Tasks of universities of applied sciences (UAS) in Germany

Universities of applied sciences (UAS) are characterised by a practical education that is geared towards the needs of the business world, as well as application- and implementation-oriented research. They are also valuable partners for the economy, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. By conducting research together with companies or other partners such as associations, local authorities or charitable institutions, universities of applied sciences develop targeted solutions for concrete social and economic problems. UAS thus drive new developments and transform good ideas into innovative products and services. This is crucial for the competitiveness of companies – and thus also for the success of Germany as a hub of business and innovation.

For many professors at universities of applied sciences, research has long since become part of their professional self-image. Through research, they maintain contact with the worlds of industry and business to ensure that the education offered remains practical and of high quality. In addition, UAS professors also collaborate closely with universities and non-university partners when conducting research.

For the universities of applied sciences, the most important outcome of research is the translation of results into innovative products and services. Research results are presented at specialist conferences and published in technical journals. Students are involved in research at all universities of applied sciences. For instance, in a survey of the empirical programme monitoring for the Research at Universities of Applied Sciences programme1, 93 per cent of the projects leaders funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) stated that students had completed final theses within the framework of the research projects. These are bachelor’s and master’s theses as well as cooperative doctorates. The research results should directly serve to update and assure the quality of studies and teaching in order to keep the education attractive for students and to improve the employment opportunities of graduates. A total of 90 per cent of the heads of BMBF-funded projects see such benefits as a result of the projects.

How does the BMBF fund applied research at UAS?

With the Research at Universities of Applied Sciences programme, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is pursuing the goal of better tapping the potential of UAS and making this potential available for Germany as a hub of business and innovation. The programme focuses on application-oriented research and the practice-oriented qualification of young skilled workers. It is the only research programme at the federal level that is aimed exclusively at universities of applied sciences. Several funding lines address the different substantive and structural research challenges of the individual UAS. The budget for this programme has increased around sixfold since 2005: from 10.5 million euros to 60 million euros in 2024. Based on the new Bund-Länder agreement from 23 November 2023, the programme budget – which is to be provided proportionately by the federal and state governments from 2025 onwards – will continue to increase in subsequent years.

Why does the BMBF support research at German universities of applied sciences?

The BMBF has been funding application-oriented research at UAS together with partners from the industrial and professional sectors for more than 20 years. With their current agreement, the federal and state governments pursue the following aims:

• to strengthen the research capabilities and research achievements of UAS,
• to promote open-topic research but also, to offer UAS the opportunity to set thematic priorities at short notice if current developments make this necessary,
• to further develop the research strategies and profiles of UAS,
• to enable UAS – taking into account the heterogeneity and wide range of the HAW landscape – to participate in other public and private funding programmes and thus to generate significantly more research and third-party funding in competition in the future,
• to contribute to establishing and expanding collaboration between UAS and science, industry, and society as well as to ensure transfer.

Application-oriented research funded through the Research at Universities of Applied Sciences programme is a win-win situation for UAS, regions and companies. The transfer of knowledge works in both directions in this context. Companies provide the UAS with impetus for current research topics, and the companies and regions benefit from tailor-made results and from the availability of qualified personnel on the labour market.

¹ Final report on the empirical monitoring of the Research at Universities of Applied Sciences programme, Technopolis Group, 13 May 2016.