Within the General Research Funding Programme of the Gerda Henkel Foundation, the focus lies on the Historical Humanities, in particular Archaeology, History, Historical Islamic Studies, Art History, History of Law, Prehistory and Early History, History of Science. Applications from neighbouring disciplines are possible if the core research question is historically oriented.
Please note: Within the General Research Grants programme, the Foundation distinguishes between three types of funding: research projects, research scholarships, and PhD scholarships. The decisive factor is who is being funded and in what form the funding is provided.
- Research Scholarship
- Select this funding option if
- you are applying for a personal scholarship to finance your own working hours,
- and if the grant is intended to support you exclusively.
- Travel and material expenses may be requested in addition.
- Research Project
- This funding option is required if
- additional scholarship holders (e.g. staff members or doctoral candidates) are to be supported – regardless of whether you apply for a scholarship for yourself,
- or if you are not applying for a personal scholarship but are requesting travel and material aid only.
- PhD Scholarship
- Doctoral candidates are not eligible to apply for research projects or research scholarships. They may, however, apply for a PhD scholarship.
- For postdoctoral researchers the same eligibility criteria apply to all scholarship holders, regardless of the funding type.
Please make sure to use the correct application form.
Please complete the research project form as an individual researcher only if you are not applying for a scholarship for yourself and are requesting research-related support only (travel and material expenses).
Table of Content
Summary
- Application DeadlineMay 28, 2026
- Study LevelMasters , PhD
- SponsorGerda Henkel Stiftung
- Eligible CountryAll Countries
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Benefits
- Research Scholarships for Postdocs
- Monthly scholarship award: 2,760 euros
- for one child: EUR 480
- for each further child: EUR 120
- The family grant is awarded for children who have not yet turned 18.
- Monthly endowment for scholarships abroad: 690 euros
- Travel aid: as required
- Material aid: as required
- Research Scholarships after Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification
- Monthly scholarship award: 3,720 euros
- For classification under the stipend rate “after post doctoral lecture qualification”, the following applies: In higher education systems in which a formal second academic qualification beyond the doctorate (e.g. habilitation or an equivalent procedure) is required, this second qualification will be treated as as the determining qualification. In higher education systems in which a second qualification of this kind is not part of the academic structure, the Foundation will as a rule regard the holding of a permanent (normally tenured) professorship or other permanent higher education teaching position at a mid-level or senior rank (e.g. Associate/Full/Distinguished Professor, Senior Lecturer, Reader, Professor) as an equivalent qualification to the habilitation; comparable positions may be recognised as equivalent in individual cases, in line with the respective national ranking system. A positively evaluated junior professorship is likewise recognised as equivalent. Positions such as Assistant Professor or Lecturer, as well as fixed-term junior professorships without a positive evaluation, are not regarded as equivalent to the habilitation.
- for one child: EUR 480
- for each further child: EUR 120
- The family grant is awarded for children who have not yet turned 18.
- Monthly endowment for scholarships abroad: 930 euros
- Travel aid: as required
- Material aid: as required
Requirements
- 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 the one indicated on the doctoral diploma/PhD certificate. Potential periods of absence (such as parental leave, other caring responsibilities, periods of professional training, etc.) are factored in on a general basis. (This restriction does not apply to research scholarships after Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification.)
- The dissertation must already have been published at the time of application. The presentation of a publishing contract is not sufficient in this regard. (This restriction does not apply to research scholarships after Post Doctoral Lecture Qualification.)
- 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.
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):
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.
Application Deadline
May 28, 2026How To Apply
Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to
Gerda Henkel Stiftung on forms.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de to apply
- Electronic Application Form for the Foundation: Application form.
- Please ensure that you are using the correct application form and that you complete it in full.
- When filling in the form, please follow standard rules of capitalization and avoid using exclusively uppercase or lowercase letters.
- For technical reasons, the Foundation recommends completing the form in one session and keeping it open in only a single browser window.
- It is possible to reopen and continue editing the form for ten days via a personal link once it has been created. The ten-day period begins when the form is first generated; subsequent changes do not extend this period. After the ten days have expired, your data will be deleted from the server.
- Once you have completed the form, you will receive a summary that you must confirm separately before submitting it electronically.
- When you submit the form, your data will be transmitted electronically to the Foundation. The application can no longer be viewed or modified thereafter. You will receive a confirmation of receipt at the email address you provided.
- 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.
- Online recommendation 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.
For more information, kindly visit Gerda Henkel stiftung scholarship webpage.
