University research is predominantly financed by third-party funding from research associations, foundations, federal and state ministries, either directly or through funding organisations such as the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) or the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Union or industry.
In this sense, the acquisition of third-party funding by university professors is often highlighted by universities and colleges as a performance criterion. On average, a professor at a German university has acquired €332,200.
In 2023, the German universities (excluding medical institutions/health sciences) that attracted the most third-party funding were the Technical University of Munich (€450 million), RWTH Aachen University (€396 million) and the Technical University of Dresden (€298 million). The highest third-party funding income per professor was achieved by RWTH Aachen University (€1,127,000), the Technical University of Munich (€863,200) and the University of Stuttgart (€697,400) [1].
In its report, the University of Paderborn reports a total of €66 million in third-party funding for 2023 [2]. Comparable data from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering shows a total of €12.1 million and an average of €756,250 in third-party funding acquired by all professors.
In comparison, the Laboratory for Materials and Joining Technology (LWF) acquired third-party funding of €3 million in 2023, which is well above the average for third-party funding acquired at RWTH Aachen University and the University of Paderborn, or the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
The high level of funding for LWF research is due to the LWF's outstanding research profile in the fields of new and further development of mechanical, adhesive,
Quellen
[1] 2 % mehr Drittmitteleinnahmen je Universitätsprofessur im Jahr 2023
https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2024/09/PD24_350_213.html, Statistisches Bundesamt, abgerufen am 27.10.2025
[2] Universität Paderborn. [online], 2023, URL: https://www.uni-paderborn.de/
Universität Paderborn, abgerufen am 27.10.2025