One of Europe's most respected independent funders of the historical humanities offers personal research scholarships to PhD holders worldwide — no institutional affiliation required, no nationality or residence restriction — paying €2,760 a month for up to two years of full-time independent research. The spring 2027 committee round closes 20 November 2026, with funding starting May 2027 at the earliest.
Why it is notable: it is genuinely researcher-driven — you apply as an individual with your own historical question, you don't need a university post, and rejected projects can never be resubmitted, so the first application has to be the strong one.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Monthly scholarship: €2,760 (postdoc) or €3,720 (after post-doctoral lecture qualification), for 1–24 months of full-time research:
Family grant: €480/month for one child, €120 per further child (under 18, on submission of birth certificates):
Travel aid as required (research trips to archives, libraries, museums):
Material aid as required:
Note: college/tuition fees and overheads are NOT covered; conference travel can be included inside the scholarship application (no standalone conference-trip applications):
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
PhDfor Postdoc
This scholarship is offered for Postdoc programs.
Who can apply
all nationalities — "support does not depend on the applicant's nationality or location"; no institutional affiliation necessary; foreign academics explicitly welcome; the Foundation corresponds in German and English
Experience
postdoctoral (PhD within last 10 years; or post-doctoral lecture qualification for the €3,720 rate)
Language Certificate
not applicable — applications may be submitted in German or English
Other Certificates
copies of academic certificates (Master's, PhD, professorship — no Bachelor certificates); tabular CV with publication list
Age Limit
No Age Limit
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
all nationalities eligible, worldwide; no residence requirement.
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Qualification
PhD completed within the last 10 years (parental/care periods factored in); dissertation published in full (printed or publisher e-book with ISBN — a contract alone is insufficient); project clearly different from the PhD topic.
02
Documents
8-page proposal, work plan + schedule, euro-denominated cost calculation, CV + publications, certificates (no Bachelor certs), 1–2 recommendation letters via the online form.
03
Language
German or English for all documents and references.
04
Exclusivity
full-time only; no concurrent salary or pension; one funding programme per application; rejected projects never resubmitted.
05
Submission
electronic form only (10-day editing window, PDFs ≤6 MB); never additionally by email/post.
06
Fee
no fee.
Document checklist
01Research proposal, max 8 pages (+ bibliography extra), font ≥11, 1.5 spacing, German or English
02Time schedule and working plan (incl. archive/library/museum travel)
03Detailed cost calculation in euros (per Foundation budget guidelines; no flat-rate daily/hotel allowances; no college/tuition fees)
04Tabular CV with list of publications
05Academic certificates (Master's, PhD, professorship — no Bachelor certificates)
061–2 letters of recommendation (authors upload via the online form)
Application fee
No fee — completely free.
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Germany — researcher visa/residence permit if the research stay is in Germany (hosting agreement from a German research institution where applicable); many fellows work from their home country or…
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Confirm your track
research scholarship (personal, postdoc) vs research project (team/travel-only) vs PhD scholarship (doctoral candidates) — doctoral candidates cannot use the research-scholarship form.
→
02
Check eligibility: PhD within 10 years
dissertation published in full, project clearly different from the PhD topic, no concurrent salary/pension, no parallel applications.
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03
Prepare documents in German or English
research proposal (max 8 pages, min font 11, 1.5 spacing; bibliography extra), time schedule + working plan with travel details, detailed cost calculation in euros per the Foundation's budget guidelines, tabular CV with
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06
Confirm the summary and submit electronically —
do NOT additionally send documents by email or post. Incomplete submissions are not considered.
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05
Complete the electronic application form in one
session (editable via personal link for 10 days; PDFs ≤6 MB each; no protected PDFs).
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04
Request recommendation letters yourself
1 required, max 2 — authors upload via the online recommendation form with personal signature (the Foundation will not chase referees).
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07
Research proposal, max 8 pages (+ bibliography extra)
font ≥11, 1.5 spacing, German or English
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08
Time schedule and working plan (incl. archive/library/museum
travel)
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09
Detailed cost calculation in euros (per Foundation budget guidelines
no flat-rate daily/hotel allowances; no college/tuition fees)
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10
Tabular CV with list of publications
Application milestones
20 Nov 2026
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Gerda Henkel Foundation platform.
20 Nov 2026 — (spring 2027 committee round; funding from May 2027). Next: end of May 2027 (exact date announced later)
Who can apply?
all nationalities — "support does not depend on the applicant's nationality or location"; no institutional affiliation necessary; foreign academics explicitly welcome; the Foundation corresponds in German and English
What does the scholarship cover?
Monthly scholarship: €2,760 (postdoc) or €3,720 (after post-doctoral lecture qualification), for 1–24 months of full-time research:; Family grant: €480/month for one child, €120 per further child (under 18, on submission of birth certificates):; Travel aid as required (research trips to archives, libraries, museums):; Material aid as required:
Where do I apply?
Through the official application portal linked in the Official links section on this page.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Germany · Gerda Henkel Foundation