PIER Seed Projects Call 2026

The PIER Seed Projects program is an initiative jointly operated by the University of Hamburg (UHH) and DESY, aimed at fostering innovative, high-risk, and potentially transformative research across their strategic Partnership for Innovation, Education and Research (PIER). This funding line encourages collaboration between these institutions across the PIER Research and Competence Fields (i.e. particle and astroparticle physics, nanoscience, photon science, infection and structural biology, theoretical physics, accelerator research, and artefact profiling).

This program primarily targets qualified early-career scientists (doctoral candidates close to finishing their dissertations, postdoctoral researchers and junior research group leaders), supporting them in advancing their careers and developing independent research profiles.

Program Objectives

• Support pioneering and unconventional research ideas with high innovation potential
• Promote early-career researchers' independent research development
• Strengthen cross-institutional collaboration between DESY and UHH (and/or UKE)
• Enable preliminary study, development, and testing of novel hypotheses, concepts, or methods
• Lay the foundation for future larger-scale externally funded projects

Who Can Apply

• Researchers registered as PIER Scientists (including members of the PIER Helmholtz Graduate School who are automatically registered)
• Principal employment must be with DESY, UHH, or UKE for the entire duration of the project.
• Main applicants must involve at least one research partner from the respective other PIER partner institution(s) (e.g. main applicant from DESY, co-applicant(s) from UHH and/or UKE; or: main applicant from UHH or UKE, co-applicant(s) from DESY). 
• Main applicants and their principal research partners must not belong to the same research group.
• Collaborations with researchers from other research institutions at the Bahrenfeld campus, such as MPSD, EMBL, or European XFEL, are encouraged; these researchers may participate as additional co-applicants only.

Funding Details

• Non-repayable grant covering up to 100% of direct project costs, with a maximum of €40,000
• Duration of funding: up to 2 years, aligned with the scope and complexity of the project
• Funds must be used within the funding period.
• Eligible expenses include project-related costs, excluding personnel costs (which are generally not supported).
• The project must be based on a new approach; funding cannot support existing projects, institutional costs, or deficits of third-party funded projects.
• If your project builds on an existing third-party project, please explicitly state this and specify how your seed project differs in ideas, methods, or scope. It should become clear what is innovative about your appraoch or how your project adds new value beyond the current research.

Application Process

• Submission deadline: 30 March 2026
• Send proposals via email to the PIER Office
• The evaluation process involves a formal review followed by a two-stage scientific assessment:
  • Formal compliance check by the PIER Office
  • Scientific review by at least two experts in the relevant field(s)
• Shortlisted applicants will present their projects to the PIER Executive Board on 25 June 2026.
• Final funding decision will be announced in July 2026.
   

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals should explicitly address:

• Scientific quality and originality
• Relevance to PIER research and competence fields
• Researcher’s expertise and qualifications
• Contribution to early-career scientist development
• Foster research collaboration between DESY and UHH/UKE
• Potential as a basis for a larger externally funded follow-up project
• Quality and clarity of the project plan and budget
• Justification of the requested funding amount
   

Reporting and Follow-up

• A brief progress and expenditure report must be submitted within six weeks after project completion.
• If ongoing settlement procedures delay reporting, supplementary documentation will be required subsequently.
   

Additional Information

• PIER is a partnership between UHH and DESY. PIER is not a legal entity. The financial support of funded projects will be handled by one partner of PIER, either UHH or DESY.
• The submission of an application does not establish a legal claim to funding.
• All funded projects must acknowledge PIER and its supporting institutions in any presentations or publications.