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Call for Proposals: Academies Program 2029

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The Academies Program is the joint research program of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities. It supports long-term basic research in the humanities and in the historical disciplines of law, economics, and the social sciences. Research questions and materials at the intersection of these fields with the natural sciences may also be addressed within the framework of the Academies Program. The central mission of the Academies Program is to document, preserve, and study cultural traditions of outstanding scholarly and societal relevance.

The funded projects are scientifically overseen by one or more Academies; they may be carried out in close cooperation—which may also be international in scope—with other Academies, universities, and non-university research institutions.

The Academies Program currently receives approximately 82 million euros annually in funding as part of the joint research funding initiative of the federal and state governments. These funds are currently used to finance 130 projects at 198 research sites.

Researchers who have earned a Ph.D. and are affiliated with an institution in Germany may apply (as individual applicants or together with one or more co-applicants) to one of the listed Academies with a research proposal. The project must meet the following requirements and criteria for applications to the Academies Program in terms of its focus, scope, and duration.

  • The project must be of supraregional significance and be in the national interest in terms of science policy.
  • Applications are limited to projects in the scientific fields mentioned at the beginning.
  • The project must be characterized by high disciplinary or interdisciplinary relevance.
  • It must reflect the current state of research in terms of both subject matter and methodology and demonstrate scientific innovation potential.
  • It must be a modular, long-term project (at least 12 and no more than 25 years) that can be completed within the planned total duration. Ongoing projects are not eligible for funding.
  • The annual funding amount is at least 120,000 euros.
  • Opportunities for further professional development of research staff, particularly those in the early stages of their careers, must be ensured.
  • The inclusion of the digital humanities and the development of a corresponding concept are prerequisites.
  • Only projects that cannot be more appropriately carried out by a university, another research institution, or another organization will be accepted.

The application process consists of two stages within a two-year review and selection cycle. First, a preliminary application must be submitted to the selected Academy. The Academy reviews the preliminary application and assesses whether it can provide academic and organizational support.

The preliminary application must include the following information:

  • Names, academic and institutional affiliations of the applicants,
  • title, field of expertise, and specific scientific focus of the project,
  • intended duration, as well as equipment and personnel resources,
  • brief description of the research topic (including, if applicable, a description of the collection to be cataloged) and research methodology
    including initial ideas for a digital humanities concept,
  • Curriculum vitae of the applicants with a list of publications (no more than one DIN A4 page per person) and information on
    ongoing externally funded projects.

The length of the application is limited to five to a maximum of 10 pages. For proposals submitted jointly by several Academies, seven to a maximum of ten pages are permitted. (Font: Arial 11 pt., 1.2-line spacing). Any formal requirements should also be clarified with the respective Academies, if necessary.

Preliminary proposals may be submitted by January 31, 2027 to one of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities. Proposals that promote diversity within the scientific community and its workforce are expressly encouraged. Applicants acknowledge that their data will be used and stored for specific purposes during the application process. In this context, please refer to the relevant data processing notices of the Academies and the Union (of the Academies).

Researchers planning a project that meets the specified requirements are asked to submit their project idea in the form of a preliminary application to one of the German Academies of Sciences participating in the program. Applicants are encouraged to hold a consultative meeting with the Academy of their choice before submitting the preliminary proposal.

Applicants whose preliminary proposals have been shortlisted will be asked by the Academy to submit a full proposal. For inter-academy proposals, one Academy assumes the lead role. The proposals are evaluated by national and international expert reviewers and, if approved, will be submitted to the Scientific Commission of the Union (of the Academies) in the spring of 2028. If approved, the Academy will assume responsibility for the project at the start of funding on January 1, 2029, and will oversee it through an Advisory Committee.

The full application must meet the following criteria:

  • Names of the applicants, including academic degrees, positions, and dates of birth, Name of the research institution, faculty/department/institute, address, phone number, email address,
  • precise description of the project (max. two lines) and short title,
  • Field of expertise and specific research focus,
  • Summary of the project and the research objective (max. 1 page),
  • Information on the state of the art and the applicant’s own preliminary work,
  • Description of methodology and research objectives,
  • Details regarding the total duration and modular structure of the project. The modules must be self-contained in terms of content and duration.
  • Information on work, time, and financial planning, particularly regarding the number and level of the planned positions and the amount of material resources required,
  • Submission of a digital humanities concept as well as a preliminary draft of a data management plan, which specifically includes considerations regarding long-term digital archiving and the availability and reusability of digital research data,
  • A brief description of the affiliation with a university or a non-university research institute,
  • Information on additional collaboration partners,
  • Information on professional development programs for early-career researchers and on a long-term continuing professional development strategy for staff,
  • if applicable, information on the involvement of staff in university teaching, details on science communication,
  • a statement indicating whether an application has already been submitted or is being submitted to another Academy, and whether funding for the project has been or is being sought from other sources.

A separate information sheet (see download area).

For researchers interested in submitting a proposal to the Academies Program, the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities is offering two general information sessions (online):

  • Friday, November 6, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • Thursday, November 26, 2026, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

The link will be posted on the website this fall. Registration for the event is not required.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an individual consultation, please contact Dr. Dieta Svoboda-Baas.

Information Sheet on the 2029 Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals: Academies Program 2029 (English)

Information Bulletin 2029 (English)

To projects in the Academies Program