Deadline: 20-Nov-2025
The Gerda Henkel Foundation offers General Research Grants to support innovative academic projects with a focus on personnel, travel, materials, and other essential costs.
Applicants must be actively involved in the research work underpinning the project. Project staff on research projects may only be financed by PhD or research scholarships. A fundamental prerequisite for receiving a scholarship is that project staff conduct their own research, which is published under their name. The simultaneous receipt of salary or retirement pension and a research scholarship is not possible.
Applications for the general research grants can only be submitted electronically through the official application form. The required documents include a research proposal of no more than eight pages, with an additional bibliography if needed, following formatting rules of at least size 11 font and 1.5 line spacing in a readable style such as Arial or Times New Roman. Other required documents are a time schedule, travel itinerary if necessary, a detailed cost calculation with all funds indicated in euros, and an exact definition of the applied costs. Salaries for project staff, tuition fees, and overhead costs are excluded, while scholarships and allowances must be clearly specified in the cost plan.
Applicants must provide a curriculum vitae and list of publications, limited to those of the main applicants, which should not normally exceed three individuals. Additional scholars may be mentioned as associates. Where applicable, CVs and publication lists of project participants can be added, along with academic certificates for Masters, PhD, or professorships, but not Bachelor certificates. Only staff for whom grants or stipends are sought should be included in the application form, while other participants can be named separately.
When applying for an individual scholarship, applicants must include at least one signed letter of recommendation uploaded through the designated form. Additional recommendations may also be submitted. Applicants must take responsibility for requesting these references, as the Foundation will not contact referees. Academic certificates such as Masters, PhD, or professorships must also be provided, excluding Bachelor-level certificates.
Scholarships are usually paid directly to holders on a monthly basis or managed through a third-party institutional account. PhD scholarships are set at 1,920 euros per month, with an additional 480 euros for the first child and 120 euros for each subsequent child under the age of 18. An additional monthly allowance of 480 euros is granted for scholarships abroad, alongside travel and material aid as required.
Postdoctoral research scholarships are set at 2,760 euros per month, with the same child and family grants, as well as a 690-euro monthly allowance for projects abroad. Research scholarships after postdoctoral lecture qualification amount to 3,720 euros per month, with family grants, a 930-euro monthly allowance for research abroad, and necessary travel and material aid. This higher rate applies after successful professorial examinations or habilitation and may also be recognized for equivalent qualifications such as tenured academic positions in international systems.
Applications for a “research scholarship for post-doctoral researchers” may only be made if applicants received their PhD within the last ten years, with the relevant date taken from the PhD certificate. Possible periods of absence, such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, or professional qualification, are included in this timeframe. This restriction does not apply to research scholarships after Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification. The dissertation must already be published at the time of application, as a publishing contract alone is not sufficient. Additionally, the proposed research project must clearly differ from the topic of the PhD thesis. Applications may only be made if applicants received a previous Gerda Henkel Foundation research scholarship more than five years ago, with the relevant date calculated from the submission of the final report. No renewed application for a project rejected by the Foundation may be made, though applications for a new project are possible if the last rejected application was submitted more than three years ago, with the relevant date calculated from the letter of rejection.
In addition to research scholarships, contracts for work may be awarded for smaller-scale activities, though no fixed rates are specified. Publishing aid is reserved for outstanding projects already supported by the Foundation and requires a two-page summary of the monograph’s academic merit, cost calculations from a publisher, and the manuscript itself. For PhD thesis publications funded by the Foundation, a copy of the certificate should also be included.
Applications for all funding opportunities are accepted on a rolling basis, without deadlines, ensuring flexibility for scholars seeking support for their research.
For more information, visit Gerda Henkel Foundation.
