The Gerda Henkel Stiftung (Gerda Henkel Foundation) offers General Research Grants to support high-quality research projects in the humanities and social sciences. The program funds individual scholars and research teams at different career stages, from PhD candidates to senior academics, enabling them to conduct independent, publishable research.
About the Grant
General Research Grants support research-driven projects in which applicants are actively involved in the scholarly work. Funding may cover:
- Research scholarships (PhD, postdoctoral, and senior researchers)
- Travel costs
- Material and research-related expenses
- Smaller research activities via contracts for work
Salaries, tuition fees, overhead costs, and pensions cannot be funded.
Who Can Apply?
- Individual researchers or small research teams (normally up to three applicants)
- Scholars must conduct independent research published under their own name
- Project staff can only be funded through research scholarships
- Simultaneous receipt of a salary or pension alongside a scholarship is not permitted
Funding Amounts (from 1 January 2024)
PhD Scholarships
- €1,920/month
- Family allowance:
- €480 for one child
- €120 for each additional child (children under 18)
- Abroad allowance: €480/month
- Travel & material aid: as required
Postdoctoral Research Scholarships
- €2,760/month
- Family allowance (same rates as above)
- Abroad allowance: €690/month
- Travel & material aid: as required
Senior Research Scholarships (Post-Habilitation / Equivalent)
- €3,720/month
- Family allowance (same rates as above)
- Abroad allowance: €930/month
- Travel & material aid: as required
Equivalent qualifications are recognized for academic systems without habilitation (e.g. tenured associate/full professors, senior lecturers).
Required Application Documents
Applications must be submitted electronically in German or English and include:
- Research proposal (max. 8 pages, excl. bibliography)
- Time schedule and travel plan (if applicable)
- Detailed cost plan (in euros)
- CV and publication list of applicant(s)
- CVs, publication lists, and academic certificates of funded project staff (if applicable)
- Letter(s) of recommendation (required if the applicant also applies for a personal scholarship)
File requirements
- PDF format only
- Max. 6 MB per file
- One document per upload field
- No protected PDFs
Deadlines & Review Timeline
- Main deadline (Autumn Committee Meeting 2026): 28 May 2026
- Committee decision: November 2026
- Earliest project start: December 2026
Smaller Grants (up to €30,000)
- No fixed deadline
- Simplified review procedure
- Decision within approximately 3–4 months
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted via the electronic application form:
Application Form: Click Here
After submission:
- Applications can be edited for 10 days
- A confirmation of receipt will be sent by email
Publishing Aid (By Invitation)
Publishing aid is available only for especially successful projects already funded by the Foundation. Required documents include:
- Two-page summary of academic merit and innovation
- Publisher’s cost calculation
- Digital manuscript
- PhD certificate (for supported dissertation publications)
Applications for publishing aid may be submitted at any time.
Why Apply?
The Gerda Henkel Stiftung is one of Europe’s leading private foundations supporting humanities research. Its General Research Grant Program provides substantial, flexible funding, enabling scholars to focus fully on original, high-impact research.
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