The Academies’ Programme is the joint research programme of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities. It is designed to enable long-term basic research in the humanities and, working from historical perspectives, legal studies, economics and social sciences. Research questions and materials in these areas which dovetail with those of certain natural sciences can also be addressed within the framework of the Academies’ Programme. The central task of the Academies’ Programme is the exploration, preservation and interpretation of cultural traditions of major importance for research and for societies at large.
The Academies Programme is currently funded with approximately 77 million euros annually as part of the joint research funding provided by the federal and state governments. These funds are currently used to finance 125 projects in 188 workplaces (external link).
Researchers who have completed their doctorate and have institutional ties in Germany can apply (as individual applicants or together with one or more co-applicants) with a research project to one of the academies. In terms of focus, scope and duration, the project must meet the following requirements and criteria for applying to the Academies Programme.
Application Requirements
- The project must be of cross-regional significance and of interest to national scientific policy.
- The application is limited to projects in the above mentioned fields.
- The proposal must be outstanding in its disciplinary or interdisciplinary relevance.
- The proposal has to reflect, in theme and method, the current state of research and must have potential for innovation.
- The project must be a modular long-term project (at least 12 and at most 25 years) that can be completed within the planned overall term. Permanent tasks are not eligible.
- The annual funding budget must be at least 120,000 euros.
- The further qualification of academic staff in the project, especially in early career stages, must be guaranteed.
- The inclusion of the Digital Humanities and the development of a respective concept are prerequisites.
- Only those projects will be considered that cannot be carried out more expediently by a university, another research institution or any other organization.
Application procedure and criteria for application
The procedure takes place in two stages within a two-year assessment and selection cycle. Firstly, a preliminary application must be submitted to the Academy. The Academy examines the pre-application and the possibility of accepting it into its scientific and organisational supervision. Applicants are requested to hold a counselling interview with the Heidelberg Academy before submitting their pre-application. Applications from academics and researchers who promote the diversity of the academic system and its staff are expressly encouraged.
The deadline for submitting a pre-proposal to the Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften is January 31st, 2025. Submissions are possible digitally in a single PDF.
The preliminary application (Vorantrag) must identify the project concept, the need for its long-term pursuit and the planned method of implementation and must contain the following information:
- The applicants’ names and their professional and institutional affiliation
- title, discipline and specific orientation of the project
- intended duration as well as material and personnel resources
- brief description of the research topic (if applicable, description of the material to be analyzed) and research method incl. initial considerations for a Digital Humanities concept
- curricula vitae of the applicants with list of publications (no more than one DIN-A 4 page per person) and information on current
projects funded by other sponsors.
The project description should not exceed five pages (font size Arial 11 pt., 1.2 lines). Appendices may not exceed 10 pages. A separate information sheet (PDF) provides information on the formal design of full proposals in the Academies' Programme.
Consultancy appointments at the HAdW
The academy's science administration team will be there to guide you through all phases of the multi-stage call procedure and the associated application process. As an introductory consultation, two online appointments are offered for the call for proposals, which can be used to ask initial questions about the funding format and application modalities:
Date: 19.11.2024, 12-13h or 13.12.2024, 10-11h (dial-in link)
Please send us a short message if you would like to attend one of the dates. These two information sessions will focus on questions about the procedure in general, formalities, funds that can be applied for, durations, etc. If you have specific questions about your project application, please arrange a separate consultation appointment with Dr Dieta Svoboda-Baas as early as possible.
Additional funding ‘ Student assistants for the preparation of a full proposal’
The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science and the Arts (MWK) grants the Academy additional funding to support the preparation of a full proposal. Funding is provided for auxiliary staff to assist with the research, material preparation, etc. required to prepare the full proposal. These funds are only available in the case of a call for full proposals. The application must be submitted at the same time as the preliminary application as a separate file and should not exceed one page. Please outline the tasks of the auxiliary staff, the scope of employment and the duration of employment. Employment beyond 31 July 2025 is not possible.