Promoting cross-disease research

The DZG Innovation Fund (DZGIF) is a joint research funding programme of the German Centers for Health Research (DZG). There is an agreed research topic for each call for proposals. The prerequisite for the funding of a project is the participation of scientists from at least three of the DZG.

The DZG Innovation Fund aims to bring together researchers from different disciplines to gain new insights across disciplinary boundaries.

By founding the DZGIF, the centers are pooling their expertise in order to facilitate and fund promising, cross-disease research ideas. In this way, the German Centers for Health Research aim to advance knowledge on the prevention and treatment of common diseases.

Current Call  | 2027/28

 

Immune Dysregulation and Interorgan Mechanisms in Post-Infectious Conditions: Pathogenesis, Biomarkers, and Non-Pharmacological Interventions 

Scientists from the DZG can apply for the 2027/2028 funding period with joint research projects on the topic of “Immune Dysregulation and Interorgan Mechanisms in Post-Infectious Conditions: Pathogenesis, Biomarkers, and Non-Pharmacological Interventions.”

March 27, 2026
Expression of interest by email to office(at)deutschezentren.de Please use the template provided.

April 27, 2026
Partnering Day – the online event brings together all interested DZG scientists.

Download Call DZGIF 2027/2028
Download Expression of Interest
 

Past calls

A new field of research is coming into focus: inter-organ metabolomics investigates which metabolic products are exchanged between organs, how they influence biological processes, and what role they play in disease mechanisms.

In the 2025/2026 call, two excellent projects were selected for funding. For the years 2025 and 2026, total budgets of up to EUR 766,000 (Project 1) and EUR 796,000 (Project 2) are available to them.

Read the news (28/02/2025)

Project 1:

Metabolite-mediated epigenetic changes in immune cells induce a coordinated response across tissues in cachexia

Involved in the project are:

  • DZD: Maria Rohm (Helmholtz Munich), Stephan Herzig (Helmholtz Munich)
  • DZL: Ali Önder Yildirim (Helmholtz Munich), Soni Pullamsetti (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)
  • DZIF: Karsten Hiller (Technische Universität Braunschweig)
  • DKTK: Maximilian Reichert (TUM Universitätsklinikum)
  • DZHK: Alexander Bartelt (Technische Universität München)

Project 2:

Targeting the metabolic interorgan communication of ‘inflamm-aging’—how somatic mutations drive common age-associated diseases

Involved in the project are:

  • DKTK: Michael Rieger (Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt)
  • DZHK: Stefanie Dimmeler (Goethe-Universität Frankfurt)
  • DZL: Soni Pullamsetti (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)
  • DZD: Triantafyllos Chavakis (Technische Universität Dresden)
  • DZIF: Christoph Spinner (Technische Universität München)

The topic of the microbiome was selected for the 2nd call for proposals. A total of eight applications were submitted, which were assessed by a panel of experts consisting of SAB members of the DZG. Due to the outstanding evaluation, two projects were selected for funding:

Project 1:

Understanding the role of the gut microbiome as a mediator of organ protection by SGLT-2 inhibitors

Involved in the project are:

 

  • DZD: Reiner Jumpertz-von Schwartzenberg (University of Tübingen), Tim Schulz and Francisco Garcia (DIfE Potsdam)
  • DZHK: Dominik Müller and Nicola Wilck (MDC Berlin), Norbert Frey (UK Heidelberg)
  • DZIF: Till Strowig (HZI Braunschweig), Christoph Stein-Thoeringer and Lisa Maier (University of Tübingen)
  • DKTK: Mathias Heikenwälder (DKFZ Heidelberg), Michael Sigal (Charité Berlin)
  • DZL: Katherina Sewald and Valerie Beneke (Fraunhofer ITEM, Hanover)



Project 2:

The gut microbiome as a functional modifier of myelopoiesis and inflammatory vascular endothelial phenotypes in cardiometabolic disease

Involved in the project are:

 

  • DZD: Triantafyllos Chavakis (UK Dresden)
  • DZHK: Christoph Reinhardt, Klytaimistra Kiouptsi, Carsten Deppermann, Wolfram Ruf and Andreas Daiber (University of Mainz), Arash Haghikia (Charité Berlin)
  • DKTK: Daniela Krause (UK Frankfurt)


Download Call 2023/2024 (PDF)

The topic of the first call for proposals was cell and gene therapy. Researchers from five of the six DZGs joined forces and submitted a successful proposal:

Cell type-specific targeting for future in vivo delivery in cell & gene therapy

Involved in the project are:

  • DKTK: Annette Künkele (Charité Berlin), Angela Krackhardt (TU Munich)
  • DZD: Gerhard Przemeck, Heiko Lickert (Helmholtz Centre Munich)
  • DZHK: Alessandra Moretti (TU Munich), Johannes Backs (Heidelberg University), Oliver J. Müller (Kiel University)
  • DZIF: Tobias Feuchtinger (LMU Munich), Boris Fehse (UKE Hamburg)
  • DZL: Nico Lachmann (MHH Hannover), Soni Savai Pullamsetti (JLU Giessen)

press release: Overcoming professional boundaries - DZG fund joint project on gene and cell therapy (20/03/2023)