Atlas: France > Germany

The Fondation Maison des sciences de l'homme (FMSH) and the Franco-German Institute for Historical and Social Sciences (IFRA-SHS) in Frankfurt/M. are offering post-doctoral fellows or young researchers residing in France a mobility grant for a 1-2 month research stay in Germany.

All projects from the humanities and social sciences will be eligible, although priority will be given to projects that fit into the thematic axes of IFRA-SHS, in synergy with its researchers and partners. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged.

This call is part of the Atlas programme for short-term postdoctoral mobility launched by the FMSH and its partners.

Financial terms and conditions

A financial aid of 1 600€ per month (paid at the beginning of each month of stay) is given to the laureates. It is intended to cover transportation and living expenses.

Please note: the granting of this aid is dependent on the availability of the corresponding funds from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Eligibility criteria

Nationality/residence: be a citizen of a European Union country and reside in France

Degree/status: be a postdoctoral fellow in SHS and have defended his/her thesis as of 2017. Be associated with a research center / laboratory in France.

Discipline: be engaged in research in the humanities and social sciences. Particular attention will be paid to projects that fall within the main thematic axes of IFRA-SHS: "Dynamics of religion" and "Imperial spaces".

Location: a residence in Frankfurt/M. is desirable but not mandatory. Research stays in Berlin or its surroundings will not be privileged.

Language: proficiency in German

Obligations of the researcher hosted at IFRA

Researchers living in Frankfurt are involved in the scientific life of IFRA-SHS and have access to a working space, if possible. If their research field is not in Frankfurt, they are strongly encouraged to come and present their work.

Application form

The application file is composed of a form and a scientific file. It must be submitted on an online platform. This platform will be accessible from January 9, 2023. The complete applications must be uploaded on the online platform no later than March 17, 2023, 5:00 pm (Paris time).

The application form and the scientific file must be submitted in French.

Content of the scientific file

• a project proposal (between 10,000 and 20,000 characters maximum) which must present the problematized research theme and the theoretical and methodological framework mobilized and indicate precisely the field envisaged as well as the activities and stages to be accomplished during the stay, and include a timetable
• a signed letter of motivation, explaining the scientific and organizational reasons for the request for financial support, and identifying the German institutional partners of interest for the proper conduct of the research
• a CV of maximum 2 pages with a list of the 5 most important publications
• a letter from the director of the laboratory / research center with which the applicant is associated in France

How to apply?

1. Go to http://calls.msh-paris.fr and enter the "Researcher Workspace"
2. Log in if you have already created an account, if not, create an account
3. Fill in your profile and click on "create a new application"
4. Select "Atlas outgoing 2023 Program" then the specific call "FMSH-IFRA/SHS: France > Germany "
5. Fill in all the tabs of the form
6. In the "Documents" tab, upload a single electronic document in pdf format containing the following documents:

• Research project
• Signed letter of motivation
• CV of maximum 2 pages and list of 5 publications
• Letter from the director of the laboratory / research center with which the candidate is associated in France

7. You can save your application without submitting it and come back to it later, or you can submit it permanently. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. Please note that your application will not be considered if it is not submitted. Applications that are incomplete or do not match the description above will not be considered.

For any information on the platform, or in case of difficulty in using it, contact fadili@msh-paris.fr

Selection criteria and process

A selection committee composed of members of the FMSH, IFRA/SHS and external experts will analyze and select the applications based on the following elements:

• the quality of the scientific file and the methodology developed
• the relevance of the stay in Germany with respect to the project developed, the researcher's background, and the fieldwork planned
• the ability to identify scientific contacts on site.

Researchers who have never benefited from the program will be given preference.