The DFG frequently receives question from researchers regarding the specific wording and placement of their funding references – an important indicator of the existing need for information that goes beyond the requirements set out in the DFG’s guidelines for the use of funds.

In fact, daily practice also shows that there is still a need for clarification when it comes to correct referencing: A study on the “Publications from DFG-Funded Projects – Practice and Usability of Funding Acknowledgements” conducted by the German Center for Higher Education and Science Research (DZHW) and the Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) on behalf of the DFG shows that although the DFG is correctly mentioned in 90% of publications resulting from DFG projects, in a good 40% of cases the project numbers are missing or incorrect.

Based on these analyses and inquiries, a website on funding acknowledgements was developed that systematically answers what an Funding Acknowledgements (FA) is, why it is necessary, and how it is correctly formulated.