Scotland-Lower Saxony Research and Innovation Scheme 

The RSE and the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany, in partnership with the European Centre for Advanced Studies (ECAS), have developed the Scotland-Lower Saxony Research and Innovation Scheme, which aims to enable international cooperation in research, technology, and innovation and strengthen the bonds between Scotland and Lower Saxony. 

The Scheme has two separate funding streams running concurrently but with differing scope and objectives. All topics are eligible, with projects in the fields of energy (transformation), life sciences, educational sciences, mobility and its transformation, and security policy particularly welcome.

Stream I–Development Track:
Administered by the RSE, with the generous support of the RSE Foundation and the Caledonian Research Fund, Stream I–Development Track awards are available to enable new Scotland-Lower Saxonian research partnerships and lay the groundwork for future projects.  These awards are designed to encourage high-quality research and academic innovation, with a view to make future potential bids to the Stream II–Excellence Track.

Collaborating groups are invited to apply for up to £8,000 seedcorn research funding for projects with a duration of up to twelve months. We recommend that, within this £8,000, applicants will account for funding for themselves and their collaborators to attend RSE-arranged sandpits/workshops.

Stream II–Excellence Track:
The Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation will administer the Stream II–Excellence Track awards to support existing partnerships. The awards will provide substantial funding to further develop projects and prepare them for larger third-party funding applications, particularly under Horizon Europe. 

Stream II will allocate up to €100,000 per project. This Stream is available to researchers associated with Lower Saxonian HEIs and publicly funded research institutions together with Scottish partners. The funding period extends up to two years.

Applicant eligibility

The eligibility criteria below are relevant to the Stream I–Development Track awards. For details on Stream II–Excellence Track awards, please visit: zukunft.niedersachsen.de/en/funding-offers/lower-saxony-scotland-research-and-innovation-scheme-stream-ii-excellence-track/

• The awards are open to applications from Principal Investigators from all academic disciplines and all career stages who are eligible as one of the following:
  •  a full or part-time academic in any academic discipline and are tenured and/or salaried staff of a higher education institution (HEI), further education institute (FEI), research institution (RI) or cultural institution (CI) where the main offices and facilities are located in Scotland. Applicants must be on open-ended, continuing, or fixed-term contracts which extend three months beyond the end date of the envisaged award period. The RSE award cannot be used to extend an applicant’s contract. Applicants must not be a PhD candidate.
  •  a retired academic in any academic field who retains demonstrable links with a Scottish HEI, FEI, RI or CI with a demonstrable commitment to teaching and research within that institution.
  •  a full or part-time practitioner or research-active member of staff in any academic field employed by a Scottish Cultural Institution with a demonstrable commitment to teaching and research within that institution.
•  Applicants on short or fixed-term contracts should ensure their contracts extend for at least three months after the end of the proposed project. Early career researchers on staged contracts to permanent lectureship positions are eligible but must be in contract for the duration of the award.
• The lead applicant must be based in Scotland, with a named Lower-Saxony-based Principal Investigator. The Lower Saxony Principal Investigator should not submit an application to the RSE, but they will be required to submit a statement of support as part of the application. They may be based within Lower-Saxonian HEIs, FEI, RI or CI and/or practitioners, policymakers, research institutions, and cultural institutions.
•  The award payment will remain between the RSE and the institution to which the Scotland-based Principal Investigator belongs. Money cannot be paid to an overseas host Institution or an individual applicant.
• In addition to a Lower-Saxony-based Principal Investigator, applicants may include anyone involved to varying degrees in the proposed project as collaborators. Collaborators are not bound by the same eligibility requirements as the Scotland-based Principal Investigator. They may be listed in the application form. There is no need for collaborators to provide statements of support.
• A new application will not be considered when a report on a previous RSE award is overdue.

Project eligibility 

The eligibility criteria below are relevant to the Stream I–Development Track awards. For details on Stream II–Excellence Track awards, please visit: zukunft.niedersachsen.de/en/funding-offers/lower-saxony-scotland-research-and-innovation-scheme-stream-ii-excellence-track/

• Applicants may submit only one proposal. They must not have submitted or intend to submit an application for an RSE Small Research Grant or an RSE Research Collaboration Grant during the Autumn 2025 round.
• Stream I–Development Track awards can be held in any discipline or subject area, but we especially welcome projects related to energy (transformation), life sciences, educational sciences, mobility and its transformation, and security policy.
• The awards are for projects with a duration of up to 12 months.

Application process

This award is now closed. 

The online application link below will become live when the award is open. Please follow these steps to apply:

1. Create a profile or log-in here.
2. Once into your profile, access and complete the online application – access to the application form is only available if you are logged-in. Google Chrome is the recommended browser.

Resources for applicants

1. Stream I–Development Track terms and conditions
2. RSE Research Awards general terms and conditions
3. What makes a good RSE application?
4. As a facilitator of academic exchange between Lower Saxony and Scotland, ECAS offers support to researchers who are looking for a partner in the corresponding region. During this round, ECAS will host information sessions on the Stream I – Development Track via Zoom. For details and to sign up:
   
    Session 1
   − Date: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
   − Time: 2 pm BST/3 pm CEST
   − Format: Online (Zoom)
   
   Session 2
   − Date: Wednesday, 8 October 2025
   − Time: 10 am BST/11 am CEST
   − Format: Online (Zoom)
   
   Registration
   Please register via research_innovation@ecas-academia.org, mentioning:
   − your full name,
   − your institution,
   − your research interests
   − and the session you wish to attend.
   
   
5. Additionally, ECAS offer the following supports: 

   • A list of HEIs in Lower Saxony: LHK Niedersachsen: Plenum / Mitglieder

   • ECAS Academic Matching Tool: ecas-academia.org/academic-matching/

Contact us

For more information regarding the award, please contact the Research Awards team at Awards@theRSE.org.uk.