Special Programme Democracy
Supports group research on the historical roots and future transformations of democracy, focusing on conflicts, value systems, and societal change.
Funder: Gerda Henkel Foundation
Due Dates: June 3, 2026 (Next annual full application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Research scholarships: €1,920/month (PhD), €2,760/month (postdoc), €3,720/month (post-habilitation); up to 3 years; additional travel/material aid as needed.
Summary: Supports innovative research on historical conflicts and future transformations of democracy, focusing on value systems, societal change, and democratic challenges.
Key Information: Only research groups (≥2 postdocs) are eligible; individual applications not permitted.
Description
The Gerda Henkel Foundation's Special Programme Democracy funds research projects that examine both the historical and future-oriented dimensions of democracy. The programme is divided into two main subsections:
- Democracy as Utopia, Experience, and Threat: Investigates the history of social order conflicts, participation, justice, and value systems from antiquity to the present, considering both the advocates of greater participation and defenders of the status quo.
- Contours of Future Democratic Society: Focuses on political, technological, and social transformations shaping future democracies, including the crisis of liberal democracy, effects of digitalization, and new forms of social exclusion.
Projects should offer multiperspectival, innovative approaches to understanding and shaping the profound changes affecting democracy.
