Funding for fundamental research

With a new programme launched in 2022, the Fritz and Trude Fortmann Foundation is supporting basic research projects on building culture and materials. Eligible for funding are projects that contribute to minimising CO2 in the construction process - from planning, construction and operation to disposal and reuse - and thus to achieving climate neutrality.

The programme is primarily aimed at scientists who respond to these challenges with innovative questions and who work at universities or publicly funded research institutions. There are no fundamental disciplinary restrictions. A project duration of up to three years is possible with up to EUR 100,000 per year.

To make initial contact with the Fortmann-Stiftung, interested researchers are asked to contact the office  with a brief description of their field of work and the area of research they would like to propose for project funding.

Calls for proposals

The Foundation regularly organises calls for proposals on changing key topics. With these calls, the Foundation is looking for innovative ideas and projects from research, and research-based practice that are dedicated to the development, improvement or innovative use of materials and construction methods. The aim is to identify forward-looking topics and issues and promote them with funding from the foundation.

Every two years, the foundation invites submissions of ideas for projects or research projects on a current overarching topic. The call for proposals is open to architectural, artistic-experimental or material-investigative projects as well as cultural-scientific-theoretical or media work.

The projects to be funded are selected in two stages. Firstly, the outlines of ideas that are in principle worthy of funding are selected (initial selection). The foundation then requests more detailed project descriptions for these outlines. In the subsequent final selection, up to three projects are selected for funding by the foundation.

Grants

The non-profit Fritz und Trude Fortmann Foundation for Building Culture and Materials awards annual grants to support concepts, research and designs and the development of sustainable building materials and construction methods as well as research into the ecological, functional and atmospheric properties of materials. The calls for applications are aimed at students, doctoral candidates and scientists who are working on topics and areas whose research corresponds to the aims of the foundation.

The grants serve to enable research projects that could not be realised without this financial support. They are awarded on the condition that the researchers concentrate on the projects outlined in their application for the period in which they receive the scholarship. The scholarships are awarded as a lump-sum, monthly financial contribution to cover living expenses. Material resources can also be the subject of funding. Support for stays abroad and internships is also possible, provided they serve the purpose of the research described in the application.

Grants are awarded for final degree scholarships (duration: up to 12 months) and doctoral scholarships (duration: up to three years). In individual cases, grants may be awarded to suitably qualified individuals who wish to take time out from their regular professional life to pursue an area of research that is eligible for funding within the framework of the foundation's objectives.

Funding for publications

The Fritz and Trude Fortmann Foundation would like to support the publication of scientific works that deal with traditional, new or pioneering materials in architecture.

This funding line is aimed at researchers from all disciplines who contribute new findings to these areas: natural sciences and humanities, design and technical fields.

The Foundation kindly asks those interested to contact our office directly.