Major research instrumentation (Art. 91b para. 1 Basic Law)
Major research instrumentation (Art. 91b para. 1 Basic Law)
What is a major instrumentation?
"Major instrumentation is the sum of the components, including accessories, that form a functional state for the intented operational application. An appropriate relationship should exist between the base unit (including software) and its accessories, which can include methodological and measurement-related expansions or supplements that are not directly required for operation." (Source DFG)
Further information can be found on the DFG website.
UOL forms for applying for major research instrumentation
In the administration portal of the University of Oldenburg you will find the budget registration for major research instrumentation, which you can use to register the equipment with us.
With this registration, the equipment is added to the major research instrumentation list, which in turn requires approval by the Presidential Board.
The Dean's Office approves the submission to the Presidential Board using the major research instrumentation approval template.
The cover page for the application must be approved and signed by the Presidential Board in order for it to be uploaded to the DFG.
All of the above forms can be accessed via the administration portal.
What requirements must my application meet?
The gross investment sum for major research instrumentation must be at least EUR 200,000 including VAT. The upper investment limit is EUR 7,500,000 (as adjusted by the DFG on 19 December 2018).
"Major instrumentation proposals can be submitted at any time. They are submitted to the DFG in accordance with the respective state regulations. The assurance of 50% co-financing by the host state or university is required." (Source DFG)
Note: According to the DFG's guidelines for the use of funds, costs for maintenance contracts or warranty services that go beyond legal requirements, for example, are not eligible for funding.
How does the application process work?
We will assist you with the application process. Please send us your application by email to bi@uol.de so we can conduct a formal review and check completeness.
We will review your application and contact you again to discuss the next steps.
The application is also reviewed by the relevant Dean's Office and approved using a form (template for the approval of major research instrumentation in accordance with Art. 91b(1) by the Dean's Office).
We will then submit the final proposal to the Presidential Board, which will confirm submission to the German Research Foundation (DFG) on the corresponding form (cover page).
You then submit the proposal to the DFG electronically by uploading it via the DFG's elan portal. When uploading to the elan portal, a receipt form is generated. Please sign and submit this form to us in the original. You can find a sample DFG receipt form here.
We will forward the receipt form to the Presidential Board so they can sign it. Finally, we submit the documents to the DFG by post on your behalf.
The DFG will initiate the review and inform the Presidential Board of its decision.
Please note that if the investment amount exceeds EUR 1 million, a hard copy version of the entire application must also be sent to the MWK and the Landesrechnungshof (State Court of Auditors). In addition, the Committee for Budget and Finance (AfHuF) must approve the procurement of the equipment.
The procurement of major research instrumentation is ultimately carried out by Department 2 (Purchasing), which you should contact as soon as possible after approval.