GO Forschung Budget

Call for proposals

GO Forschung Budget: We finance and support your project idea:

GO Forschung is a BMFTR funded projects that aims to promote gender aspects in research. Endowed with up to €5,000, the annual award targets Early Career Researchers (R1-R3) who pay particular attention to gender and diversity aspects in their work and are based at UBT. The duration of the projects to be funded is up to twelve months. Funds can be used for material and auxiliary resources.

Eligibility and Requirements

• Early Career Researchers based at the University of Bayreuth

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• Inter- or transdisciplinary teams of at least two Early Career Researchers (R1-R3)

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• The project proposed must clearly be presented in the application.

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• Development of a project idea for an external grant application (DFG, foundations, etc.), a publication, or creative outreach projects such as podcasts, events or blogs.

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• Maximum budget 5000 euro

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• A publication or an outreach measure with relevant scope and impact are eligible for funding

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• Time schedule and budget plan and be submitted in full via the online form.

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The projects to be funded are selected by a committee supported by the Gender Equality Service Centre, the Research Support Office, and the Women's Representative of the University. The GO Forschung Budget also offers various opportunities for networking and exchange to grantees. If desired, the teams have the opportunity to receive advice on aspects of gender and intersectionality from established researchers (R4) at the University of Bayreuth. Together with the University of Bamberg, projects can be presented in a live podcast and discussed with the audience present. Research findings will be shared with other scholars and can be published on the project website and in the campus magazine UBTaktuell at the end of the project.

Evaluation criteria:

• Convincing presentation of the inclusion of gender aspects and diversity dimensions in the proposed research or outreach project

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• Convincing demonstration of the timely execution of the funded measure (submission to the funding body or publisher or execution of the outreach measure)

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• Convincing presentation of the timely use of funds in the financial year

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• A consultation with the GO Forschung Team is required prior to submission.

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• Interdisciplinary collaboration of applicants in trans- or interdisciplinary teams is expressly encouraged; such applications will be given priority consideration.

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Inspiration, advice and resources:

• Inspiration: Gendered Innovations Project or Yellow Window Gender Toolkit

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• More information on the R1-R4 terminology

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• Consultation and advice from the GO Forschung team, contact person jane.ayeko-kuemmeth@uni-bayreuth.de 

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Proposals can be submitted in English or German.

Deadline: October 30, 2026

Here you can find:

• The call for proposals in English (PDF)
• The call for proposals in German (PDF)
• The online application form for the Go Forschung Budget
• Important concepts and introductory literature (PDF)

Please note that you can only submit your proposal via the online application form. 

Exploring Gender Pay Gap in Science 

Applicants: Dr. Nguyen Bang | Dr. Yasemin Özdemir
Faculty & Department: Law and Economics (Quantitative Economic History | Empirical Macroeconomics and Family Economics)
Award Value: 5.000,00 Euro
Funding Period: Jan-Dec 2025

Abstract
The project investigates the gender pay gap in U.S. science using microdata from the National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel, which covers over 400,000 scientists across eight survey waves between 1954 and 1970. The proportion of female scientists remains stable across the years, ranging between 7 and 9 percent. The study addresses three key questions:

1. Magnitude and Trend: How large was the gender pay gap, and how did it evolve over time?
2. Causes: What factors contributed to the gap? Specifically, what roles did human capital, employment characteristics, and productivity play in explaining the gap?
3. Legislation: How effectively did the Equal Pay Act of 1963 narrow the gap?
Under examination is equally the influence of productivity on gender pay gap.

GOCART – Gender-Oriented Car Acquisition Relationship Testing

Applicants: Martin Hillenbrand | Afsoon Mansouri Aski | Andreas Karasenko
Faculty & Department: Engineering |Law and Economics (Ecological Resource Technology Marketing & Innovation)
Award Value: 4.978,35 Euro
Funding Period: Jan-Dec 2025

Abstract
“The GOCART – Gender-Oriented Car Acquisition Relationship Testing” project investigates common stereotypes and biases related to vehicle ownership and usage based on gender and age. This research provides empirical evidence on gender-based distortions in car buying patterns, contributing to inclusive and equitable mobility policies and supporting gender equality and sustainable transportation goals. Research has shown that social groups, especially those based on gender, influence purchasing behaviour (McShane et al. 2012). The project focuses on real-world vehicle registration data from the German Federal Motor Transport 19 Authority (KBA). These insights are valuable to both academia and the public, encouraging new discussions on gender roles in mobility.

Gender perception of artificial intelligence and possible consequences of this gender-specific perception

Applicants: Doreen Schick| Berit Helmus | Kristina Hall | Dr. Astrid Schomäcker
Faculty: Law and Economics| Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation | Humanities and Social Sciences (Information Systems and Digital Society | Fraunhofer Institute |Philosophy Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence)
Award Value: 4.310,40 Euro
Funding Period: Jan-Dec 2025

Abstract
Research on the impact of AI on gender equality mostly focuses on a specific cause of discrimination problems caused by the use of AI. The influence of prejudices along the life cycle of an AI application. However, the unbroken influence of gender stereotypes on our behaviour when interacting with information systems (Craiut and Iancu 2022) suggests that stereotypes also guide our interactions with AI. Samples for this study are drawn from North America and Europe enabling investigation of cultural and social influences on the gender perception of neAI. Interestingly, AI applications are often designed in embodied form (e.g. female voice assistants) and research has shown that individuals perceive female-connoted technologies as less trustworthy and intelligent, but warmer and more empathetic (Voelker 1994). However, there are few studies on how non-embodied, software-integrated AI (neAI) is perceived. Using two studies, this project examines possible effects gender attribution of neAI.

Study 1: It's a boy...or girl? An Implicit and Explicit Assessment of the Gendered Perception of Non-Embodied, Software-Integrated AI
Study 2: Exploring the possible impact of the gender-specific perception of neAI using the example of stereotype threat.

Shifting the Lens: Empowering Gender and Intersectional Sensitive Struggles through Photovoice in Lagos 
Applicants: Marie Nadège Tsogo Momo | Carla Coburger
Faculty: Linguistics and Literature
Romance Literary Studies and Comparative Literature (BIGSAS | Cluster Africa Multiple)
Award Value: 4.850,00 Euro
Funding Period: Jan-Sept 2025

Abstract
This project shifts the lens physically and epistemologically by enabling participants to use the camera as a tool to capture what they consider relevant questions and topics for discussion and group interviews. The project will be conducted in the Oworonshoki community in Lagos, Nigeria, which would be labelled ‘impoverished’ or ‘underprivileged’ in Global North scholarship. This project aims to change the power dynamics of traditional forms of interview techniques and decolonise qualitative methods. The overall theme of the project is ‘money’ as an expression of a medium of exchange, of value, of a pathway to pleasure, to everyday activities, or as an expression of crisis and the desire for change. With Photovoice, the project not only challenges traditional power relations in research by prioritising the voices of the participants over those of the researchers, but also gives the participants control over the content and context of the images. This approach is particularly important in gendered and intersectional research, where it can highlight the nuanced intersections between gender and economic issues (Coemans et al. 2019; Cornell, Mkhize and Kessi 2019).

Female Fundamental Freedoms – Legal Issues in Family, Society, and Profession 

Applicants: Josephine Astfalk | Antonia Stummvoll 

Departments: Public Law III and IV (Faculty of Law and Economics) 

Requested Amount: €5,000 

Period: January to December 2026 

Abstract

This project addresses fundamental rights with a special focus on women's rights, highlighting the discrepancy between legal guarantees and social realities. Despite international and constitutional commitments to equality, women worldwide still face disadvantages and discrimination, particularly in professional and family contexts. The project goes beyond a binary gender classification, understanding gender as a spectrum and considering intersecting social inequalities.

ReBreathe: Evaluating a Gender-Responsive and Circular Solution for Indoor Air Inequalities in Vulnerable Homes 

Applicants: Bashir Olasunkanmi Ayinde | Mbaoma Oliver Chinonso 

Departments: Micrometeorology and Biogeography (Faculty) 

Requested Amount: €5,000; Funding Awarded: €1,000 

Period: January to December 2026 

Abstract

The ReBreathe project aims to investigate indoor air quality in vulnerable households, where pollutants like NO2, VOCs, and mould contribute to asthma and respiratory illnesses, especially in energy-efficient but poorly ventilated buildings. Vulnerable groups face greater risks due to longer indoor stays influenced by factors such as poverty and gender roles. The study uses surveys and sensors to examine gender-specific and socioeconomic disparities.

Planetary Precarities: Perspectives of/on the Age of Post-Truth 

Applicants: Anne Stellberger | Kaitlyn Medina | Marija Krstic | Ellen Borchardt 

Departments: North American Studies | American Studies/Anglophone Literatures and Cultures (Faculty of Language and Literature) 

Requested Amount: €3,700; Funding Awarded: €3,450 

Period: January to December 2026 

Abstract

This conference explores a planet in precarious conditions—uncertainty driven by climate crises and post-truth phenomena such as Trump’s “alternative facts” and AI hallucinations—that undermine epistemic integrity. It questions whether truth still matters and how fiction, as speculative art, reflects or subverts uncertainty and disorientation (following Bourdieu) in literature and culture. The project integrates approaches from American, cultural, gender, and environmental studies to foster an inclusive dialogue countering the erosion of facts (following Latour) by using cultural productions to stabilise inequalities in gender and race.

Aligned in Bias, Divided in Decisions: The Role of Bias Alignment in Fairness-Oriented Human–AI Decision-Making 

Applicants: Domenique Zipperling | Luca Deck | Dr Timo Speith 

Departments: Business Management and Economics; Information Systems and Human-centric Artificial Intelligence | Chair for Philosophy, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (Faculty of Law and Economics | Faculty of Cultural Studies) 

Requested Amount: €4,845 

Period: January to December 2026 

Abstract

The project “Aligned in Bias, Divided in Decisions” examines how alignment of biases (e.g., gender bias) between humans and AI — measured via fairness metrics such as Demographic Parity (DP) — affects perception, use, and fairness in human-AI decision-making, for example in loan approvals. When DP is identical but acceptance rates differ, AI is perceived as less fair, its advice overridden, and human biases reinforced. Fair AI is often ignored because human-AI teams neglect fairness. The project aims to develop a multi-criteria model testing trust, reliance, and outcomes through experiments including interventions like explanations and feedback.