2026-10-27 –, Naturalis 02
We introduce new developments in documenting the historical funding activities of the German Research Foundation (DFG). The starting point is GEPRIS Historisch, a database released in 2020 for the DFG’s centenary that provides access to more than 50,000 research projects from around 13,000 scientists between 1920 and 1945. We discuss how this material can be enriched by linking it with external data sources, focusing on the use of PIDs. The dataset was published in 2025 on Zenodo as a scientific analysis dataset, enabling new forms of historical research.
We outline plans to extend the documentation of DFG funding history by closing the gap between 1945 and the start of the project database GEPRIS in 1999. We also present methodological approaches for large-scale PID assignment that enable the systematic linking of researchers.
At PIDFest 2024 in Prague, we introduced the project “GEPRIS Historisch.” The database was released in 2020 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the German Research Foundation (DFG). It allows users to research more than 50,000 research projects submitted by around 13,000 scientists (and a small number of women scientists) who applied for DFG funding between 1920 and 1945.
The focus of our presentation in Prague was the question of which steps are required to enrich this historical material with data from other sources. Naturally, particular attention was given to the use of Persistent Identifiers (PIDs). At the end of 2025, the extensive data from GEPRIS Historisch were published on Zenodo as a scientific analysis dataset. At the beginning of the presentation, we will show a few example analyses that may inspire you to explore the data yourself and conduct your own investigations.
In the main part of the presentation, we will outline the current plans for further expanding the documentation of the DFG’s funding history. Two key points are central here. GEPRIS Historisch covers the period up to 1945, while the database “GEPRIS” documents DFG-funded projects since 1999 (around 150,000 cases). Between these two periods there is a gap, which we aim to close step by step.
As a first step, planned for completion in 2026, we will make project records from 1949 (the year the DFG was re-established) to 1968 accessible. Initially, we will focus on researchers who were already active in the DFG system before 1945. From the perspective of the history of science, these individuals are of particular interest, as this allows us to trace on an individual level whether and how both those persecuted by the Nazi regime and those who actively participated in it found their way back into (DFG-funded) research after the Second World War.
To ultimately bridge the gap to the present day, we are currently preparing a wide range of additional sources, including around 250,000 funding files from the 1970s to the 1990s, which are currently being digitized. Two challenges are particularly important here:
a) identifying sources that yield the richest possible information
b) developing efficient methods for reliably assigning persistent identifiers (PIDs)
Since the work on GEPRIS Historisch, we have developed new methods for PID assignment, which we would like to present. So if you are wondering how it is possible to manage a reasonably robust system for assigning appropriate PIDs to tens of thousands of researchers, and thereby create a key that unlocks access to dozens, if not hundreds, of additional sources, this presentation will be exactly what you are looking for.
Richard Heidler is Director for Programme Evaluation at the German Research Foundation, where he leads analytical work on research funding, programmes, and careers. Trained in sociology and public administration, his work combines empirical and data-driven approaches to policy and evaluation, linking funding data to researchers, organisations, and outputs.
GEPRIS Historisch is more than a side project: working with historical funding data generates insights that inform and enrich the analysis of contemporary research systems.
His current work focuses on integrating heterogeneous data sources using PID to improve transparency and interoperability. As a long-time Wikipedia, Wikidata, and PID enthusiast he maintains identifiers across multiple systems, including ORCID, Wikidata, GND, and OpenAlex, and is always happy to acquire another one.
Head of Group Information Management at German Research Foundation (DFG)