Funding and support for lecturers and students
Information: Project funding "research-based learning"
Funding and support for lecturers and students
The University of Oldenburg and forschen@studium offer both students and lecturers funding opportunities related to research-based learning. These are consolidated in the funding programme Forschendes Lernen (Research-Based Learning), which offers grants for teaching and student research projects as well as a qualification programme.
Research-based learning refers to the following approach: Students design, perform and reflect on the research process and its fundamental phases (e.g., finding a research question, collecting and analysing data, presenting results) and do so apart from their final theses. For more information this approach, please refer to University guidelines on research-based learning (currently available only in German).
This initiative is the continuation of the FLiF project (‘Research-Based Learning in Focus’), which ran from 2011 to 2021 and was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the Quality Pact for Teaching (Qualitätspakt Lehre).
Under the stewardship of the Vice President for Studying and Teaching, a committee consisting of one member from each school and two student members selects projects from the following categories for funding: teaching projects with a focus on research-based learning, student research projects, and ideas around research-based learning.
For subject-specific questions regarding research-based learning, please contact the members of the committee:
For lecturers and staff
Grants for teaching projects with a focus on research-based learning
Each semester, teaching staff can apply for funding for their courses (for instance, hiring student assistants, material costs or other associated costs).
The submission deadline for funding in the summer semester is 10 January.
The submission deadline for funding in the winter semester is 10 June.
Maximum funding per project: €3,000.
Funding announcement: teaching projects with a focus on research-based learning (PDF)
Application form: teaching projects with a focus on research-based learning (DOCX)
Grants for ideas around research-based learning
Each semester, lecturers and staff who wish to implement ideas around research-based learning can apply for funding (for instance, hiring student assistants, material costs or other associated costs).
The submission deadline for funding in the summer semester is 10 January.
The submission deadline for funding in the winter semester is 10 June.
Maximum funding per project: €3,000.
Funding announcement: ideas around research-based learning (PDF)
Application form: ideas around research-based learning (DOCX)
For students
1. Funding for material and other costs in student research projects
Groups of students can apply for grants to fund costs for material or other resources for research projects, which can be part of either regular or extra-curricular courses (excluding final theses). This may include costs for:
- consumables, for example for setting up experiments or presenting project results
- travelling to archives or to conduct interviews
- printed materials
- technical equipment.
Application period: ongoing. Please allow four weeks for your application to be processed.
Maximum funding per project: €500.
Funding announcement: material and other costs (PDF)
Application form: material and other costs (DOCX)
2. Grants for presenting research at conferences
Students invited to present their research findings at conferences and congresses outside Europe can apply for partial financial support.
Application period: ongoing. Please allow at least three weeks for your application to be processed.
Maximum funding: €1,200.
Funding announcement: presenting student research at conferences outside Europe
Application form: presenting student research at conferences outside Europe Checklist Information sheet
3. Grants for student research projects
Each year, a topic is selected and students (small groups) can apply with a research proposal for a project to be carried out as an extracurricular research project. If approved, such projects will be funded by hiring the students as assistants and/or through the reimbursement of material or other associated costs. For projects starting in the summer semester, a topic is selected, such as 'New Beginnings' or 'Crisis-proof?!' There is no topic for projects starting in winter semester.
- The submission deadline for funding in the summer semester is 10 January.
- The submission deadline for funding in the winter semester is 10 June.
Maximum funding per project: €5,000.
Funding announcement: grants for student research projects
Application form: grants for student research projects
Checklist Supervision confirmation