The Gerda Henkel Foundation is launching a major international grants programme. This new funding initiative seeks to support academics who are working in the historical humanities, or on a topic within the terms of the “Islam, the modern nation state and transnational movements” special programme, and are planning a long-term research trip abroad. The objective of the new programme, which goes by the name of “M4HUMAN” (“Mobility for experienced researchers in historical humanities including Islamic studies”), is to intensify international academic exchange and beneficially influence research in the participating countries. The European Commission is supporting the programme with funds from the 7th EU Framework Programme for Research and its Marie Curie Actions. The partners are making a total of some EUR 7.5 million available to fund around 100 research grants (“Marie Curie Fellowships”). The deadline for applications is 30 June 2011.

“International experience and the ability to link differing academic perspectives are important pre-requisites for excellent research,” says Dr. Michael Hanssler, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Gerda Henkel Foundation. “The funding programme aims to promote this. We are delighted that we are now in a position to support significantly more international research projects in the historical humanities and in Islamic studies.”

Call for proposals
The programme provides for 24-month research grants. Eligible to apply are experienced researchers and young academics worldwide who are keen to spend the major part of the funded term at a research institution of their choice outside their own country. More information on the Gerda Henkel Foundation’s Marie Curie Fellowships is available here.

The Gerda Henkel Foundation
The Gerda Henkel Foundation was established in 1976 by Lisa Maskell (1914 – 1998) in memory of her mother Gerda Henkel. Headquartered in Düsseldorf, the Gerda Henkel Foundation is a charitable organisation under private law that is independent of today’s Henkel Group. The foundation supports national and international academic projects in the following subjects: Archaeology, History, Historical Islamic Studies, Art History, History of Law, and Pre- and Protohistory. The Foundation established the “Islam, the modern nation state and transnational movements” special programme in 2009 to take into account those academic projects which take a broader approach to history. Since its inception, the Gerda Henkel Foundation has made available almost EUR 90 million for over 5,000 research projects worldwide. Some EUR 7 million of funding was approved for 333 academic projects last year. The Foundation is active both inside and outside Germany.

Contact
Gerda Henkel Foundation Press Office
Dr. Sybille Wüstemann
Telephone: +49 (0)211 93 65 24 0
E-mail: wuestemann@gerda-henkel-stiftung.de
Internet: www.gerda-henkel-stiftung.de