book project within the framework of a Resident or Long-Term Group.

First of all, a Long-Term Group must not consist of a series of individual events. Instead, it is meant to address questions or topics in a series of coherent, interrelated meetings. A substantial proportion of the members of a Long-Term Group should participate in all events; different experts may be invited to contribute to the discussion as necessary.

Visiting Groups:

• For the fall deadlines: Projects can commence in the fall of the next year
• For the spring deadlines: Projects can commence in the spring of the next year

Resident and Long-Term Groups:

• For the fall deadlines: Projects can commence in the spring of the year after the next (e.g.: proposed groups within the fall 2024 deadline could commence in the spring of 2026)
• For the spring deadlines: Projects can commence in the fall of the next year (e.g. proposed groups within the expected spring 2025 deadline could commence in the fall of 2026)