Funding for German universities and research institutes grew 23.0% to €15.5 billion ($20.4 billion) from 1998 to 2010, according to the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft’s (DFG) May Funding Atlas 2012. Government and funding organization support grew 112.0% to €5.3 billion during the period to comprise 26% of total funding. The DFG, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the EU’s Framework Programs and European Research Council were responsible for most of this funding. These bodies funded 60% of grants for German universities and research institutes, with the DFG providing 35% of the grants. DFG grants were given to 433 non-university research institutes. The DFG provided 2008–2010 grants to 186 universities, an increase of 109.0% from the 1991–1995 time period. Competition for funding is on the rise. Two-thirds of professors in Germany applied for 2006–2010 DFG grants, including 90% of professors of biology, chemistry, physics and geosciences. More than 60% of total 2008–2010 DFG funding went to 20 universities. The DFG gave the most funding for the period to Aachen University of Technology, Ludwig Maximilian University and the Free University of Berlin.

Source: DFG