Submission Modalities

• Target group of the funding program

  The funding program is open for all researchers of the university focusing on the main research areas of the LIGHT profile, but in particular professors and junior research group leaders as well as postdocs and doctoral students for some programs. Please refer to the subpages of the respective funding line for detailed information on the target group addressed.

  In particular, activities focusing on LIGHT’s main research areas are supported:

  - Optics and Photonics
  - Materials and Nanotechnologies
  - Energy Storage/Conversion and Environmental Technologies
  - Data and Information

• Submission of proposals

  Proposals can be submitted by researchers of the university via e-mail to the coordination team (light-life-liberty@uni-jena.de).

  Proposal format:
  - informal, 1-2 pages, language: English
  - description of the project and the requested funds
  - clear explanation of the added value for the LIGHT profile

• Submission deadlines

  Proposals for the funding program can be submitted at any time, there are no formal deadlines.

  Decisions on the funding of incoming proposals are usually made at the meetings of the coordination team of the LIGHT profile, which take place four times a year.

  All proposals received up to two weeks before the meeting date are discussed at the respective meeting.

  The following dates are planned:

  07.05.2026

  In justified exceptions, decisions by the coordination team can also be decide at short notice by circular procedure.

• Amount and period of the funding

  Submitted projects can only be funded within the respective year since LIGHT receives funding budget at the beginning of each calendar year for the period of the current year.

  Applicants therefore undertake to guarantee the requested fund flows in the respective application year or to inform the coordination team in case the projects could not be finished on time.

  Please refer to the subpages of the respective funding line for detailed information concerning the maximum amount of funding for each funding line. In exceptional cases, funding in excess of this amount may be approved if justified.

• Funding procedure

  Start and funding of the respective project is possible directly after receiving the funding approval. Unless otherwise agreed, the approved funds can only be spent within the year of approval (see “Amount and period of funding”).

  Applicants of the funding program shall ensure complying the project objectives in accordance with the respective work schedule and financing plan.

  For organizational support the coordinator of the LIGHT profile assists dealing with administrative issues (application of funds, contact with the university administration unit).

  By accepting the funding, the responsible researchers undertake to send a short report (in English) summarizing the results of the project and concretizing the added value for the LIGHT profile (including feedback on the further development of the funding program of the LIGHT profile).