CLOSING SOON! Fully Funded Gerda Henkel Foundation Research Scholarships, 2023-24, Germany

Deadline for application: November 24, 2022

Application

Type and scope of the funding

Applications for research scholarships can be made directly by Postdocs or scholars with Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification. A research scholarship is usually applied for by one scholar who will work on a specific project on his own. An institutional affiliation is not necessary. The simultaneous receipt of salary or retirement pension and a research scholarship is not possible.

The funding period is generally between one and 24 months.

The period of support for Foundation stipend holders working on Ph.D. or research projects can be extended by up to 12 months if the holder becomes a parent during the period covered by the stipend and has an entitlement to maternity or parental leave. Individual arrangements must be discussed with the Foundation’s administrative office.

Application documents

From now on, it is only possible to apply electronically for the general research grants. The necessary application documents can be uploaded in the electronic application form.

The following documents must be included in an application for a research scholarship (in German or English):

• description of the research proposal (max. 8 pages)
  • plus bibliography if necessary (in addition to the max. 8 pages)
  • at least font size 11 and line spacing 1.5
  • please choose a readable font, e.g. Arial 11 pt. or Times New Roman 12 pt.
• time schedule and working plan with information about the necessary travel to archives, libraries and museums or other destinations
• description of the journeys to archives, museums or other destinations which are closely related to the subject of the project and detailed calculation of the costs (travel and lodging)
  • No flat-rate daily allowance or flat-rates for hotel expenses
  • no college or tuition fees
• calculation of material costs  (e.g. for photocopies or film versions of archive material, photographs, etc., not a lump sum for books)
• tabular curriculum vitae with list of publications
• copies of academic certificates (Masters, PhD, professorship, etc.; please do not send Bachelor certificates)
• one letter of recommendation
  • signed by the author
  • upload via the online recommendation form
  • possibility to submit more than one letter of recommendation

Please note that the Gerda Henkel Foundation will not contact any referees and the applicants are responsible for requesting the letters of recommendation themselves.

Please do not additionally send the documents by email or postal mail.

Criteria

Criteria for applicants

• Applications for a “research scholarship for post-doctoral researchers” may only be made if applicants received their PhD within the last ten years. The relevant date is that on the PhD certificate. (This restriction does not apply to research scholarships after Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification.)

• The dissertation must have already been published at the time the application is made. The presentation of a publishing contract is not sufficient in this regard.

• The topic of the proposed research project must clearly differ from the topic of the PhD thesis.

Criteria for applicants previously funded by the Foundation

• Applications may only be made if applicants received a previous Gerda Henkel Foundation research scholarship more than five years ago. The relevant date for calculating the timeframe is the date on the final report.

Criteria for applicants previously rejected by the Foundation

• No renewed application for a project rejected by the Gerda Henkel Foundation may be made.

• Applications for a new project may be made if the last rejected application was made more than three years ago. The relevant date for calculating the timeframe is the date on the letter of rejection.

Please find further information regarding the criteria under FAQ.

Payment

Research Scholarships for Postdocs

Monthly scholarship award: 2,300 euros

•    for one child: EUR 400
•    for each further child: EUR 100

The family grant is awarded for children who have not yet turned 18.

Monthly endowment for scholarships abroad: 575 euros

Travel aid: as required
Material aid: as required

Research Scholarships after Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification

Monthly scholarship award: 3,100 euros

The higher grant rate is approved after successful conclusion of the professorial examinations (habilitation) process and/or alternatively at the earliest after positive interim evaluation for a junior professorship. For applicants from academic systems that do not envisage habilitations, the Foundation recognizes holding a tenured position as an associate professor or as a full professor or distinguished professor (in the US system) or as a senior lecturer or as a reader/professor (in the Commonwealth system) as an equivalent of passing junior professorial examinations. The administration of the Foundation can in individual cases assess other national qualification levels.

•    for one child: EUR 400
•    for each further child: EUR 100

The family grant is awarded for children who have not yet turned 18.

• Monthly endowment for scholarships abroad: 775 euros
• Travel aid: as required
• Material aid: as required

Deadlines

The Foundation committees meet twice a year to consider the applications and decide on funding grants. The application deadline for the Foundation committees spring meeting in 2023 is 24 November 2022. Applications have to be in the Foundation’s office by this day. The Foundation committees are holding their meeting in April 2023. If your application is successful, funding can start at the beginning of May 2023 at the very earliest.

The deadline is not valid for smaller funding amounts (max. 25,000 euros). Smaller funding amounts are granted by the Foundation through a simplified procedure with a deliberation time of approximately three to four months. Please follow the exact same application procedure for smaller funding amounts as for regular research scholarships.

Form and letters of recommendation

Electronic Application Form for the Foundation

1. Please complete the application form in full.

2. The application form can be saved at any time. Using your own personal link, you can return to and edit the form for a period of ten days. However, after this period (10 Days), your data will be deleted from the server.

3. Once you have completed the form, you will receive a short summary, which needs to be confirmed in order to be sent to the Foundation electronically.

4. During the transmission process your data will be sent to the Foundation in electronic form. Confirmation of receipt will be sent to the e-mail address provided in the application.

Please follow these rules when uploading your application files:

• All documents need to be uploaded as pdf-files.       
• Please do not upload protected PDF documents.
• A single file may not exceed a file size of 6 MB each.
• You cannot upload more than one document per upload field.
• The application can only be sent, if all necessary documents are included.
  

Please note the following additional information:

• Your data will be stored by the Gerda Henkel Foundation for the purpose of processing your application and will not be passed on to third parties.
• The Gerda Henkel Foundation will be happy to provide you with information about the data that we have stored on your person at any time. If so required, personal data can be changed or deleted.
• This form may only be used to make an application to the Gerda Henkel Foundation. The Foundation reserves the right to delete application data without prior notification, if necessary.

• Application form

Online recommendation form: 

Letters of recommendation must be uploaded via the online recommendation form by their authors with a personal signature. Please do not additionally send the documents by email and/or postal mail.

• Online recommendation form

Source / More information: Official Website HERE.