Categories: University Application 2025

Gerda Henkel Foundation Fully funded research fellowship Germany 2023

Postdocs or academics with Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification may apply directly for research fellowships. A single scholar who plans to work independently on a particular issue typically applies for a research scholarship. It is not necessary to be affiliated with an institution. It is not possible to receive a research scholarship and a salary or retirement pension at the same time. Typically, the funding period lasts from one and 24 months. If the recipient of a Foundation stipend becomes a parent while it is being paid for and is eligible for maternity or parental leave, the period of support for those individuals may be extended by up to 12 months. Individual agreements must be handled with the administrative office of the Foundation.

Degree Level

Gerda Henkel Foundation Fully funded research fellowship, Germany 2023 is available to undertake Research level programs at.

Available Courses

All Subjects

Scholarship Benefits

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

Eligible Nationalities

International students are eligible to apply.

Electronic Application Form for the Foundation

Please complete the application form in full.
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.
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.
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.

NOTE: 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.

NOTE: Please take note of the following details:

The Gerda Henkel Foundation will keep a copy of your information for the sole purpose of processing your application; no other parties will receive it.
The Gerda Henkel Foundation will be delighted to notify you at any time of the information we have on file about you.
Personal information can be updated or deleted as needed.
Only the Gerda Henkel Foundation may be contacted using this form. If required, the Foundation has the right to erase application data without warning.

Online Recommendation Form

The authors of letters of recommendation must upload them with a personal signature using the online recommendation form.
Please refrain from sending the documents via email and/or postal mail in addition.

Eligibility Criteria

Only those who got their PhD within the last ten years are eligible to apply for a “research scholarship for post-doctoral researchers.”
The date on the PhD certificate is the pertinent date. Research scholarships following Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification are exempt from this condition.
When the application is submitted, the dissertation must already be published. In this case, merely presenting a publishing contract is insufficient.
The proposed research project’s subject matter must be clearly distinct from that of the PhD thesis.
Criteria for applicants who have previously received Foundation funding
Only those who have previously been awarded a research scholarship from the Gerda Henkel Foundation and it has been more than five years may submit an application.
The relevant date for calculating the timeframe is the date on the final report.

Application Process

The general research grants can only be applied for electronically going forward. In the electronic application form, the required application materials can be uploaded.

An application for a research scholarship must include the following materials (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.

Deadlines

The Foundation committees gather twice annually to review submissions and make funding grant decisions.
For the spring meeting of the Foundation committees in 2023, the application deadline is November 24, 2022.
By this day, applications must be submitted to the Foundation’s office.
The meetings of the Foundation committees will take place in April 2023. If your application is accepted, funding might begin as early as the first week of May 2023.
Smaller funding amounts are not eligible for the deadline (max. 25,000 euros).
The Foundation uses a streamlined process with a three to four month deliberation period to offer smaller funding amounts. For smaller funding amounts, please use the same application process as for regular research scholarships.