Guidelines for Awarding Scholarships
Advanced Fellowship (one year), Consolidator Fellowship (one year) und Honorary Fellowship (maximum six months)
These guidelines provide the contractual basis of the fellowship. They apply unless the terms given in the letter of acceptance expressly state otherwise. Acceptance of the fellowship constitutes an acknowledgement of their stipulations.
Objectives
The scholarships of the Historisches Kolleg are intended to give scholars from the entire field of the historical sciences the freedom to concentrate on and complete a book project.
Residency in Munich is compulsory. The Historisches Kolleg does not act as the employer of the fellows and claims no authority to issue instructions.
The grants of the Historisches Kolleg for Consolidator Fellowships are based on the remuneration scheme of the W 2 salary scale and are tax free under the terms of § 3 no. 44 sentence 3 letter a of the German Income Tax Act (EStG).
According to the judgement of the German Federal Fiscal Court dated 24 February 2015 (VIII R 43/12), scholarships are generally exempt from income tax under the terms of § 3 no. 44 sentence 3 letter a of the German Income Tax Act (EStG) if they do not exceed the income previously received from ordinary employment, are awarded in accordance with the guidelines issued by the donor, and the recipient is not obliged to provide a specific scientific or artistic service or a specific task typical of an employee in connection with the scholarship. Final assessment of such matters is the responsibility of the tax office processing the fellow’s tax return. Be advised that the Historisches Kolleg will forward its own tax tracer records to the responsible tax office.
Call for Applications
The Advanced and Consolidator Fellowships are publicly advertised annually (via the specialist portal H/SOZ/KULT, the periodical of the Association of German Historians (Historikerverband), flyers, the homepage etc.). The closing date for applications is the 30th of April. Applications for Honorary Fellowships are open all year round.
Eligibility
The scholarships are open to domestic and foreign applicants as a matter of principle. Applications by women are expressly encouraged.
- Advanced Fellowships are awarded for one year (1 October to 30 September of the following year) and are generally aimed at professors.
- Consolidator Fellowships are generally awarded for one year (1 October to 30 September of the following year) and are aimed at postdoctoral researchers seeking to complete a habilitation or a second book.
- Honorary Fellowships are aimed at outstanding scholars who wish to work at the Historisches Kolleg for a short period of time (maximum six months).
Services
Advanced Fellowship
German scholars are expected to take a leave of absence from their university with full pay. The Historisches Kolleg will cover the cost of their replacement (based on the W 2 salary scale for 12 months).
In addition, the Historisches Kolleg will provide a rent subsidy for an apartment in Munich for the duration of the scholarship, based on the rental agreement concluded by the fellow. The scholarship holder is responsible for any second home tax payable in the Bavarian capital.
Advanced Fellows are provided with an office in the Kaulbach Villa and receive research support from student assistants. Grants for necessary trips to archives and libraries are possible.
Consolidator Fellowships
Consolidator Fellows receive a stipend based on the W 2 salary scale. The Historisches Kolleg does not pay contributions to social security, nor to statutory or private health insurance. A rent subsidy for the fellow’s apartment in Munich is granted based on the fellow’s actual rental contract. The scholarship holder is responsible for any second home tax payable in the Bavarian capital.
Consolidator Fellows are provided with an office in the Kaulbach Villa and receive research support from student assistants. Grants for necessary trips to archives and libraries are possible.
Honorary Fellowships
Honorary Fellows are able to live and work in the Kaulbach Villa. They are integrated into life at the Kolleg for the duration of their stay. The Historisches Kolleg covers travel costs for incoming and outgoing journeys. No remuneration is provided.
Duties
All fellows are required to reside in Munich during the fellowship.
Advanced Fellows
If the fellowship is accepted, the Historisches Kolleg expects the associated research project to be completed during the funding period and then published within a reasonable period of time. The publication must contain an acknowledgement of the funding provided by the Historisches Kolleg and name the individual sponsor.
Advanced fellows will give a public lecture drawn from their work during their year at the Kolleg.
Fellows may also organise an academic colloquium. The contributions to the colloquium are published in the series entitled “Schriften des Historischen Kollegs – Kolloquien”. The language of publication is German. The language of the conference is open. The manuscripts of the contributions to the volume must be submitted by the end of the calendar year in which the fellow’s year at the Kolleg ends.
Consolidator Fellows
If the fellowship is accepted, the Historisches Kolleg expects the associated research project, usually a habilitation or a second book, to be completed during the funding period and then published within a reasonable period of time. The publication must contain an acknowledgement of the funding provided by the Historisches Kolleg and name the individual sponsor.
Consolidator fellows will give a public lecture drawn from their work during their year at the Kolleg. As an alternative, they may organise a single-day academic workshop on a topic related to their research project.
Honorary Fellows
If an Honorary Fellowship is accepted, the Historisches Kolleg expects the fellow to present their current research either in a public lecture or a single-day academic workshop.
Application Documents
For Advanced Fellowships and Consolidator Fellowships:
- Curriculum vitae (CV),
- List of publications,
- Work plan with detailed information on the following:
- Type and aim of the project, detailed description of the current state of the project and previously completed work (partial manuscript or precise, meaningful outline),
- half-page summary of the book project,
- planned trips to archives and libraries,
- names of institutions and scholars with whom the applicant would like to co-operate in Munich,
- topic of the colloquium or workshop,
- information on the applicant’s accommodation needs.
The application must clearly show that the project can be completed in one year of residency at the Kolleg and published the following year.
Applications for Honorary Fellowships can be submitted informally and at any time. Applications should include a project outline no longer than 5 pages and state the desired start date and duration of the fellowship.
Award Procedure
Fellows are selected by the Board of Curators of the Historisches Kolleg at its biannual meetings. The fellowship sponsors attend the meetings of the board as permanent guests. The board will also consult external expert advisors. All decisions are final.
Cancellation, Reclamation
The Historisches Kolleg reserves the right to revoke grants either in whole or in part and to purse claims to reimbursement if there are important reasons for doing so.
Rules of Good Research Practice
By accepting a fellowship, fellows promise to abide by the Guidelines for Safeguarding Good Research Practice as defined by the General Assembly of Members of the German Research Foundation (DFG) on 17 June 1998 (supplemented and updated in the version dated 3 July 2013; https://www.dfg.de/en/principles-dfg-funding/basics-and-principles-of-funding/good-scientific-practice).
Accountability
At the end of their fellowship year, Advanced Fellows and Consolidator Fellows submit a final report, which must include information on the progress of their work and information on the planned completion of the book project.
Handling of Received Applications
All applications will be treated confidentially. Documents belonging to applications that end up not being considered are destroyed after the application process has been completed.
In a letter dated 21 September 2015, the Munich Tax Office, Department of Corporations, confirmed that these guidelines fulfil the requirements for scholarships to be tax-free in accordance with § 3 no. 44 EStG.
Please note: This English version is a courtesy translation only. Only the German version is legally binding.
