Scientists from DECHEMA's Future Forum, including Thomas Classen, have published a new article on the efficiency of application systems in research funding in ‘Forschung & Lehre’. In the article, the authors address the challenges of the existing third-party funding allocation process and highlight the criticism of non-transparent and time-consuming procedures. They also present alternative approaches that could enable a fairer distribution of research funds and a more efficient application process. Read on to find out what solutions the Future Biotechnology Forum proposes for fair and transparent research funding and what steps are needed to strengthen Germany's competitiveness as a centre of science. The Article is online available.