The collective research programme of the academies of sciences – the Academies' Programme – serves to explore, preserve and interpret global cultural heritage. It is currently the largest long-term research programme in Germany for foundational research in the humanities and social sciences and is coordinated by the Union of Academies. The programme and its research projects are executed by the eight academies under the umbrella of the Union as well as by Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences.
Since 2006, the Academies' Programme has had an annual call for applications. In order to be accepted, research projects in the humanities need to fulfill the following criteria: transregional and national significance, a high level of societal and scholarly relevance, a duration between 12 and 25 years, and a minimum funding of 120,000 Euros per year. Moreover, the inclusion of young scholars, the (re)qualification of research associates over the entire project duration, and digital working and publication concepts are all requirements.
The Joint Science Conference, in which both nation and states are represented, is responsible for decisions concerning the budget of the Academies' Programme, the admission of new projects and the continuation of current projects. Decisions are made on the basis of the programme and financial planning put together by the Union of Academies.
The current call for proposals for the Academies Programme will also be available here on the website as soon as it is published. Researchers who have completed their doctorate and have institutional ties in Germany can apply (as individual applicantsor together with one or more co-applicants) to our Academy, amongst others, with a research project.