The Innovation Fund (Innovationsfonds) of the German Government and Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA – Federal Joint Committee) aims to promote new forms of care and support healthcare research for the improvement of current levels of care in Germany. The programme has now launched calls in the following two funding lines:

The Healthcare Research Funding Line (Versorgungsforschung) is designed to support research projects in the area of healthcare research that are dedicated to the further development of existing healthcare services in the context of Germany’s statutory health insurance system. They should have a high potential for application in healthcare practice and aim for results that may be used in the development of care guidelines or as a basis for the structural improvement of the national framework. For the 2025 call, proposals are invited in particular for the following thematic areas:

• Analysis and development of interventions for the primary prevention of non-communicable diseases in general practice and in paediatric and adolescent medical settings.
• Transplant medical care (identification and reporting of potential post-mortem organ donors in hospitals and derive recommendations for action).
• Health services research for the development and testing of a nationwide Never Event Register as an error reporting and learning system.
• Care of patients with post-viral symptom complexes such as post-/long-COVID, ME/CFS.
• Health care for people in need of care from a regional perspective.
• Health services research to improve the care of people with eye diseases.
• Scientific evaluation of the blank prescription: treatment standards and quality of care in medicinal product provision.

In addition, proposals beyond these research areas will be considered as part of the open topic call.

The Medical Guidelines Programme (MedLL) (Versorgungsforschung – Medizinische Leitlinien) is designed to promote the development and refinement of care-related medical guidelines. The focus is particularly on care areas that have so far not been the topic of medical guidelines due to particularities in care, the dynamics of medical development or the complexity of the topic.

Eligible in all funding lines are institutions of higher education (Hochschulen), non-educational research institutions, health insurance funds, service providers, organisations and commercial companies. In the MedLL programme, at least one AWMF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen medizinischen Fachgesellschaften) member society must be involved in the application.

Funding covers 100% of project-related additional costs. Also covered is a lump-sum allowance for the use of research infrastructure of up to 25% of personnel costs. Healthcare research projects receive funding for a period of 36 to 48 months. MedLL initiatives are funded for 18 to 30 months.

Applications for the MedLL call close on 23 September 2025. 

Proposals for the Healthcare Research Funding Line must be submitted by 21 October 2025.