Stand as a candidate now for the DFG Scientific Council elections

10/13/2026

In autumn 2027, new members will be elected to the DFG’s scientific advisory boards. The search for candidates is already underway. Researchers at JMU have until the end of October to stand for election.

The JMU main building on Sanderring. (Image: Robert Emmerich / Universität Würzburg)

Academic self-governance thrives on the commitment of its members. This is particularly evident in the DFG’s scientific councils: around 630 elected academics represent the various disciplines there, evaluate funding applications and contribute their expertise to the further development of research funding. New members of the Scientific Councils will be elected in autumn 2027. Researchers at the University of Würzburg have until the end of October this year to stand as candidates for the DFG Scientific Council elections.

“Anyone who serves on a scientific council takes on responsibility that extends far beyond their own research and can help shape important developments in science and research funding,” says JMU President Paul Pauli. “This commitment is just as valuable for one’s own academic community as it is for science as a whole. I would therefore be delighted if many researchers from our university decided to stand as candidates.”

How does one become a candidate?

Anyone wishing to stand as a candidate for a disciplinary panel cannot put themselves forward directly to the DFG. Nominations may be made by the DFG’s member institutions, the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, as well as selected professional associations and faculty councils. The nomination process at JMU is therefore co-ordinated centrally by the JMU Election Office. Following consultation with the Offices of the Deans and the university management, all nominations are submitted as a single batch.

Researchers at the University of Würzburg who would like to stand as candidates for a disciplinary panel may express their interest in doing so until the end of October by contacting the Office of the Dean of their faculty or by emailing dfgwahl2027@uni-wuerzburg.de. The following information is required for a successful nomination: name, title, department/faculty, work email address and the DFG subject classification; e.g. ‘1.12-01 Medieval History’ (an overview of the subject panels’ classification system is available here).

On the basis of the proposals received, the DFG Senate adopts the final list of candidates. In doing so, it checks the subject classification and may add further individuals to the proposals. Candidates nominated by several DFG member institutions or by professional associations and faculty councils authorised to make nominations improve their chances of being included on the final list of candidates. It is therefore worthwhile to engage in dialogue with colleagues and the relevant professional societies at an early stage and to seek support for one’s own candidacy.

An extra effort that pays off

Members are elected for a term of approximately four years (2028 to 2032) and, during this time, play an active role in shaping research funding and academic self-governance. On average, the expert panels meet for four one-day sessions per year. In addition, there are written evaluation procedures, involvement in peer reviews and participation in the DFG’s strategic and funding policy discussions.

“I set aside about two days to prepare for each meeting: I read the applications, examine the expert reports in detail and draft statements. On top of that comes the meeting itself and working through the so-called ‘weekly lists’, the scope of which varies. Furthermore, I regularly serve on peer review committees, for example in the DFG’s Coordinated Procedures,” says Professor Kristina Lorenz, a member of the ‘Medicine’ Expert Panel.

Despite this extra workload, she would like to encourage her colleagues at the University of Würzburg to stand as candidates: “For me, serving on the Expert Panel is valuable in several respects: I gain insights into the diversity of current research and can follow developments in my field from a broader perspective. At the same time, I can contribute to the DFG’s strategic discussions and thus help shape the future of research funding. And last but not least, the long-term, trusting collaboration fosters personal connections with colleagues from other areas of the discipline, which I find immensely enriching.”

Further information on the 2027 DFG Scientific Council election: