Funding Program "Leibniz Campus Labs –
Real-world Experiments and Demonstrators"

Eligible applicants are researchers and faculty members at LUH. Students and adjunct instructors are not eligible to apply for this program.

The involvement of students in the development, implementation, and operation of the real-world experiments or demonstrators is required.

Responsibility for the real-world experiments and demonstrators rests with the institutional leadership, even after the project or funding has concluded.

Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary demonstrators and real-world experiments will be given preference. Joint applications involving different disciplines and, where applicable, an international focus are encouraged.

Throughout the entire project duration until the end of 2030, funding is available for 1.5 positions to support early-career researchers (FwN) and a total of €320,000 gross in material resources.

The necessity of using personnel and material funds for the planning, implementation, and long-term use of the real-world experiment/demonstrator must be explained in the application.

Eligible personnel funding:

• Funding to cover up to 50% of positions up to E13 FwN, generally for a maximum of one year of the project duration (LUH 2026 average rate with a 2% annual increase; no permanent staff—unless: temporary increases in hours or temporary replacement staff)
• Student assistants: generally a maximum of one assistant per application, working a maximum of 40 hours per month for a maximum of one year of the project duration

Eligible equipment costs:

Basic equipment is generally not eligible for funding. Equipment costs are typically limited to a minimum of €5,000 and a maximum of €50,000 (gross) per application.

Funding may be requested for the development, construction, commissioning, and presentation of demonstrators, as well as for the conduct of real-world experiments, such as:

• Materials
• Equipment (detailed descriptions required; prices must include all ancillary costs; ongoing costs such as energy consumption, insurance, maintenance, repairs, and spare parts are not eligible)
• Organization of workshops and events
• Travel (project relevance must be demonstrated; no lump-sum applications)
• Contracts for services (in exceptional cases, subject to prior consultation)

A call for proposals is to be published annually throughout the entire duration of the LIFT project. The final call for proposals is scheduled for 2029. The following is planned for the first call for proposals in 2026:

• Application Period: In 2026, applications may be submitted from April through July 15, 2026.
• Funding Period and Start Date: The funding period is generally one year per application and typically begins with the winter semester on October 1, 2026
• Application Submission: Applications must be submitted using the provided documents (application form and spreadsheet) via email to greenoffice@zuv.uni-hannover.de.
• Selection process: In collaboration with the Senate Working Group on Sustainability, the Green Office team reviews the submitted applications, verifies their alignment with the funding program’s objectives, and makes a recommendation to the decision-making body.
• Approval: In September 2026, applicants will be informed of the approval or rejection of their submitted application.
• Funding allocation and disbursement: Funding is scheduled to be allocated at the start of the project. Disbursement will take place in accordance with MWK regulations every two months on the 15th of each even-numbered month.

In justified exceptional cases, a longer project duration of up to a maximum of three years may be granted for projects involving, for example, necessary construction measures. Department 3 is involved in the selection process for projects related to building management. Depending on the nature of the project, additional application documents—such as those pertaining to the construction process—may be requested in consultation with the applicant and Department 3. If a deviation from the standard duration (one year) is sought, a detailed justification must be included with the application.

• A completed demonstrator, including user, maintenance, and operating instructions, and/or a completed real-world experiment, including instructions for conducting the experiment.
• Semi-annually, following the template: a brief technical status report and proof of use
• Four weeks after the end of the project, a written final report must be submitted in accordance with the template, including photo and/or video documentation demonstrating the practical application of the real-world experiment/demonstrator.
• Public relations and science communication activities with support from the Leibniz Science Communication LAB of the Communications and Marketing Department.

The real-world experiments and demonstrators to be implemented are intended to highlight a wide variety of approaches and both technical and non-technical solutions for sustainability and increased resource efficiency across all areas of research, teaching, mobility, building infrastructure, and much more; to make these visible; and to enable hands-on experience, etc.

“Real-world experiments” should be guided by the definition provided by the “Real-World Laboratories of Sustainability” network: “Real-world experiments […] provide a space to jointly develop, test, and explore sustainable living for today and tomorrow. Through their transdisciplinary and participatory approach, real-world experiments—or sustainability experiments—are strongly process-oriented. They are intended to […] identify and address synergies and conflicts between individual and previously independent sustainability solutions. The primary goal is to initiate and support the development of future cultures of sustainability—and, where possible, to live them today.” Source: https://www.reallabor-netzwerk.de/faq.php (external link, Content: German only)

As “demonstrators,” models, devices, experiments, setups, simulation tools, trials, and prototypes are to be developed that physically and/or virtually illustrate, practically apply, test, and make visible new concepts, technologies, ideas, etc., for sustainability measures on campus.

Examples of topics for real-world experiments and demonstrators include:

• Research and development approaches to sustainability, energy efficiency, climate protection, and climate change adaptation as they relate to the campus
• Innovative storage technologies
• Integration of renewable energy and/or greening combined with efficient irrigation systems on roofs and facades
• Use of geothermal energy for building heating and cooling as well as process energy
• Simulation models and tools related to the sustainability transformation on campus
• Sustainable food
• New Work approaches for new forms of collaboration across all areas of LUH while optimizing space utilization on campus
• Communication, collaboration, knowledge transfer, and science communication for the campus’s sustainability transformation

• When using these funds, all relevant LUH circulars must be observed in their current versions: Vademecum (internal link)
   
• With regard to procurement and purchasing guidelines, the following must be observed in particular:
  • 61/2024 “Cost-Effectiveness Analysis” (Circular/Department_5_-_Finance/2024-61.pdf (internal link, Content: German only))
  • 33/2025 “Budgetary Provisions” (Circular/Department_5_-_Finance/2025-33.pdf (internal link, Content: German only)) as well as
  • 39/2025 “Compilation of General Procurement Rules” (Circular/Department_5_-_Finance/2025-39.pdf (internal link. Content: German only))
     
• Travel expenses in accordance with the provisions of the Lower Saxony Travel Expense Regulation (Circular/Department_5_-_Finance/2025-03.pdf (internal link)
   
• For real-world experiments and demonstrators involving construction work, Circular 09/2025 “Structural Changes (internal Link, Content: German only)” must be observed. The Green Office (contact person: Ms. Annette Bähr) is happy to assist applicants in contacting Department 3.
   
• If various funding options (e.g., EU funds, funds from the state, the Hanover region, or LUH) are used to implement larger real-world experiments and demonstrators, it must be specified which sub-measures are to be funded by which program or, if applicable, are already being funded. Double funding is generally excluded.