Deadline: 20-Nov-2026
The General Research Grants Program provides financial support for individual researchers, doctoral candidates, and research projects through scholarships and targeted funding schemes. The programme supports research scholarships, research projects, PhD scholarships, travel costs, material expenses, publishing support, and eligible Open Access publication costs.
The funding structure separates personal research support, team-based research funding, doctoral study support, and dissemination assistance. Applicants must choose the correct funding route based on their academic status, research needs, and whether the proposal includes additional research staff or doctoral candidates.
What is the General Research Grants Program?
The General Research Grants Program is a structured research funding programme that supports academic research through different grant and scholarship formats.
It is designed for individual researchers, postdoctoral scholars, doctoral candidates, and research projects that require financial support for research time, staff, travel, materials, publication, or dissemination.
The programme offers separate funding routes for personal research scholarships, research projects, and PhD scholarships.
Main Purpose of the Programme
The main purpose of the programme is to support high-quality academic research by funding researchers at different career stages.
It provides financial assistance for personal research time, doctoral training, project-based research, research-related travel, material costs, small research work contracts, and publication outputs.
The programme also helps researchers publish and share successful research results through monograph support, edited volume support, and Open Access funding.
Focus Areas and Funding Priorities
The programme focuses on academic research support through clearly defined funding categories.
Key focus areas include:
- Research scholarships for individual researchers
- Research projects involving additional staff
- Research projects involving doctoral candidates
- PhD scholarships for doctoral-level study
- Travel costs linked to research
- Material costs for research activities
- Work contracts for smaller research-related tasks
- Publishing support for monographs
- Publishing support for edited volumes
- Open Access publication costs for eligible outputs
- Research conducted abroad
- Child support for eligible scholarship holders
Key Funding Routes
The programme offers three main funding routes.
These are:
- Research scholarships
- Research projects
- PhD scholarships
Each route has a different purpose and eligibility structure.
Research Scholarships
Research scholarships are intended for individual researchers who need personal support for their own working time.
This route is suitable when the applicant is seeking funding for their own research activity rather than funding additional research staff or doctoral candidates.
Research scholarships may also include optional travel and material funding where relevant.
Applicants seeking personal scholarship support must apply under the research scholarship category.
Research Projects
Research projects are intended for proposals that involve additional funded personnel.
This category is required when a project includes additional researchers, research staff, or doctoral candidates.
Research projects may also be used when the applicant is requesting only travel and material costs without personal scholarship support.
This route is suitable for team-based research or structured project activities that go beyond individual scholarship support.
PhD Scholarships
PhD scholarships are reserved exclusively for doctoral candidates.
Doctoral candidates are not eligible for the other two funding categories.
This means that applicants pursuing doctoral-level study must apply only under the PhD scholarship route.
The PhD scholarship provides monthly support for doctoral candidates and may include additional support for children and research conducted abroad.
Funding Amounts for PhD Scholarships
PhD scholarship holders receive EUR 1,920 per month.
Additional support is available for eligible children.
Child support includes:
- EUR 480 per month for one child under 18
- EUR 120 per month for each additional child under 18
For research conducted abroad, PhD scholarship holders receive an additional EUR 480 per month.
Funding Amounts for Postdoctoral Research Scholarships
Postdoctoral research scholarship holders receive EUR 2,760 per month.
Additional child support is available under the same child allowance structure.
Child support includes:
- EUR 480 per month for one child under 18
- EUR 120 per month for each additional child under 18
For research stays abroad, postdoctoral researchers receive an additional EUR 690 per month.
Funding for Postdoctoral Lecture Qualification Status
Researchers who qualify under postdoctoral lecture qualification status receive EUR 3,720 per month.
For abroad-based research, these researchers receive an additional EUR 930 per month.
They may also receive the same child-related supplements.
Child support includes:
- EUR 480 per month for one child under 18
- EUR 120 per month for each additional child under 18
Additional Eligible Costs
The programme may support costs beyond monthly scholarship payments.
Eligible additional costs may include:
- Travel costs
- Material costs
- Work contracts for smaller research activities
- Publishing support for eligible research outputs
- Open Access publication costs for eligible outputs
These costs must be clearly connected to the research activity and fit within the correct funding category.
Publishing Support
Publishing support is available only for particularly successful projects that were already funded under the programme.
This support is intended for major academic outputs such as monographs or edited volumes.
Applicants seeking publishing support must provide:
- A summary of the academic merit of the publication
- Publisher cost estimates
- The relevant manuscript
Publishing support is not a general publication grant. It is linked to successful projects previously supported through the programme.
Open Access Funding
Open Access funding is available for eligible outputs under the programme.
However, fees for individual journal articles are not covered.
This means applicants should check whether their planned publication format qualifies before requesting Open Access support.
Who is Eligible?
Eligibility depends on the applicant’s academic status and the type of funding requested.
Doctoral candidates may apply only for PhD scholarships.
Postdoctoral researchers and higher-level academic staff may apply for research scholarships.
Research project applications may include additional funded personnel, including research staff or doctoral candidates.
Applicants requesting personal scholarship support must apply under the research scholarship category.
Applicants who want to include additional staff, additional researchers, or doctoral candidates must apply under the research project category.
How the Programme Works
The programme separates funding by purpose and applicant type.
Individual researchers apply for research scholarships when they need support for their own research time.
Doctoral candidates apply for PhD scholarships when they need funding for doctoral-level study.
Research teams or applicants who need to fund additional personnel apply under the research project route.
Publishing support and Open Access funding are available only under specific conditions and should be requested according to the programme rules.
How to Apply
Applicants should first identify their academic status.
Doctoral candidates should apply only for PhD scholarships.
Postdoctoral researchers and higher-level academic staff should apply for research scholarships if they need personal support for their own research time.
Applicants should apply for a research project if the proposal includes additional researchers, staff members, doctoral candidates, or if only travel and material costs are being requested without a personal scholarship.
After choosing the correct funding route, applicants should prepare a clear research proposal explaining the purpose, academic relevance, research activities, timeline, and expected outputs.
Applicants requesting travel, material costs, work contracts, publishing support, or Open Access funding should provide clear justifications and cost details.
For publishing support, applicants must include a summary of academic merit, publisher cost estimates, and the relevant manuscript.
Suggested Application Steps
- Confirm your academic status.
- Decide whether you are applying as a doctoral candidate, individual researcher, or project applicant.
- Select the correct funding route: PhD scholarship, research scholarship, or research project.
- Prepare a clear research proposal with objectives, methods, timeline, and expected outcomes.
- Identify whether you need additional travel, material, work contract, or publication support.
- Prepare a detailed budget based on eligible funding categories.
- Include child support or abroad-based research support if applicable.
- For publishing support, prepare the manuscript, publisher cost estimate, and academic merit summary.
- Submit the application under the correct programme category.
Why It Matters
Research funding is essential for academic work, doctoral training, knowledge creation, and scholarly publication.
The General Research Grants Program helps researchers focus on their work by providing structured financial support for research time, project costs, doctoral study, and dissemination.
The programme is especially important because it clearly separates different research needs, making it easier for applicants to apply under the right funding route.
It also supports the publication of successful research, helping academic findings reach wider audiences through monographs, edited volumes, and eligible Open Access formats.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid applying under the wrong funding category.
Doctoral candidates should not apply for research scholarships or research projects because they are eligible only for PhD scholarships.
Applicants seeking personal scholarship support should not apply under the research project category unless additional personnel or project-based costs are involved.
Research project applicants should not forget to include details about additional staff, doctoral candidates, travel, or material costs where relevant.
Applicants should not request publishing support for projects that were not already funded under the programme.
Applicants should also avoid requesting Open Access funding for individual journal article fees, as these are not covered.
Tips for Strong Applications
A strong application should clearly match the applicant’s academic status with the correct funding route.
The research proposal should explain the academic value of the project, the research questions, the methodology, and the expected contribution to knowledge.
Applicants should provide a realistic timeline and a clear budget.
Requests for travel, material costs, work contracts, or publication support should be directly connected to the research activity.
Applicants seeking abroad-based funding should clearly explain why the research stay abroad is necessary.
Publishing support requests should demonstrate the academic merit of the manuscript and include complete publisher cost information.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the General Research Grants Program?
The General Research Grants Program provides financial support for researchers, doctoral candidates, and research projects through scholarships, project funding, travel support, material costs, and eligible publication assistance.
2. What are the main funding routes?
The programme has three main funding routes: research scholarships, research projects, and PhD scholarships.
3. Who can apply for a PhD scholarship?
PhD scholarships are reserved exclusively for doctoral candidates. Doctoral candidates may only apply under this category.
4. How much funding do PhD scholarship holders receive?
PhD scholarship holders receive EUR 1,920 per month. They may also receive child support and an additional EUR 480 per month for research conducted abroad.
5. How much do postdoctoral researchers receive?
Postdoctoral research scholarship holders receive EUR 2,760 per month. They may also receive child support and an additional EUR 690 per month for research stays abroad.
6. When should applicants choose the research project category?
Applicants should choose the research project category when the proposal includes additional researchers, research staff, doctoral candidates, or when only travel and material costs are requested without personal scholarship support.
7. Does the programme support publication costs?
Yes, the programme supports publishing costs for particularly successful projects already funded under the programme. It may cover monographs, edited volumes, and eligible Open Access publication costs, but not individual journal article fees.
Conclusion
The General Research Grants Program provides structured support for academic research, doctoral training, project-based research, and research dissemination.
Its three main routes—research scholarships, research projects, and PhD scholarships—help applicants choose the right funding pathway based on their academic status and project needs.
Applicants should carefully select the correct category, prepare a clear research proposal, provide accurate budget details, and follow the programme rules for travel, material costs, publishing support, and Open Access funding.
For more information, visit Gerda Henkel Foundation.