Deadline: 14-Sep-2026
The “Post-war contexts: rebuilding societies” program supports interdisciplinary early-stage research on how societies transition from war to peace and rebuild political, social, economic, and cultural systems. It funds €15,000–€30,000 over three years for projects led by French-hosted researchers. The program emphasizes grassroots peacebuilding, institutional reconstruction, and collaboration with diverse societal actors.
Post-war Contexts Research Programme Overview
This initiative supports research on post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding in the 21st century. It examines how societies recover from war and rebuild long-term stability through political, economic, cultural, and social transformation.
The program prioritizes interdisciplinary approaches and encourages collaboration between academia and real-world stakeholders.
Programme Objectives
The program aims to:
- Study transitions from war to peace in modern societies
- Analyze rebuilding of social, political, and economic systems
- Understand grassroots peacebuilding and civic participation
- Examine democratic and institutional reconstruction processes
- Explore cultural, symbolic, and psychological recovery after conflict
- Investigate heritage protection and reappropriation in post-war contexts
- Analyze information flows, narratives, and media influence
- Support policy-relevant and publicly accessible research outputs
Key Research Themes
Eligible research areas include:
- Grassroots peacebuilding and “peace from below”
- Civic engagement and institutional collaboration
- Democratic and political reconstruction
- Economic restructuring in post-conflict settings
- Cultural and symbolic recovery after war
- Psychological and social healing processes
- Heritage preservation and redefinition
- Media, journalism, and information dynamics in post-war societies
- Diaspora roles in reconstruction and stabilization
- Transformation of actors in post-conflict governance
- Legitimacy-building in post-war states
- Long-term peace and stabilization mechanisms
Research Approach and Priorities
The program prioritizes:
- Early-stage interdisciplinary research projects
- Strong collaboration with societal actors
- Engagement with media, economic, and political stakeholders
- Innovative theoretical and methodological approaches
- Research with policy relevance and public impact
- Comparative and multi-level analysis (local, national, global)
- Production of accessible knowledge for public debate
Funding Details
- Total funding: €15,000–€30,000 per project
- Duration: up to 3 years
- Coverage includes:
- Travel and accommodation
- Workshops and working meetings
- Multimedia and dissemination costs
- Not covered: staff salaries or personnel costs
Eligible Applicants
Applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Principal Investigator must hold a permanent position
- Must be affiliated with a French higher education or research institution
- Host institution in France must administer the project
- Teams may include:
- Doctoral researchers
- Postdoctoral researchers
- International collaborators
- Established researchers
Institutional Requirements
- Project must be hosted by a French research institution
- Formal agreement signed between FMSH and host institution
- PI acts as coordinator for the entire project
- International collaboration is encouraged but must be institutionally anchored in France
Application Criteria
Projects are evaluated based on:
- Academic originality and innovation
- Interdisciplinary methodology
- Engagement with real-world stakeholders
- Relevance to post-war reconstruction challenges
- Clarity of research design and objectives
- Potential for policy and public impact
- Feasibility within three-year timeframe
Programme Focus Areas
The program strongly emphasizes:
- Peacebuilding from below (grassroots actors)
- Reconstruction of political legitimacy
- Social cohesion and civic participation
- Role of media and information systems
- Cultural identity and heritage recovery
- Economic and institutional rebuilding
- Multi-stakeholder collaboration models
- Transformation of post-conflict societies
How the Programme Works
The process typically includes:
- Submission of early-stage interdisciplinary research proposal
- Evaluation based on originality and stakeholder engagement
- Selection of projects for multi-year funding
- Signing of agreement with FMSH and host institution
- Implementation of research activities over 3 years
- Workshops, meetings, and dissemination activities
- Production of policy-relevant research outputs
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Submitting late-stage or fully completed research
- Lack of French institutional affiliation for PI
- Weak interdisciplinary or stakeholder engagement
- Overly theoretical projects without practical relevance
- Missing alignment with post-war reconstruction themes
- Including staff costs (not eligible)
Tips for a Strong Application
To improve success chances:
- Emphasize interdisciplinary research design
- Include strong collaboration with societal actors
- Focus on real-world post-conflict challenges
- Highlight policy relevance and public accessibility
- Demonstrate methodological innovation
- Clearly define post-war context and case studies
- Ensure strong institutional backing in France
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is this research program about?
- It studies how societies rebuild after war and conflict.
- It focuses on peacebuilding, governance, and social recovery.
- It supports interdisciplinary academic research.
- Who can apply?
- Principal Investigators with permanent positions in France
- Researchers affiliated with French institutions
- International collaborators can be included in teams
- How much funding is available?
- €15,000 to €30,000 per project
- Over a duration of up to 3 years
- What costs are covered?
- Travel and accommodation
- Workshops and meetings
- Multimedia and dissemination activities
- What costs are not covered?
- Salaries and staff costs
- Personnel expenses
- What is the key focus of the program?
- Post-war reconstruction and peacebuilding
- Grassroots and institutional transformation
- Media, culture, and civic engagement
Conclusion
The “Post-war contexts: rebuilding societies” program advances interdisciplinary research on how societies recover from conflict and build sustainable peace. By supporting early-stage, stakeholder-engaged studies, it generates practical insights into political, social, and cultural reconstruction in post-war environments.
For more information, visit Fondation Maison des Science de l’Homme.
